Sons of Macha. John Lenahan

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      I got a reprieve the next day when Essa dropped back to have a planning chat with Tuan.

      Graysea startled me when she spoke. ‘Do you still care for her?’

      ‘Who?’ I said lamely.

      ‘Conor, I’m stupid but not that stupid.’

      ‘You’re not stupid,’ I said, ‘you’re the cleverest mermaid I know.’

      ‘And how many mermaids do you know?’

      ‘Well, that’s not the point.’

      ‘No it’s not,’ she said. ‘The point, which you seem to be avoiding, is whether or not you still have feelings for Essa.’

      ‘Well, that’s complicated.’

      ‘And you think I am too stupid to understand. Is that it?’

      ‘No,’ I said looking around hoping that a pack of wolves would attack and get me out of this conversation. ‘Essa and I have a history.’

      ‘You still haven’t answered the question,’ she said and then mercifully continued so I didn’t have to. ‘I just don’t understand. When you were on the island with me she was engaged to that Turlow fella – right?’

      ‘Yes.’

      ‘So she is mad at you for being with me when she was engaged to somebody else. That doesn’t seem fair.’

      ‘Well, ah …’

      ‘And she hits you all the time.’

      ‘Well, I don’t know about all the time … but often.’

      ‘And is it true that last summer she tried to kill you?’

      ‘She … she didn’t try to kill me,’ I stammered, ‘she was just part of a plot to have me killed.’

      Graysea shook her head and sighed. ‘And people think I’m stupid.’ She kicked her horse and sped ahead.

      Gosh, I thought, when you add it all up like that she had a point. Araf had silently sidled up next to me. I turned to him and said, ‘What do you think, big guy?’

      ‘About what?’

      ‘About my women problems?’

      ‘I think,’ the Imp said, ‘I was more comfortable with questions about crop rotation.’

      I got another reprieve that night when they both ignored me. Essa finally came up to me after dinner. A firefly sat on her shoulder illuminating one side of her face.

      ‘Your little mackerel is lounging in her barrel.’

      ‘She is not a mackerel, she’s a Mertain. She is a healer from the Grotto of Health on the Mertain islands. And she is not lounging. She is recharging – preparing herself so she can help any of us in case we are injured.’

      Essa was taken aback by my tone. She stood.

      ‘Maybe you would prefer to join her in her bath tub.’

      ‘Maybe I would. At least she’s not mad at me all the time and she never hits me with sticks.’

      Essa looked at me like she had never seen me before. I stood and faced her. ‘Anyway, I haven’t seen you for an hour or so – are you sure you haven’t gotten engaged to someone in that time?’

      Essa looked like she had been slapped. ‘You promised you would never mention that.’

      ‘No I didn’t. You told me not to mention it. I never got a chance to promise. Well, maybe I’m tired of being bossed around by you.’

      It didn’t take long for the surprised Essa to kick back. ‘Fine,’ she hissed. ‘I hope you and your fish will be happy together.’ She stomped away, leaving her firefly to flutter around confused, and then she turned. I took a step back expecting a blow. ‘Now that I think of it, you and your fish are perfect together – because you’re an eel.’

      I tried riding with Araf the next day but he insisted on continuing his dissertation on agriculture so I dropped to the rear to have a long overdue catch-up with Tuan. Araf didn’t even notice I was gone.

      ‘Councillor Tuan,’ I said, ‘I’m surprised you’re still in Duir. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great having you around, but shouldn’t you be in the Pinelands impressing girls with your super-Pooka act?’

      ‘Girls,’ Tuan sighed, ‘are the reason I am here.’

      ‘Oh?’ I said with my inflection going up.

      ‘My mother wants me to marry.’

      ‘Oh,’ I said with my tone going down.

      ‘Yes, Mother wants me to marry a mousy woman from the council.’

      ‘When you say mousy, Tuan, do you mean she’s small or that she changes into a mouse?’

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