"MacAvoy,.R.A.-.Tea.With.The.Black.Dragon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dragon Stories)

This part of it has been remembered in Lagan Valley
from then til now.

"In the last hour before dawn this ghastly company
arrayed itself before the gates of the monastery, and she
who led them threw down upon the grass the body of
Thomas. Knowing she could not storm such a stronghold
of the new faith she offered a trade: her son for the small
breath of life she had left in the father.

"Cormac himself stood at the gate. He was a burly
Abbot. He cried out that he would pray for souls, but he
could not sell them.

"But out from the gate squirmed the boy himself, and
he ran to his father and knelt beside him. Spurring her
horse the queen plucked up her son. In the same
moment Abbot Cormac O'Dubh ran out from the
monastery gate to Thomas Rhymer. Him he took and
carried to safety behind the gates.

"But even this is not the end of the story. For the
queen of Elfland, chalk faced on her pale horse, let out a
wail of anger, and she held the boy at arm's length from
her, and she put him down from her horse.

" 'He stinks!' she cried. 'He stinks of the dove! My
boy, ma'cushia! Heart of my heart, has been dipped in
the filthy bowl!'

"And all the shining horses reared up and sank into
the earth, and the Sidhe were gone.

"Because the good Abbot had put the boy beyond the
reach of his mother's people as long as time holds sway.
He had baptized him."

"Ah! Of course." Martha hit her palm against the
table. "The obvious solution. I never thought of it.

"But Thomas Rhymer . . . he's alive? I mean, he was
alive after that?"

"He lived. He was a very quiet man in later years."

Mayland Long stared into the depths of an empty cup.

"I believe you have that tale from Thomas Rhymer
himself," said Martha. "You tell it with such . . .