On Baile's Strand, Yates

• BARACH. It's a woman among the Riders of the Sidhe. It's Boann herself from the river. She has left the Dagba's bed, and gone through the salt of the sea and up here to the strand of Baile, and all for love of me. Let her keep her husband's bed, for she'll have none of me. Nobody knows how lecherous these goddesses are. I see her in every kind of shape but oftener than not she's in the wind and cries "give a kiss and put your arms about me." But no, she'll have no more of me. Yesterday when I put out my lips to kiss her, there was nothing there but the wind. She's bad, Fintain. O' she's bad. I had better shut the big door too.
• FINTAIN. ... That is what the High King Concobar has on his shield. The High King will be coming. They have brought out his chair. [He begins feeling the back of the other chair.] And there is a dog's head on this. They have brought out our master's chair. Now I know what the horse-boys were talking about. We must not stay here. The Kings are going to meet here. Now that Concobar and our master, that is his chief man, have put down all the enemies of Iliad, they are going to build up Emain again. They are going to talk over their plans for building it. Were you ever in Concobar's town before it was burnt? O, he is a great King, for though Emain was burnt down, every war has made him richer. He has gold and silver dishes, and chessboards and candlesticks made of precious stones. Fool, have they taken the top from the ale vat?
• FINTAIN. Then bring me some ale quickly, for the Kings will be here in a minute. Now I can listen. Tell me what you saw this morning.
• BARACH. I was creeping under a ditch, with the fowl in my leather bag, keeping to the shore where the farmer could not see me, when I cam upon a ship drawn up upon the sands, a great red ship with a woman's head upon it.
• BARACH. There was a young man with a pale face and red hair standing beside it. Some of our people came up whose turn it was to guard the shore. I heard them ask the young man his name. He said he was under bonds not to tell it. Then words came between them, and they fought, and the young man killed half of them, and the others ran away.
• FINTAIN. I know who that young man is. There is not another like him in the world. I saw him when I had my eyesight.
• FINTAIN. Queen Aoife had a son that was red haired and pale faced like herself, and everyone said that he would kill Cuchullain some day, but I would not have that spoken of.
• BARACH. Nobody could do that. Who was his father?
• FINTAIN. Nobody but Aoife knew that, not even he himself.
• FINTAIN. I overheard her telling that she never had but one lover, and that he was the only man who overcame her in battle. There were some who thought him one of the Riders of the Sidhe, because the child was great of limb and strong beyond others. The child was begotten over the mountains; but come nearer and I will tell you something.
• FINTAIN. When I hear the young girls talking about the colour of Cuchullain's eyes, and how they have seven colours, I have thought about it. That young man has Aoife's face and hair, but he has Cuchullain's eyes.
• BARACH. And his mother has sent him hither to fight his father.
• FINTAIN. It is all quite plain. Cuchullain went into Aoife's country when he was a young man that he might learn skill in arms, and there he became Aoife's lover.
• BARACH. And now she hates him because he went away, and has sent the son to kill the father. I knew she was a goddess.
• FINTAIN. And she never told him who his father was, that he might do it. I have thought it all out, fool. I know a great many things because I listen when nobody is noticing and I keep my wits awake. What ails you now?
• [They go out through the big door at the back. As they go out CUCHULLAIN and certain YOUNG KINGS come in at the side door. CUCHULLAIN, though still young, is a good deal older than the others. They are all very gaily dressed, and have their hair fastened with balls of gold. The young men crowd about CUCHULLAIN with wondering attention.]
• CUCHULLAIN. They always flock together; the blind man
  Has need of the fool's eyesight and strong body
  While the poor fool has need of the other's wit,
  And night and day is up to his ears in mischief
  That the blind man imagines.
• CUCHULLAIN. I think that a fierce woman's better, a woman
  The breaks away when you have though her won
  For I'd be fed and hungry at one time.
• CONCOBAR. I should have thought, Cuchullain,
  My graver company would better match
  Your greatness and your years; but I waste breath
  In harping on that tale.
• THE YOUNG KING. How long can the net keep us?
• CUCHULLAIN. All our lives
  If there are children, and a dozen moons
  If there are none, because a growing child
  Has so much need of watching it can make
  A passion that's as changeable as the sea
  At least I have heard a father say it, but I
  Being childless do not know it. Come nearer yet;
  Though he is ringing the told silver rod
  We'll have our own talk out. They cannot hear us.
• CONCOBAR. I have called you hither, Kings of Iliad, and Kings
  Of Muirthemne and Connall Muirthemne,
  And tributary Kings, for now there is peace--
  It's time to build up Emain that was burned
• CONCOBAR. Let him speak his mind.
  I have no need to be afraid of ghosts,
  For I have made bu necessary wars.
• [The great door at the back is flung open; a YOUNG MAN, who is fully armed and carries a shield with a woman's head painted on it, stands upon the threshold. Behind him are trumpeters. He walks into the centre of the hall, the trumpeting ceases.]
• YOUNG MAN. Aoife is far away. I am alone.
  I have come alone in the midst of you
  To weigh this sword against Cuchullain's sword.
• YOUNG MAN, I am under bonds
  To tell my name to no man, but it's noble.
• CUCHULLAIN. To have shown the hawk's gray feather is enough,
  And you speak highly too.
  [CUCHULLAIN comes down from his great chair. He remains standing on the steps of the chair. The YOUNG KINGS gather about him and begin to arm him.]
• YOUNG MAN. You are mocking me.
  You think I am not worthy to be fought,
  But I'll not wrangle but with this talkative knife.
• CUCHULLAIN. ...
  Friendship grows quicker in the murmuring dark;
  But I can see there's no more need for words
  And that you'll be my friend now.
• YOUNG MAN. There is no man I'd sooner have my friend
  Than you whose name has gone about the world
  As if it had been the wind, but Aoife'd say
  I had turned coward.
• CUCHULLAIN. Back! Back! Put up your swords! Put up your swords!
  There's none alive that shall accept a challenge
  I have refused. Laegaire, put up your sword.
• CUCHULLAIN. ...
  But I'd need no avenger. You and I
  < Would scatter them like water from a dish.
• YOUNG MAN. We'll stand by one another from this out.
  Here is the ring.
• CONCOBAR. [In a loud voice.] No more of that, I will not have this friendship.
  Cuchullain is my man and I forbid it;
  He shall not go unsought for I myself--
• CUCHULLAIN. [Seizing CONCOBAR.] You shall not stir, High King, I'll hold you there.
• CUCHULLAIN. [Letting CONCOBAR go, and looking wildly about him.] Yes, yes, all of a sudden.
• CUCHULLAIN. Yes, witchcraft, witchcraft and the power of witchcraft.
  [To YOUNG MAN.] Why did you do it? was it Calatin's daughters?
  Out, out, I say, for now it's sword on sword.
• YOUNG MAN. But, but, I did not.
• BARACH. The last time you brought me in, it was not I who wandered away, but you that got put out because you took the crubeen out of the pot, when you thought nobody was looking. Keep quiet now, keep quiet till I shut the door. Here is Cuchullain, now you will be beaten. I am going to tell him everything.
• FINTAIN. DO not listen to him, listen to me.
• BARACH. I left him turning a fowl at the fire. He ate it all. He left me nothing but the bones and feathers.
• BARACH. He has taken my feathers to wipe his sword. It is blood he is wiping from his sword!
• FINTAIN. Whose blood? Whose blood?
• CUCHULLAIN. That young champion's.
• CUCHULLAIN. He thought to have saved himself with witchcraft.
• CUCHULLAIN. [To the blind man.] You knew him, then?
• FINTAIN. He was a Queen's son.
• BARACH. He said a while ago that the young man was Aoife's son.
• BARACH. He said a while ago that he heard Aoife boast that she'd never but the one lover, and he was the only man that had overcome her in battle.
• CUCHULLAIN. He was my son, and I have killed my son.
• CUCHULLAIN. [Who is before CONCOBAR'S chair.] 'Twas you who did it, you who sat up there
  With that old branch of silver, like a magpie
  Nursing a stolen spoon. Magpie, magpie,
  A maggot that is eating up the earth!
  [Begins hacking at the chair with his sword.]
• BARACH. He is going up to King Concobar; they are all under the tree. No, no, he is standing still. There is a great wave going to break and he is looking at it. Ah! now he is running down to the sea, but he is holding up his sword as if he were going into a fight. [A pause.] Well struck, well struck!
• BARACH. Oh! he is fighting the waves.
• FINTAIN. He sees King Concobar's crown on every one of them.
• BARACH. They are shouting and running down to the shore, and the people are running out of the houses, they are all running.
• FINTAIN. There will be nobody in the houses. Come this way, come quickly; the ovens will be full; we will put our hands into the ovens.