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The Dagda wavered. He cast a look to Morrigan, who had watched silently from her rock like a dark statue. She nodded. He looked to Findgoll, and the little Druid smiled. "It's time to be healing all our old wounds, my friend," he said. The Dagda grunted, hesitated, then nodded himself. "All right then. If Shaglan can convince these other Pookas to help us, I'll give my trust to them. But if I find myself falling into the sea, you won't mind if I do a bit of complaining on the way down?" Shaglan's broad smile returned. "No fear of that. And I thank you for your belief." "That's settled then," said Angus Og, who had no problems with the Pookas but was still somewhat uncertain about this plan. "Now, what happens after we fly to the Tower's roof? What do we do then?" Lugh went back to the map. "Here," he said, pointing, "just at the base of the stairway from the roof, there is a special room that slides up and down the Tower." "Slides up and down?" Angus said uncertainly. "It's safe enough," Lugh assured him. "We can go to any level in the Tower without being seen. With its help we can strike very quickly, go in and out of the Tower before most of them even know we've been there." "Simple," said Angus dryly. "We need to find only a single man in all that giant place." "That's where I'll help," put in Taillta. "I was kept a captive there for a long time. I learned the insides of that Tower very well. I can take us anywhere we need to go.' "All we have to know is where to look," said Aine. Lugh smiled at her. "For that we'll have to ask." The Dagda was still shaking his head doubtfully. a a T T n n s s F F f f o o D D r r P P m m Y Y e e Y Y r r B B 2 2 . . B B A A Click here to buy Click here to buy w w m m w w o o w w c c . . . . A A Y Y B B Y Y B B r r "I don't know, lad," he said. "This sounds too much like one of the mad plans that Clown was forever coming up with. You're becoming more and more like him." Lugh found this observation somewhat startling. He had never considered that himself. Was he becoming like MacLir. And, if he was, was that good or bad? "Still," the big Champion continued, "-we can't be turn- . g Ollr backs on one who's helped us, given us the magic to cstore ourselves, saved us countless times even if he is a nadman with a great, foolish grin. No, lad. We're owing this much to him." "Well, I suppose I'm game enough for it," Angus added in a stoic way. "We'll all die, of course, but I hadn't planned much for the rest of my life anyway." "I love a positive spirit," Taillta said. "When can we go?" "I can start out right away with Shaglan," Lugh told her, "but it will take some time to reach the Pookas." "We'll need five more of them," the Dagda said. "One for Taillta, Aine, Angus, and myself, and another for MacLir, if we should get him out." "We'll need six," Findgoll corrected hastily. "I'm going too!" "That you are not!" the Dagda roared, heaving his bulk up from its rock and looming threateningly over the little man. "We'll need fighting skills for this, not your wizard's tricks! The last time we took you with us you were only in the way!" The Druid jumped up, stretching his body up to its full height which brought it only to the big Champion's shoulder. Still he faced the Dagda squarely, glaring up into the battered face with indignant rage. "In the way, was I?" he shouted back. "And wasn't it my magic that saved your own life then? And isn't it Mathgen himself whom you're going to face this time?" "He's right," Lugh said placatingly, moving up between the adversaries. "We may need the knowledge of another Druid to free Manannan. We have to take Findgoll." Again beaten by the force of greater logic, the Dagda only snorted his frustration and plumped his body back down on a rock. Grinning in victory, the little Druid looked to Shaglan. Six it will be then, if you please," he said. All right," Lugh said. "Then we're all agreed. Shaglan, how long will it take to bring your family here?" Two days to reach the Burren lands, find them, and return," the Pooka a a T T n n s s F F f f o o D D r r P P m m Y Y e e Y Y r r B B 2 2 . . B B A A Click here to buy Click here to buy w w m m w w o o w w c c . . . . A A Y Y B B Y Y B B r r told him. Then we should return in three," said Lugh. "There's another place that you must take me first." Another place?" Aine said in puzzlement. "Where?" He fixed her with a searching look. "Do you remember 98 MASTER OF THE SIDHE A RESCUE PLAN 99 how Manannan was that last night? He must have sensed this. He told me that I would know what to do. I didn't understand him then, but I do now. The feeling's very strong in me. I can't deny it. I must go to Manannan's Isle." With a faint whine of its mechanism, the glowing lens of Mathgen's eye swiveled around toward the door of his room as it slid open. The image on the screen behind the Druid's tank settled on the vast form of Balor as he rolled swiftly through. The lens pivoted to follow him, and the projected view swelled as he approached. "I know what has happened, Balor," the faint voice rasped before the Commander could speak. "My powers brought me an image of the fight." "You told me that Lugh Lamfada would be gotten out of the way!" the giant thundered accusingly. "You said that my forces could attack with little harm!" "I told you that I would try to deal with Lugh," Mathgen amended. "I failed." "Failed!" Balor's voice was vibrating the entire room now. "So half my [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |