rds. No one dares to go to the room of the King without their
consent. Liken thou that, O Fer rogain!"

"Easy for me is that. Three Mochmatnechs of Meath, three Buageltachs of
Bregia, three Sostachs of Sliab Fuait, the nine guardsmen of that King.
Nine decads will fall by them in their first conflict, etc. Woe to him
that shall wreak the Destruction because of them only!"

"Ye cannot," says Ingcel. "Clouds of weakness," etc. "And whom sawest
thou then?"

THE ROOM OF NIA AND BRUTHNE, CONAIRE'S TWO WAITERS

"There I beheld another room, and a pair was in it, and they are
'oxtubs,' stout and thick. Aprons they wore, and the men were dark and
brown. They had short back-hair on them, but high upon their foreheads.
They are as swift as a waterwheel, each of them past another, one of
them to the King's room, the other to the fire. Liken thou those, O
Fer rogain!"

"Easy to me. They are Nia and Bruthne, Conaire's two table-servants.
They are the pair that is best in Erin for their lord's advantage. What
causes brownness to them and height to their hair is their frequent
haunting of the fire. In the world is no pair better in their art than
they. Thrice nine men will fall by them in their first encounter, and
they will share prowess with every one, and they will chance to escape.
And after that whom sawest thou?"

THE ROOM OF SENCHA AND DUBTHACH AND GOBNIU SON OF LURGNECH

"I beheld the room that is next to Conaire. Three chief champions, in
their first greyness, are therein. As thick as a man's waist is each of
their limbs. They have three black swords, each as long as a weaver's
beam. These swords would split a hair on water. A great lance in the
hand of the midmost man, with fifty rivets through it. The shaft therein
is a good load for the yoke of a plough-team. The midmost man brandishes
that lance so that its edge-studs hardly stay therein, and he strikes
the haft thrice against his palm. There is a great boiler in front of
them, as big as a calf's caldron, wherein is a black and horrible
liquid. Moreover he plunges the lance into that black fluid. If its
quenching be delayed it flames on its shaft and then thou wouldst
suppose that there is a fiery dragon in the top of the house. Liken thou
that, O Fer rogain!"

"Easy to say. Three heroes who are best at grasping weapons in Erin,
namely, Sencha the beautiful son of Ailill, and Dubthach Chafer of
Ulaid, and Goibnenn son of Lurgnech. And the _Luin_ of Celtchar son o