18 - Deirdre - Book 2, Chapters 15, 16

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Section eighteen of Deirdre by James Stephens. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain. Read by Michel Frye Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
Book two, chapters fifteen and sixteen. Chapter fifteen. Bogna stood

(00:22):
up Nishe, He said sternly, my soul, said Nichshe. You
interfered in my combat. Your end of the line was
almost too heavy for any man. Dear heart, you did
it twice. Thirty feet out is a great distance. All
the press was in your path. I did but lighten

(00:42):
it when my own front was easy. I will accept
no man's assistance, said Boigna. We are comrades. Nizche replied gently,
we give and take help. Did I call for help
the other ground, Nisha's great chest wrote, But his voice
was calm. No man will ever hear you call for help, Boigna.

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Let no man give what is not called for. But
for that help, Boignia, you would now be dead. I
was not fit for the end of the line, said
Boigna harshly. You are young yet, comrade, But in two
years you will have the speed and smash that such
a post calls for. Your speed. Your smash, said the

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sardonic Boigne, the world knows. Amla interposed that the four
greatest champions of Ireland are Coculin, Fergus, Konal and Nisha
and an La. Boigna completed with a grin. The young
man turned his dancing length of whipcord and his narrowed
brow on Boigne. I myself, he said, gently, and so

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could I said, Ardon, do not quarrel Nishe into rupted.
In two years, Borennia will be of equal to any
man you have named. Hush, he said. He bent his
head sideward and hearkened in amazement. The others listened, with
their eyes turned questioningly on each other. They listened to nothing,

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for the ram had ceased, and there was a silence
of the dead without In a few moments there came
a gentle tapping, then a louder knocking at the door.
Nisha stood before it, frowning, Who goes there? The herald?
What do you want, Parley? Say what you have to say, Harold.

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If the woman Deirdre is put out through this door,
the troops will march away. And what then? No vengeance
will be forever exacted against the sons of Ishnak. There
is no answer said Nisha. I have yet a message,
said the voice. Deliver it. It is for the ear

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of the sons of Fergus. Boynia strode forward, deliver it,
he said. There is no quarrel, said the herald between
the king and Fergus mac Roy. The King's love for
Fergus is such that he wishes at any cost to
save his two sons from a death. That is certain, well,

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said Bonnya. The King says that if these young men
retire from the combat, he will bestow a lordship on them.
What lordship A cantread of land greater than that which
Fergus himself has and the king's friendship. Bonnya looked under
steep red brows at Nisha. I shall go out, he said.

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He turned to his brother, You will come out with me.
I shall not, said Iolen. His brother stamped a foot.
My father is my chief, said Iolen. What he orders
I do. I cannot protect the sons of Ishnach, as
he commanded, but I can fight beside them. Boenya turned harold.

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He roared, tell Kanahur that I shall go out to him.
His hand went to the door, but Nisha stepped forward.
Do not touch a bolt he commanded, you shall go
out by the door. I choose that door, he pointed,
and strode to it. Iilen an La stand so with
the spears Ardan Deirdre sling from this point. Boenya stand

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so one foot beyond the swing of the door. We
may meet again, Nisha, said Bognia. If we meet in
the press, Boenna, I may perhaps spare you for the
sake of my brother Iolen. Ready, Boigna. When the door
is opened, I shall count three. Be gone ere the

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last count, or I shall smash you to a pulpe.
Nisha gave one mighty heave and counted. Then Bogenna was gone,
and the door had closed again. I claim this sortie,
said Ireland. As the ram commenced on the door. It
is my turn, said Anla. But we will go together. Friend,

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I wish to go alone and bring honor back to
the name of Fergus. I am a better fighter than
you think, he insisted. You are a good fighter in truth,
said Nietzsche. But a solitary venture is now dangerous. They
are more accustomed to the light and to our methods,
for there is nothing to vary in them. We must

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emerge by a door and they are watching every door
like hawks. But before you go Ireland, there is one
work we must do for safety's sake. Listen carefully, my
dear ones. Chapter sixteen. This is endless Conna hourugritted. Has
that buenya come out? Yet? The men will shout when

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he appears. Bring him here and we will get their
dispositions from him. There is nothing to get, majesty. Their
plan is the simplest. They have six doors. They choose
one to come out by and one to get in by.
That is the whole plan. Postmen in such a way
that when one does come out, you will not be
able to get in again through that door or any door.

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Send for reinforcements and put fifty men against each door.
Those ramsmen have women's shoulders, he growled. They would beat
a mud while down. In a month, it must give shortly,
said the captain. But there will be no entrance when
the door is down, No, said Kanohor they will have

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the inside barricaded, and our men will not dare that narrow, black,
impeded passage. We could leave a hundred dead in that
doorway and be no farther. There is boynia. The captain
continued as a shout came from the side, boigne said, Conohor,
you a fight for me, my lordship. Conohur, said the

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gruffy young man. It shall be as I said, and
more said the king parentheses. It was given as promised,
and was known for a long time as dal Boigneux,
but it is now called Slieve Fued and parentheses. Boenno
told what he could of the defense, but as the

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captain had foreseen, there was nothing to tell. This door,
said Kanohor, will be down shortly. Have they barricaded it
on the inside? They have not, said Moyne. The captain
became active and violent. Ah, he cried, there is always
something forgotten. Get at the ram you there, he roared,

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Put your shoulders into it. He turned to the king.
We have them, he said. Conohor, with his eyes gleamed
and a savage smile curling his lips, strode toward the Rammers.
But as he moved, the door swung open, and four
men leaped from its yawning blackness. In a second, two
of the ramsmen were dead, and the rest flying wildly,

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bustling the very king in their passage. By my hand,
the captain gurgled. Two of the assaulters lifted the ram
and trotted with it through the door. The other two
made an onslaught of such ferocity that the soldiers were appalled.
Then one fled back through the door, which instantly slammed,

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and the others sped like lightning around the building after him,
roared Kanihor, But the captain remained where he was, howling
and dancing with rage. I've lost my ram, he bawled,
I've lost my ram. We have you, ileen, said Conohor.
Trader to your king, he growled, Trader to your friends.

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Iolen retorted. Deliver yourself to me, said Kanihor, and you
shall be spared. I came out for a purpose, said Ireland.
I demand single combat. There are no gentlemen here, Kanahur
replied except your brother, so your claim cannot be granted.
I shall cuff him, said Boigne, But I will not

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fight him, and he strode away. I shall take this combat,
said a voice. Conahor turned and saw his own son
Fiakra standing there, and his heart sank. You have no arms,
he said harshly. You will lend me yours, said Fiacrakanahor

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stared on the fierce circle that surrounded him. He stared
at Ireland, who stood with his back to the red branch,
swinging his blade, and he knew that the combat must
take place. Ireland and I were born on the same night,
said Fiacra. It is an equal. Kanahur took off his

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own battle coats and gave them to Fiacra. He gave
him his shield. The enchanted Achan and his green sword
fight then, he said, And remember my teaching, remember my
shield work and my thrust. They fought then, but at

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the first stroke from Ireland, the great Shield roared, for
that virtue was in the bright rim to roar when
the man it covered was struck at. And in answer
to its roar, the three waves of Ireland, the wave
of Tua, the wave of Cleona, and the wave of
Rori roared in reply. And thereby all Ireland knew that

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a king was in danger. Away in the palace knaw
Kiernak sat drinking, listening to some great brawl. As he thought,
he heard the roaring of Akin, and leaped to his feet.
The king is in danger, he said. He seized his
weapons and fled from the palace of Macha and came

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on the great combat in the dim light. He thought
it was kanahor himself was behind the shield, and from
the daring and mighty onslaught of the opponent. He saw
that there was no time to lose. He burst his
blue green spear through the press and through the back
of Iolen. Iolen staggered to the wall of the red branch.

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Who has struck me from behind? He said, Aye, Conaial Kirnoch.
Great and horrible is the deed you have done. Conal,
who are you? Conar demanded I am Ireland, the fair
sent by my father to protect the sons of Ishnach.

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By my hand, said Conaal, fiercely, I shall undo some
of what I have done. And with one side twist
of the sword he lifted the head from Fiel Akra
held me to the door of Conal, said Ireland, the
sons of Ishnach are within. The appalled Soldiery shrank back,

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and on Conar's arm, they came to the door. There,
Ireland gave his shout, a feeble one, it was, but
it was heard, and the door opened. Island staggered in fight. Bravely, Nisha,
he said, and with that he sank on the floor,
and he was dead. Outside the red branch Conahura ran

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hither and thither, like a man enraged by madness. End
of Section eighteen.