Waves in the Wind Read Online Free PDF Page A

strummed a peaceful chord. “Not so much, I’m thinking. Kilcullen is a small village.”
    My mind continued to wander. “Hmm. Eight years gone and now four more.”
    “What’s that?”
    “Nothing. I was merely reflecting on the years I’ve spent here and those that remain.”
    He finally glanced up. “I’ve been here four with two long years yet to go.”
    “Why ‘long’ years?”
    “Alas, there are no more mysteries to solve in Kilcullen.”
    “Augh!”
    He struck a discordant key, and grinned. “Now to more important things. There is to be a songfest tomorrow night, will you be coming?”
    “Perhaps. The Master has acquired a new book at great cost. It’s titled ‘Elements,’ and written by the famous old Greek mathematician, Euclid. We are studying his teachings on geometry. Learning his formulas is difficult and takes much time.”
    “Euclid? Geometry? I’ve never heard of them. Bards have no need to know such things.”
    Nothing my friend said surprised me anymore. “Geometry is an ancient mathematical form though Euclid extended its use. We are learning much more of it through his book. He was a great man, often cited by Archimedes himself.”
    “Archimedes? I’ve not heard of him either, but back to the songfest. You must come! Treasa, Dáirine and other girls will be there.”
    His mention of the girls raised my interest. “You will be singing, then?”
    “Aye, I will be singing my new song, a ballad honoring the goddess Fachea the patron goddess of we bards. That is…ow!” He clasped a hand to his eye.
    “What is it?”
    “Some bloody tiny thing flew into my eye. It is nothing.”
    I happened to glance at the sleeve of my robe and saw it speckled with tiny gray dots. They disappeared when I rubbed them with my finger. “Ah, it’s merely ash. The wind is blowing the cooking smoke toward us.”
    The sun dimmed overhead. Laoidheach glanced up and his mouth fell open as he gaped and pointed behind me. “Ossian! What is that?!”
    I turned to look. Overhead, a thin haze shaded the sky light gray, but to the west lightning flashed across a towering, enormous black mass.
    * * *
    Master Tóla stood atop Knockaulin, his commanding gaze capturing the students grouped before him. Behind him a great sacral fire roared in the darkness, sending flaming brands skyward.
    The Master uncrossed his arms, raised his hands palms outward and began. “Yesterday, a mysterious darkness fell across the land, and with it, darkness entered the hearts of men. Fear clutches the minds of all, as it does your own, for fear is the son of ignorance and ignorance the daughter of blindness. The immense fire behind me offers light in the darkness, not a light by which we might simply see but a light of knowledge, a light by which we might understand what lies behind the darkness itself. Now listen all, listen that you might learn, listen to the message brought by the great sacral fire, hear the words of the Dagda!”
    A murmur swept the assembled group. The Dagda! Master Tóla had spoken with the High God of the Tuatha De Danann themselves, the Dagda, Lord of Perfect Knowledge.
    Tóla’s raised hands closed to form fists, and quieted the crowd. “Now hear you all and praise the song of the Dagda,”
    So, the earth revolves,
    and night turns to day.
    By the hand of Belenos, the sun gleams,
    and once again brings life to the Tree.
    The bole of the Tree stands steadfast,
    resisting all forces for all time.
    Branches spread outward from the Tree,
    from its branches all living things hold fast.
    Mother Earth shudders,
    the cauldron within her boils.
    A pustule forms and ruptures,
    cauldron smoke fills the skies.
    So, the earth revolves,
    but night remains night.
    The sun, at the hand of Belenos does not return,
    there is no life within the Tree.
    The bole of the Tree stands steadfast,
    resisting all forces for all time.
    Branches spread outward from the Tree,
    from its branches all living things fall.
    Light within