Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Section seventeen of Deirdre by James Stevens. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain. Read by Michel Frye Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
Book two, chapters thirteen and fourteen. Chapter thirteen, Connahor had
(00:22):
come to the Red Branch, and a great roar of
cheering greeted him. He strode to the captain of his troop. Well,
my soul, we have begun, majesty, how is it going? Excellently,
said the captain. We have lost about forty men already.
Connahor stared at him. How did that happen? It happened
(00:47):
because of the king's royal decision to lodge these men
in a fortress. You have five hundred men here. When
they are all killed, said the captain sourly, we can
call out another five hundred. What is the difficulty, his
master growled, A fortress with six doors. They leap in
(01:08):
and out of these doors the way frogs leap in
a pool. While we are using the ram on this door,
they make a sally by another door, this door, any door,
and they are the devil's own fighters. We don't know
where to expect them, and any one of those within
is equal to ten of our men in fighting, and
the superior of them all in tricks. I am to
(01:31):
have them all out before morning. It is the King's orders,
but I don't know how it is to be done.
Ram all the doors, said Kannahur. I have but one ram.
I can get others tomorrow. Tomorrow will be too late,
said the king furiously. We shall have half ulster on
(01:51):
our backs tomorrow. I want scaling ladders grap nos, said
the officer angrily. This work has been thrown on us
a moment's notice, and we are not prepared for it.
I can get them out in a day, but not
in a night. Attack the door with your ram, snarled Kanohor,
and guard your other doors. I am doing that, said
(02:14):
the captain, And my men, I fear, are beginning to
love the work. He returned to his place, and in
a few minutes the thud and batter of the ram
was heard again. Conohor strode there and watched the work
with savage impatience. The captain returned and stood by him.
You put good doors in the red branch, majesty, he said, cheerfully.
(02:37):
An hour of that remy will begin to make them quiver.
A shout rose, but it was multiplied from every side
by the roaring soldiery, and one could not tell from
which direction danger came. They have popped out somewhere, said
the captain. In about two minutes, they will pop in
again somewhere they know, but we don't. And in those
(02:58):
two minutes we will lose five men or twenty. Stick
to the ram. Conohua roared, Keep at that door, my men.
A wild yelling came from the side, and a burst
of men came, pell mell round the corner. Weapons were
striking everywhere and anywhere. Which are our men and which
are theirs? Said the captain. Ours don't know in this
(03:21):
light which is friend and which is enemy. They know,
he said bitterly, but we are killing one another. Two
figures detached themselves in the moonlight. They were bounding like
great cats, and wherever there was a mass, they bounded
into it, burst through it, and leaped on ho conohor.
A voice called, do you remember Nisha ho traetor king
(03:46):
another boom? Do you remember Fergus? It is nische and
boyna this time, said the captain. The two figures leaped
at the ramsmen. The ram was dropped, and the unarmed
crew fled yelling. The door that was being bettered opened
and shut, and the two figures were gone. That's how
it's done, said the captain. Get to the ram Cono
(04:08):
hour roared Chapter fourteen. The king himself is there, said Nisha.
Let us hunt him, cried Ardan in savage glee. He
will move about, Nisha replied, we would never know where
he is, and we should only waste time. We have
(04:29):
but to hold out until the morning, and we can
do it with ease. Why, he cried, we have forgotten
our days of travel. Fergus himself may be here tomorrow.
He will travel day and night, and by chariot where
we came on foot, said Iolen. He may be here
in the morning. Nisha nodded joyfully. He will have choked
(04:51):
whatever is in it out of Borak's throat long before this,
Iolen continued. And he will be an angry man if
he came even alone, said Nisha. That rabble would fly.
They will fly before he comes. Ardan boasted, for it's
my turn to go out now, and I shall show
them a trick or two. It's two by two now, babe,
(05:14):
said Anla. So we are going out together. That man,
Ardan mourned, is trying to cheat me of my fame.
Fight for me, dear dream, back me up, Nisha hark
to them battering, said Irelen. How angry some people get.
Ardan giggled. Let us make a full soretee. Boenna cried,
(05:36):
we five could eat those soldiers. One must be left
for the door. Nisha replied Ardan, No door for me,
said Ardan violently. An Lah said, Nisha, our lives will
depend on the door. Man. I shall go out the
next time, all by myself. On the bargain. His brother nodded,
(05:57):
while Ardan danced for joy. Pooh a La jibed, he
thinks he is coculin. Ardan squared up and began to
shoulder him and to speak very roughly. And I am
better than cocolin, he concluded. Aunt La seized his head
and gave him three kisses. Little brother, he said, you
(06:17):
are even better than I. You are a good brother,
said Ardan. I shall not divorce you, and he returned
to the three kisses. Are we ready all, said Nisha.
Then let us arrange this sally. It shall be in
two parties. Boigna and he halted for one moment. Buigna
(06:38):
and ardon Irelen and myself. You trust ardon to me,
said Buenya shortly. Why not, said Nisha. Deirdre was staring
at her husband with a fixed white stare, and NIC's
throat went suddenly dry. He strode to her. What is it?
He murmured, I have no vision. She whispered, I do
(07:00):
not know. You still think I know it, she said,
but I do not know. When he closed his eyes
and turned again. We go through this door. Once out,
you turn to the left, Boignia and I to the right,
and away each on the grand half circle. When we meet,
(07:21):
we form in line and charge back to this same door,
six feet between each man for sword play. Boennia and
I on the outside. I shall be quite on the outside,
said Boynia. As you will, friend, said Nisha. Get to
the bolts, on La. You two will watch over each other,
he said, But it was at Boigna he looked. I
(07:44):
shall bring him back, said the gruff man. If one
of Boinia's hairs is touched, Ardan boasted, I shall give
him one of my own hairs instead of it. You
are ready, an La, How shall I know when to
open the door? On leroard. My wits are going, said Niee.
We shall fight in silence, and when you hear our
(08:07):
battle cry, open the door. At that instant, wait, said Boenia.
Heavier blades are wanted for this sortie. It should be
too handed work at the edge of a thirty foot line,
and the shields must be left behind. My wits are
indeed going, said Nishe. I shall bring him back, said Boennia.
(08:28):
I take him under my protection. He growled. You two,
said Nisha, keep your shields. Bognia and I will take
the great swords, and we leave our armor off. For speed,
the outside men must run twice as quick as the
inside ones, he explained to Bogna. Boya nodded and began
to unlace his battle coats. Deirdre flew to help him,
(08:52):
and she looked at him with such soft affection that
the youth marveled. Nisha was bending the great blade that
he got from Mananan Maclear, the god of the sea.
Now Ala the door, Boignia is out first, I second,
Eileen and Arden together ready pull They were gone. An
(09:15):
La and Deirdre slammed the door, and he stood with
his back leaning against it, staring as it were inwardly
and listening with every pore of his body. Deirdre threw
her arms about his neck. Oh anlah, dear Aunla, it
is lonely here, he muttered, her head drooped on his breast.
(09:36):
Do not faint, sister. The door has yet to be opened,
and you must help with the bolts. Here those clowns roaring.
If our own men would but shout once, she moaned,
I should open the door immediately, he smiled, and this
noble combat would have a stupid end. Tomorrow will never come,
she moaned. Do not make my teeth chatter, said I.
(10:01):
We must attend to the door. He continued, I shall
draw the top bolt. Now crouch down with your hands
on the bottom one, and when the shout comes, draw it.
I will draw the middle one. And when I say pull,
drag with me on the door. It is almost too
heavy for one man to move but between us, and
they will push from the outside. Deirdre crouched at his knees.
(10:26):
A vast confusion of noise began to draw a nigh.
They're coming back, said Unlah. Draw your bolt now, sister,
and take hold of the knob above the infernal uproar.
There came the shout they knew. Pull. He roared the door,
gave a great push from without help, and the four
leaped through. A blade leaped in behind them and was
(10:49):
snapped in pieces as an la and a shoulder helping
smashed to the door. Boigna was panting heavily. That deserves
a rest, he said, and the other three began with
one voice to narrate the sortee to the two who
had been within end of Section seventeen.
Section seventeen of Deirdre by James Stevens. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain. Read by Michel Frye Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
Book two, chapters thirteen and fourteen. Chapter thirteen, Connahor had
(00:22):
come to the Red Branch, and a great roar of
cheering greeted him. He strode to the captain of his troop. Well,
my soul, we have begun, majesty, how is it going? Excellently,
said the captain. We have lost about forty men already.
Connahor stared at him. How did that happen? It happened
(00:47):
because of the king's royal decision to lodge these men
in a fortress. You have five hundred men here. When
they are all killed, said the captain sourly, we can
call out another five hundred. What is the difficulty, his
master growled, A fortress with six doors. They leap in
(01:08):
and out of these doors the way frogs leap in
a pool. While we are using the ram on this door,
they make a sally by another door, this door, any door,
and they are the devil's own fighters. We don't know
where to expect them, and any one of those within
is equal to ten of our men in fighting, and
the superior of them all in tricks. I am to
(01:31):
have them all out before morning. It is the King's orders,
but I don't know how it is to be done.
Ram all the doors, said Kannahur. I have but one ram.
I can get others tomorrow. Tomorrow will be too late,
said the king furiously. We shall have half ulster on
(01:51):
our backs tomorrow. I want scaling ladders grap nos, said
the officer angrily. This work has been thrown on us
a moment's notice, and we are not prepared for it.
I can get them out in a day, but not
in a night. Attack the door with your ram, snarled Kanohor,
and guard your other doors. I am doing that, said
(02:14):
the captain, And my men, I fear, are beginning to
love the work. He returned to his place, and in
a few minutes the thud and batter of the ram
was heard again. Conohor strode there and watched the work
with savage impatience. The captain returned and stood by him.
You put good doors in the red branch, majesty, he said, cheerfully.
(02:37):
An hour of that remy will begin to make them quiver.
A shout rose, but it was multiplied from every side
by the roaring soldiery, and one could not tell from
which direction danger came. They have popped out somewhere, said
the captain. In about two minutes, they will pop in
again somewhere they know, but we don't. And in those
(02:58):
two minutes we will lose five men or twenty. Stick
to the ram. Conohua roared, Keep at that door, my men.
A wild yelling came from the side, and a burst
of men came, pell mell round the corner. Weapons were
striking everywhere and anywhere. Which are our men and which
are theirs? Said the captain. Ours don't know in this
(03:21):
light which is friend and which is enemy. They know,
he said bitterly, but we are killing one another. Two
figures detached themselves in the moonlight. They were bounding like
great cats, and wherever there was a mass, they bounded
into it, burst through it, and leaped on ho conohor.
A voice called, do you remember Nisha ho traetor king
(03:46):
another boom? Do you remember Fergus? It is nische and
boyna this time, said the captain. The two figures leaped
at the ramsmen. The ram was dropped, and the unarmed
crew fled yelling. The door that was being bettered opened
and shut, and the two figures were gone. That's how
it's done, said the captain. Get to the ram Cono
(04:08):
hour roared Chapter fourteen. The king himself is there, said Nisha.
Let us hunt him, cried Ardan in savage glee. He
will move about, Nisha replied, we would never know where
he is, and we should only waste time. We have
(04:29):
but to hold out until the morning, and we can
do it with ease. Why, he cried, we have forgotten
our days of travel. Fergus himself may be here tomorrow.
He will travel day and night, and by chariot where
we came on foot, said Iolen. He may be here
in the morning. Nisha nodded joyfully. He will have choked
(04:51):
whatever is in it out of Borak's throat long before this,
Iolen continued. And he will be an angry man if
he came even alone, said Nisha. That rabble would fly.
They will fly before he comes. Ardan boasted, for it's
my turn to go out now, and I shall show
them a trick or two. It's two by two now, babe,
(05:14):
said Anla. So we are going out together. That man,
Ardan mourned, is trying to cheat me of my fame.
Fight for me, dear dream, back me up, Nisha hark
to them battering, said Irelen. How angry some people get.
Ardan giggled. Let us make a full soretee. Boenna cried,
(05:36):
we five could eat those soldiers. One must be left
for the door. Nisha replied Ardan, No door for me,
said Ardan violently. An Lah said, Nisha, our lives will
depend on the door. Man. I shall go out the
next time, all by myself. On the bargain. His brother nodded,
(05:57):
while Ardan danced for joy. Pooh a La jibed, he
thinks he is coculin. Ardan squared up and began to
shoulder him and to speak very roughly. And I am
better than cocolin, he concluded. Aunt La seized his head
and gave him three kisses. Little brother, he said, you
(06:17):
are even better than I. You are a good brother,
said Ardan. I shall not divorce you, and he returned
to the three kisses. Are we ready all, said Nisha.
Then let us arrange this sally. It shall be in
two parties. Boigna and he halted for one moment. Buigna
(06:38):
and ardon Irelen and myself. You trust ardon to me,
said Buenya shortly. Why not, said Nisha. Deirdre was staring
at her husband with a fixed white stare, and NIC's
throat went suddenly dry. He strode to her. What is it?
He murmured, I have no vision. She whispered, I do
(07:00):
not know. You still think I know it, she said,
but I do not know. When he closed his eyes
and turned again. We go through this door. Once out,
you turn to the left, Boignia and I to the right,
and away each on the grand half circle. When we meet,
(07:21):
we form in line and charge back to this same door,
six feet between each man for sword play. Boennia and
I on the outside. I shall be quite on the outside,
said Boynia. As you will, friend, said Nisha. Get to
the bolts, on La. You two will watch over each other,
he said, But it was at Boigna he looked. I
(07:44):
shall bring him back, said the gruff man. If one
of Boinia's hairs is touched, Ardan boasted, I shall give
him one of my own hairs instead of it. You
are ready, an La, How shall I know when to
open the door? On leroard. My wits are going, said Niee.
We shall fight in silence, and when you hear our
(08:07):
battle cry, open the door. At that instant, wait, said Boenia.
Heavier blades are wanted for this sortie. It should be
too handed work at the edge of a thirty foot line,
and the shields must be left behind. My wits are
indeed going, said Nishe. I shall bring him back, said Boennia.
(08:28):
I take him under my protection. He growled. You two,
said Nisha, keep your shields. Bognia and I will take
the great swords, and we leave our armor off. For speed,
the outside men must run twice as quick as the
inside ones, he explained to Bogna. Boya nodded and began
to unlace his battle coats. Deirdre flew to help him,
(08:52):
and she looked at him with such soft affection that
the youth marveled. Nisha was bending the great blade that
he got from Mananan Maclear, the god of the sea.
Now Ala the door, Boignia is out first, I second,
Eileen and Arden together ready pull They were gone. An
(09:15):
La and Deirdre slammed the door, and he stood with
his back leaning against it, staring as it were inwardly
and listening with every pore of his body. Deirdre threw
her arms about his neck. Oh anlah, dear Aunla, it
is lonely here, he muttered, her head drooped on his breast.
(09:36):
Do not faint, sister. The door has yet to be opened,
and you must help with the bolts. Here those clowns roaring.
If our own men would but shout once, she moaned,
I should open the door immediately, he smiled, and this
noble combat would have a stupid end. Tomorrow will never come,
she moaned. Do not make my teeth chatter, said I.
(10:01):
We must attend to the door. He continued, I shall
draw the top bolt. Now crouch down with your hands
on the bottom one, and when the shout comes, draw it.
I will draw the middle one. And when I say pull,
drag with me on the door. It is almost too
heavy for one man to move but between us, and
they will push from the outside. Deirdre crouched at his knees.
(10:26):
A vast confusion of noise began to draw a nigh.
They're coming back, said Unlah. Draw your bolt now, sister,
and take hold of the knob above the infernal uproar.
There came the shout they knew. Pull. He roared the door,
gave a great push from without help, and the four
leaped through. A blade leaped in behind them and was
(10:49):
snapped in pieces as an la and a shoulder helping
smashed to the door. Boigna was panting heavily. That deserves
a rest, he said, and the other three began with
one voice to narrate the sortee to the two who
had been within end of Section seventeen.
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