|
 P8
Macha has so much to tell since last we met…
…but one story is astonishing.
"Milchú survived?!!"
"Nnnngh!"
"Milchú alive? It's hard to believe. But where is he
now?"
"A day's journey north."
"Gasp!"
Meanwhile…
For now I must bid farewell to Macha…
"Follow me…"
P9
"Pádraic!!!"
"He'll be here by midday."
"But what does he want?"
"Of course, revenge!"
"What am I going to do?"
"There's nothing else I can do…"
And so Milchú ended his own life…
P10
Later…
"Milchú! Where are you? Have no fear.
Your old slave has come to visit you!"
But…
"That smell… what is it?"
"Christ!"
A blackened stump is all that remains of my master…
"If only you have could have waited…"
P11
A long and arduous trek awaits us then… to the mountain
of Ayle.
"My brothers, I must leave you for a time…"
"…but remain vigilant until I return."
And so my trial begins
P12
Barefoot now on the slopes of Ayle.
"Ouch! My feet!"
The broad bay stretches beneath me…
…speckled with islands.
"Truly, it is beautiful here."
But suddenly, within sight of the summit…
"What's this?"
P13
"My God"
CRASH!!! URRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
With half the mountain crashing down around me…
…it's time to take shelter!
Luckily…
…a boulder provides some cover.
THUNK!!!
CRACK!!!
PIC!
"It's over."
Time to press on…
"At last!"
"Praise to you, oh Christ!"
 P14
"God!"
A sudden downpour…
I need some shelter…
And to get some sleep.
"Protect me, Lord, from the powers of darkness…"
Peace…
Zzzzzzz!
EEEEE!!!
"?!!!"
P15
EEEEE!!!
Rats!!!
EEEEE!!!
EEEEE!!!
P16
EEEEE!!!
"Good God!"
"My staff!"
EEEEE!!!
"Get back to the abyss, you devils!!!"
EEEEE!!! EEEEE!!!
Finally…
P17
And then…
Forty days…
…and forty nights…
…on the mountaintop
P18
At last…
"Time to return…"
"So… bright…"
But…
"What shadow is this?"
Awwwk!
P19
Awwwk!
"What devils are these?"
Awwwk! Awwwk!
"My ears!"
Awwwk! Awwwk! Awwwk!
P20
"The bell!"
Awwwk!
"Begone, I say!"
Cling! Cling!
"Arrrgh!"
Awwwk! Awwwk!
Cling! Cling!
Awwwk! Awwwk! Awwwk!
P21
At last…
"The mountain is mine!"
"Praised be God!"
"And now…"
"…the druids!!!"
P22
GRRRRR!
Yet another pilgrimage…
But this time our destination is the High King's own
stronghold!
Awwwk!
Unseen eyes follow our every step.
Auuuuuu!
 P23
On the Hill of Tara the ceremonial fire of Bealtaine is
already prepared…
"We have reached our destination, brothers."
Laoghaire is woken suddenly...
"Forgive me, my lord, but you must come quickly! Someone has
lit the sacred fire!"
"What nonsense is this?"
But the servant is correct…
"Lit! But who would dare to do such a thing?"
"One thing is certain. Whoever it is, will pay
dearly…"
"If I'm not mistaken, they may yet perish in that fire
themselves!"
P24
As the horizon burns ever fiercely…
…so too does the High King's anger.
"Go and bring them here..."
"IMMEDIATELY!!!"
"Lumen Christi!"
Nnnnngh!
"Come on!"
The riders set off feverishly…
P25
"Let us pray, brothers"
"Lumen…"
"…Christi."
"Lumen…"
"CHRISTI!!!"
But…
"Enough, you fools! Stop this sacrilege now!"
"What?"
"Uh…"
P26
One of the brothers tries to flee but…
"Not so fast!"
"Please, no!"
"To hell with you!"
But…
"Eh??"
"Ugh?"
"Aaaargh!"
"Nnnngh!"
"What magic is this?"
"I'm not sure, but we need to be careful."
"Indeed!"
P27
"Identify yourselves! By whose permission have you done
this?"
"Answer me!"
"By God's permission, if you must know."
"You can explain that to the King."
"I will."
"We'll see how cheeky you'll be in the presence of
Laoghaire!"
At first light we reach the fortress…
P28
And are taken as captives…
before the High King and his druids…
"Who is this raggedy stranger?"
"What has brought you all this way to lose your head?"
"I am Patrick, a sinner most unlearned, the least of all the
faithful,
and utterly despised by many..."
"I have come to proclaim the new faith and to save you from
damnation."
 P29
Hearing this, Lochrú cannot contain himself…
"I'll teach you, you upstart!"
"Aaargh!"
Suddenly, I am in deadly danger…
P30
Now the flames take on a new shape…
"Snakes!"
Ssssssss!!!
"Save me, Lord! I can't breathe!"
A superhuman effort and…
P31
"Aaaargh!"
"FREE!"
P32
Now the demented Lochrú charges towards me…
"ÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ!!!"
"What?"
But…
"Uuugh!"
"Stop, I say."
"Eh?"
"Wait there, a moment."
"Let me down, I command you!"
"As you wish."
P33
"AAAARGH!!!"
Lochrú falls…
THUNCK!!!
And his head is smashed upon a rock.
"Incredible!"
"Is he dead?"
"So it appears."
"What kind of power is this?"
"I shall have to come up with another way of dealing with
these people."
And…
"Very well, stranger. Listen to me. What good is there in
fighting like this?"
"Come and join us for something to eat."
P34
Later…
"You'll taste a mouthful of wine, won't you?"
"I suppose…"
Then, the treachery…
"Your good health!"
"Thank… you..."
But…
"Just a minute…"
"What is it?"
"I'm afraid I can't drink this."
"Frozen!"
"But how?"
P35
"There's only one way to resolve this crisis… we must
set these two great powers against one another…"
"Very well, then! Watch this!"
WHISSSH!!!
The whole countryside is suddenly frozen…
But in an instant…
Spring returns!
P36
"I don't believe this."
"Never mind… let us have the second test!"
"Stand back, I say."
In the middle of the fortress… a hut is set alight
 P37
Lucat and Beningus, one of our brothers, exchange
garments… and enter the inferno!
"Oremus! (Let us pray)"
"Damn these Christians!"
But then…
"Someone's coming out…"
"It's Beningus!"
"This garment is all that remains of the druid, master."
"Deo gratias! (Thanks be to God)"
P38
"Ugh!?"
"We have no choice now. We must submit…"
So…
"I believe, Pádraic… I believe."
Then…
"Praise to you, Lord!"
"And now, Laoghaire… I baptise you."
"Glug!
P39
A couple of months later. Our first monastery is just
completed…
…when the call comes.
"Let us go, my brothers. We still have much to do…"
"And my friends Conn and Macha are expecting us."
And so we set off…
But, of course…
It was only the beginning…
END
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Colmán agus Mairéad Ó Raghallaigh
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Co Mhaigh Eo
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