the cowls. Three black, huge swords they had, and
three black shields they bore, with three dark broad-green javelins
above them. Thick as the spit of a caldron was the shaft of each. Liken
thou that, O Fer rogain!"

"Hard it is for me to find their like. I know not in Erin that trio,
unless it be yon trio of Pictland, who went into exile from their
country, and are now in Conaire's household. These are their names:
Dublonges son of Trebuat, and Trebuat son of Hua-Lonsce, and Curnach son
of Hua Faich. The three who are best in Pictland at taking arms are that
trio. Nine decads will fall at their hands in their first encounter, and
a man will fall for each of their weapons, besides one for each of
themselves. And they will share prowess with every trio in the Hostel.
They will boast a victory over a king or a chief of the reavers; and
they will afterwards escape though wounded. Woe to him who shall wreak
the Destruction, though it be only on account of those three!"

Says Lomna Druth: "I swear to God what my tribe swears, if my counsel
were taken, the Destruction would never be wrought."

"Ye cannot," says Ingcel: "clouds of weakness are coming to you. A keen
ordeal which will endanger, etc. And whom sawest thou there afterwards?"

THE ROOM OF THE PIPERS

"There I beheld a room with nine men in it. Hair fair and yellow was on
them: they all are equally beautiful. Mantles speckled with colour they
wore, and above them were nine bagpipes, four-tuned, ornamented. Enough
light in the palace were the ornament on these four-tuned pipes. Liken
thou them, O Fer rogain."

"Easy for me to liken them," says Fer rogain. "Those are the nine pipers
that came to Conaire out of the Elfmound of Bregia, because of the noble
tales about him. These are their names: Bind, Robind, Riarbind, Sibe,
Dibe, Deichrind, Umall, Cumal, Ciallglind. They are the best pipers in
the world. Nine enneads will fall before them, and a man for each of
their weapons, and a man for each of themselves. And each of them will
boast a victory over a king or a chief of the reavers. And they will
escape from the Destruction; for a conflict with them will be a conflict
with a shadow. They will slay, but they will not be slain, for they are
out of an elfmound. Woe to him who shall wreak the Destruction, though
it be only because of those nine!"

"Ye cannot," says Ingcel. "Clouds of weakness come to you," etc. "And
after that, whom sawest thou there?"

THE ROOM