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Whatever was thought, what the king said was as direct in utterance as it was in observation. "If Uail the son of Baiscne has a son," said the king, "you would surely be that son." We are not told if the King of Finntraigh said anything more, but we know that Fionn left his service soon afterwards.
"Life and health, my good master, from Fionn, the son of Uail, the son of Baiscne," said she to Fergus. "Life and health back to Fionn," he replied. "Come into the house and give your message, but leave the dog outside, for I don't like dogs." "The dog comes in," the messenger replied. "How is that?" cried Fergus angrily.
The young man came forward then, greater-shouldered than any mighty man of that gathering, longer and cleaner limbed, with his fair curls dancing about his beardless face. The king put the great horn into his hand. "Tell me your name," he commanded gently. "I am Fionn, the son of Uail, the son of Baiscne," said the youth.
I cannot escape from him," she said, "and I am afraid," and at that she wept noiselessly and stared on Fionn. "He is my enemy," Fionn growled. "I name him as my enemy." "You will protect me," she implored. "Where I am let him not come," said Fionn. "I also have knowledge. I am Fionn, the son of Uail, the son of Baiscne, a man among men and a god where the gods are."
"The son of Uail, son of Baiscne," quoth hardy Fionn. And at that the robber ceased to be a robber, the murderer disappeared, the black-rimmed chasm packed with red fish and precipices changed to something else, and the round eyes that had been popping out of their sockets and trying to bite, changed also.
"It is not a great lie," said Fionn soothingly. "It must not become a greater one," the poet replied sternly. "Who was the fish given to?" his companion wondered. "It was given to you," Finegas answered. "It was given to Fionn, the son of Uail, the son of Baiscne, and it will be given to him." "You shall have a half of the fish," cried Fionn.
Fionn would have heard much of them, and it is likely that he practised on a nettle at taking the head off Goll, and that he hunted a sheep from cover in the implacable manner he intended later on for Cona'n the Swearer. But it is of Uail mac Baiscne he would have heard most. With what a dilation of spirit the ladies would have told tales of him, Fionn's father.
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