said, "He has gone to Tara to avoid us, having heard
that we were coming with our treasures and weapons of war."

Word was then sent to Lugh at Tara that the Sons of Turenn were at Ben
Edar, and the eric with them.

"Let them pay it over to the High King," said Lugh.

So it was done; and when Lugh had tidings that the High King had the
eric, he returned to Ben Edar.

Then the eric was laid before him, and Brian said, "Is the debt paid,
O Lugh, son of Kian?"

Lugh said, "Truly there is here the price of any man's death; but it
is not lawful to give a quittance for an eric that is not complete.
Where is the cooking-spit from the Island of Finchory? and have ye
given the three shouts upon the Hill of Mochaen?"

At this word Brian and Iuchar and Iucharba fell prone upon the
ground, and were speechless awhile from grief and dismay. After a
while they left the Assembly like broken men, with hanging heads and
with heavy steps, and betook themselves to Dun Turenn, where they
found their father, and they told him all that had befallen them since
they had parted with him and set forth on the Quest. Thus they passed
the night in gloom and evil forebodings, and on the morrow they went
down once more to the place where the Boat of Mananan was moored. And
Ethne their sister accompanied them, wailing and lamenting, but no
words of cheer had they now to say to her, for now they began to
comprehend that a mightier and a craftier mind had caught them in the
net of fate. And whereas they had deemed themselves heroes and victors
in the most glorious quest whereof the earth had record, they now knew
that they were but as arrows in the hands of a laughing archer, who
shoots one at a stag and one at the heart of a foe, and one, it may
be, in sheer wantonness, and to try his bow, over a cliff edge into
the sea.

[Illustration: "There dwelt the red-haired ocean-nymphs"]

However, they put forth in their magic boat, but in no wise could they
direct it to the Isle of Finchory, and a quarter of a year they
traversed the seaways and never could get tidings of that island. At
last Brian fashioned for himself by magic art a water-dress, with a
helmet of crystal, and into the depths of the sea he plunged. Here,
the story tells, he searched hither and thither for a fortnight, till
at last he found that island, which was an island indeed with the sea
over it and around it and beneath it. There dwelt the red-haired
ocean-nymphs in glittering p