The Great Fury Read Online Free PDF Page B

as a fireman at the nine eleven attack. Is that so?”
    Oengus frowned, wondering where this was going.
    â€œThey said you were very brave. Mom was very proud and read the article over and over. It was the first time they made mention of your existence.”
    â€œGood, good. But you see Oengus I got some dust in my lungs. So I was sent to a doctor. As luck would have it I was alright in the lung department, but they ran tests.”
    â€œYes?” Oengus prompted.
    â€œAnd the tests explained why I was feeling so unwell. It seems I have cancer.”
    â€œWhere?”
    â€œEverywhere Oengus. At that stage there were secondary’s all over my system. The good news was they could keep me going with drugs but the bad news was that I had just months to live. And the way I feel it won’t be long now.”
    â€œBut why did you come back John? Why did you want to see me? Oengus asked.
    â€œLet me get to that. I’m sure the events so far have been a terrible shock to you Oengus and we need to get you through this.”
    â€œFeel free, we will both listen,” Danu said graciously.
    John put some more water into his coffee and sipped. He looked earnestly at Oengus.
    â€œYou ok kid?” he asked.
    â€œA bit freaked out.”
    â€œOk but stay with me. Oengus no doubt you have listened to fairy stories around the fire in winter?”
    â€œNot since I was a kid.”
    â€œHave you ever heard of stolen children?”
    â€œMom used to turn off the television and read to us. There were stories about faeries stealing healthy children and putting a sickly one in its place or maybe a log of wood.”
    â€œExactly,” John said sounding as if he had just proven a major point.
    â€œOf course I didn’t believe them, they were just fairy stories,” Oengus countered.
    â€œNaturally,” Danu said with a smile.
    â€œWhen I was young I was a bit wild,” John continued.
    â€œRight?” Oengus asked.
    â€œForty years ago I was a holy terror. They used call me the Devil of Dunquin.”
    Danu gave him an indulgent smile.
    â€œWhat did you do?” Oengus asked, feeling the need to get John to come to the point.
    â€œOur land on Great Blasket included the Clochan that we visited. Oengus over the centuries our people were close to the magic, for they had seen strange things at the Clochan.”
    â€œThere was magic everywhere when the people believed,” Danu said.
    â€œThis place reminds me of a posh hotel my dad brought us to one year for Sunday lunch after he got a great price when he sold the spring lambs,” Oengus said. “I’m not sure it is a magic place.”
    Danu was surprised at this viewpoint.
    â€œThis is Otherworld,” she said. “It is vast.”
    â€œYes,” John added. “The key thing is that here time is different.”
    â€œWe are relatively different as time moves in a different way here,” Danu explained but Oengus didn’t feel any the wiser.
    â€œAnd where are we?” he asked.
    â€œPresently we are in the reception area of the palace of the Faerie Queen. All the gold trim you see is real gold and all diamonds are real. This is not just a hotel I can assure you Oengus,” she added.
    Oengus shrugged. “And Danu where do you live in all of this?” he asked.
    â€œI live far away in Tir na Nogh,” Danu said.
    â€œThe land of the young,” John translated unnecessarily. “It’s another part of Otherworld.”
    â€œThe Land of the Young maybe but no offence, not that young,” Oengus replied.
    â€œTo a sixteen year old everyone over twenty is old,” John said with a smile.
    Danu laughed. Her laugh was warm and musical and as she laughed she smiled with her eyes. Oengus felt himself warm to her. His mother sometimes looked at him like that.
    â€œAs it happens I am thousands of earth years old,” she confessed.
    â€œA pensioner?” Oengus