uld come in and strike the
heads off some of them, for none of them could rise up from the seats
they were sitting on through his enchantments. But one time he was going
to strike the bald head off Conan, and Conan made a great leap from the
seat; but if he did, he left strips of his skin hanging to it, that his
back was left bare. And then he came round the Grey Man with his pitiful
words: "Stop your hand now," he said, "for that is enough for this time;
and do not send me to my death yet awhile, and heal me of my wounds
first," he said, "before you make an end of me." And the reason he said
that was because he knew Ailne to have an enchanted cup in the dun, that
had cured Glanluadh.

And the Grey Man took pity on his case, and he brought him out and bade
Ailne to bring the cup to him and to cure his wounds. "I will not bring
it," said Ailne, "for it would be best give no time at all to him or to
the Fianna, but to make an end of them." "It is not to be saved from
death I am asking, bright-faced Ailne," said Conan, "but only not to go
to my death stripped bare the way I am." When Ailne heard that, she
brought a sheepskin and she put it on Conan's back, and it fitted and
grew to him, and covered his wounds. "I will not put you to death,
Conan," said the Grey Man then, "but you can stop with myself to the end
of your life." "You will never be without grief and danger and the fear
of treachery if you keep him with you," said Ailne; "for there is
treachery in his heart the same as there is in the rest of them." "There
is no fear of that," said her brother, "or I will make no delay until I
put the whole of the Fianna to death." And with that he brought Conan to
where the enchanted cup was, and he put it in his hand. And just at that
moment they heard Daire playing very sweet sorrowful music, and the Grey
Man went to listen to it, very quick and proud. And Conan followed him
there, and after a while the Grey Man asked him what did he do with the
enchanted cup. "I left it where I found it, full of power," said Conan.

The Grey Man hurried back then to the place where the treasures of the
dun were. But no sooner was he gone than Conan took out the cup that he
had hidden, and he gave a drink from it to Finn and to Osgar and to the
rest of the Fianna. And they that were withered and shaking, without
strength, without courage, got back their own appearance and their
strength again on the moment.

And when the Grey Man came back