The Prize in the Game | Page 4

most folk, truth told.
But I do not think either of you are so lucky."
"I know better than to ask," Conal said, looking ahead through the trees
to where Elenn inclined towards Leary. They were holding hands. Nid
had gone a little way ahead. "You know, grandfather, though my mind
is quick for the branches of learning, and though I love you, I hate
learning from you. I have always learned songs and figuring fast
enough, but this Oak knowledge of learning to read luck and the way of

other worlds makes my skin crawl. I don't even like thinking about it."
"You know the story of Curog the Oracle-priest?" Inis asked. "He
prophesied that a certain lady would win the love of a certain lord.
When the lord died the lady came to him and reproached him for being
wrong, for he had never loved her. Then Curog said that in the worlds
he could see, where he had not spoken, she had acted to win his love
and won it, and in our world she had been sure she would win it
without acting, and so nothing came of it."
Inis said no more. Conal glanced at Emer, who was frowning at nothing.
They walked in silence for a while. Conal started running through
arguments he would make to Conary. It was hideously unfair to let
Darag and Ferdia take up arms early and on a fortunate day, and not the
rest of them. But Conary always favoured Darag of all his nephews.
There were good reasons for that, of course. Conal was good, but Darag
was better. But Conal was sure that if he put in more effort, more time
practising, building up his strength, he would eventually catch up and
even overtake Darag. Being strong and fast as a boy was nothing, what
counted was when you were men. Even his father said so. If Darag had
taken up arms today, then Conal would do the same, that's all there was
to it. Anything else was unthinkable.
When they came out of the orchard, Elenn, Leary, and Nid were
waiting for them at the foot of the mound. Nid was swinging on the
gate. The bottom palisade was no ring of sharpened stakes but a tall
fence of strong bog-oak, the oak that could break an iron axe. No
enemies had ever breached it. No enemies were expected today
however, which was fortunate as there was nobody guarding the lower
gate.
"We thought we'd wait for you slowpokes," Leary said, sticking out his
tongue at Conal. Conal smiled as if amused at how childish boys of
seventeen could be, hiding all the pain. Leary had been his friend. They
had always practised together, both of them hoping to become as good
as Darag. Now Leary hardly spoke to him except to jibe.
"It is unkind to mock my old bones, grandson," Inis said, sharply.

Leary jumped. He was used to the old man not paying any attention.
Conal kept his face still, to show nothing.
Inis let go of Conal's arm, and then, a moment later, Emer's. He led a
brisk pace past the stables and up the hill towards the dun. Here, where
Conal would have guessed he'd want support, he decided to do without
it. The rest of them followed him in a straggle, Conal first, quickening
his own pace, and Emer beside him. "I didn't know Leary was ap
Fathag's grandson as well," Emer said, quietly.
"You're getting really good at not asking questions," Conal said, and
smiled at her. This time she smiled back, shyly, not at all like her sister.
"But it's all right to ask me. Inis had four children. My mother, Leary's
mother and Darag's mother by his wife, and Conary by King Nessa as
he just told us."
"I had heard before," Emer said, even more quietly. "Do you think he
told us that last story to stop us asking questions?"
"Yes," Conal said. "Or maybe to tell us he isn't infallible, or that
oracle-talent isn't infallible. He hates being asked questions, he can't
help but look then, and he prefers to look in his own time."
"Can you see across the worlds?" Emer murmured. Conal had to lean
close to hear her.
"Of course not!" he said, quickly, surprised she would ask. "I'm not an
oracle-priest, and you must have heard me saying just now how I hate
to think about those things."
"That's what made me wonder whether you could," she said.
"Can you?" he asked.
Emer shook her head. "Sometimes when I talk to ap Fathag or ap Fial
at home I can almost see how to do it. They say I could learn. But I
don't want to. Like you. I'd rather not know what