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Updated: May 19, 2025
Here there was a landing-place of hewn stone, with a gate lying open beyond it, and armed men waiting. One of these, from his bunch of huge keys and air of authority, Brian knew for the seneschal. "M'anam go'n Dhia!" he growled, peering down into the boat as it ground on the stone, "what fish have you there?" "Two salmon and ten herring, Muiertach," laughed one of the men.
This stood open, but it clanged shut behind them, and after crossing a steep courtyard they entered a second and broader corridor. Muiertach led them up a long flight of stairs, then another, and finally flung open a heavy door. It was evident that they were lodged in one of the towers. "Rest sound and fear not to eat our food," said the seneschal. "Beannacht leath!"
"In the morning the message shall be delivered, Brian Buidh," returned burly Muiertach with a glimmer of respect in his voice. "And now render up your weapons, so that we may treat you as guests " "So you sea-rovers are afraid of two men, lest they capture your hold?" Brian's biting words brought a deep flush to Muiertach's face. "No weapons do we render," he went on, his voice cold as his eyes.
The day passed slowly, and toward noon storm drew down on the harbor and snow eddied in their casement. With that, they fell to polishing their weapons; Brian procured a razor and a much-needed shave, and Cathbarr furbished up his huge ax until it glowed like silver. Finally Muiertach appeared. Brian slung the great sword across his back, and they followed the seneschal down to the courtyard.
Stricken with amazement, Muiertach turned and stared at him, jaw dropping, while Cathbarr glanced from one to the other in perplexity. Brian smiled. "Lead on, and talk less." With tenfold respect, the seneschal obeyed. Now Brian saw that this castle was indeed a stronghold, and might easily be defended by fewer men than it had.
Now, there was no man on the dais save Muiertach, who mounted the two steps with his keys jangling. As Brian would have gone after him, two pikemen stepped forward to intervene. Brian looked into their eyes and they drew back again. He and Cathbarr mounted to the dais, and he bowed a low, courtly, Spanish bow, of which the Bird Daughter took no note.
The inner walls of the lower castle were well lined with falcons and falconets, while on the towers above peered out heavier cannon, which he took for culverins from their length of nose. Crossing the courtyard, they entered the building itself, and Muiertach led them through upward-winding corridors, studded with cressets and with here and there a recessed prie-dieu in the wall.
"We come as guests, seneschal, and our business is not with you. Take these ten men to your dungeons, take us to guest chambers and give us to eat, and see that we have speech with the Bird Daughter before to-morrow's sun is high." At this Muiertach growled something into his beard, but turned with a gesture of assent.
His men closed around the captives, while Brian and Cathbarr followed him into the castle, the giant still chuckling to himself with great rumbles of laughter. "Let strict watch be kept over these two," said Muiertach in English to one of the torchmen who accompanied them, thinking he would not be understood. "You may yet get a touch of the whip for that order," said Brian in the same tongue.
She turned to Brian, speaking still in Gaelic: "Welcome, Brian Buidh. You have come to bring me tribute?" "Yes, Lady Nuala, and the tribute is these ten men of the Dark Master's." She looked at Cathbarr; her eyes swept over his ax. Then she looked again at Brian, and spoke to Muiertach in English. "Truly, I have seldom seen such a man as this "
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