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108
MASTER OF THE SIDHE
LUCH'S RETURN
109
the mound from above. Lugh looked upward and realized that a great pool
of light was forming below the opening swelling until the upper portion
of the dome was filled with it. It swirled there, a luminescent white,
like a mist lit by the sun. And then a form began to take shape within
it.
It was as if something were moving out of the white void, taking on
shape and color as it came closer. The dim outlines grew clearer until
Lugh saw that he was looking at a face, a beautiful woman's face gazing
down at him with a benevolent smile.
The Sidhe's inhabitants knelt at once in honor to this vision. Only the
young Champion remained upright, staring upward, silently mouthing the
name of this being: "Queen Danu!"
Chapter Fifteen LUGH'S RETURN
Lugh had seen the image of this mystical being twice before. As then,
he now felt an aura of warmth and good will from her, as if she had
been his friend all of his life.
"Lugh Lamfada," came the soft, clear voice, a song itself, "your return
here means that the destiny you have followed has nearly reached its
end. The fates of the de Dananns, the Fomor, and many others will be
played out in these next few-day s."
"What will happen?" Lugh called. "Please, Danu, can you tell me?"
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"No power can say what shape the fates will take," she answered, "Your
own will and courage will decide. But my magic has shown that in your
mission one instrument will be needed by you. It is the fourth gift of
the'cities of Tir-na-nog; the Spear of Gorias. Take it with you now,
Lugh Lamfada, and all the hopes of the Blessed Isles go with you as
well
At these words the face above began to fade, receding into the mists.
The young Champion, left rather bewildered by her cryptic message,
shouted entreatingly: "Wait! Please. What is it that I'm to use this
spear for?"
The answer drifted faintly back to him, as if already from great
distance. "When the time comes, you will know!" 3 And with that,
Danu was gone.
In a moment the silver mist had dissolved away, reveal-. tj,e dome
above once again. But Lugh continued to stare ' D for a long moment at
the spot where her face had appeared. He was wondering, in an irritated
way, just what was [he good of having such great magical powers helping
him if thev couldn't provide some knowledge that wasn't quite so
vague!
A light hand touched his sleeve and he turned to find a voung man
beside him. The others of the Sidhe had risen to their feet and were
regarding him expectantly.
"Are you ready to receive the Spear of Gorias?" the voung man asked.
Lugh shrugged. He hadn't much choice but to take what had been offered
him, for whatever it was worth.
"I suppose I am," he said.
His boyish host nodded and led the warrior toward the very center of
the ring. Here was where the four gifts of Danu had once rested,
waiting for the day they would be used.
Lugh looked over the spot, recalling his first sight of it. There, on a
low, flat-topped stone, had lain the gleaming Answerer, which he now
carried. Beside it had stood the tall, rounded column of stone called
the Lia Fail the Stone of Truth whose roaring voice would proclaim a
true king of Eire. This Lugh had carried to Tara to prove the right of
Nuada to the High-King's throne, thus deposing Bres.
A fire pit in the third corner of the square marked where the Cauldron
had sat. It could never be emptied of the miraculous stew that it
contained. Lugh and his friends had survived many adventures to take it
safely to Eire, where it had restored the strength of the whole de
Danann host.
From three of the four shining cities of Tir-na-nog Falias, Finias, and
Murias had these marvels come, each one a gift or its city's greatest
sorcerers, given to aid the de Danann People in their struggle for
Eire. Now only one gift remained, that of Gorias, fourth city of the
Blessed Isles.
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It hung by its shaft from a tripod of iron. Its head was submerged in a
large black iron pot. So enormous was the energy that emanated from
this spearpoint that the liquid around it boiled furiously all the
time.
no
MASTER OF THE SIDHE
LUGH'S RETURN
111
The young man accompanying Lugh stopped a respect^] distance from this
sacred object his people had so long pro. tected here. Lugh stepped
boldly closer and looked down into the pot.
The water was certainly boiling, he thought. He could not imagine the
kind of heat that was somehow being generated there. The water rumbled
and sputtered and crackled with the violence of the power it seemed
barely able to contain.
He looked around to the young man who was watching him, still with that
sweet, untroubled smile.
"This spear," he said, "it looks very ... ah ... hot!" "Oh, yes," the
other replied quite cheerfully. "Manannan has said that there is a
power in that spearhead greater than any we could imagine and very
deadly to anyone it touches. We stay well away from it ourselves,"
"Oh," said Lugh, giving the thing another searching examination,
It looked hotter than ever. "Well, I don't suppose he told you just how
I was supposed to ... take it?" To his relief, this query was answered
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