Chapter Thirty-Five

It took a while but the Greyman managed to fix the window using Fergal’s tools.

A further search of the bedroom failed to uncover the Puca. But they stayed on alert, not knowing when he might emerge and in what form.

“Leave it,” Morag said. “We need to talk about next steps.”

She was now fully briefed and up to speed on the events to date.

“I could undo the spell and mobilize Oengus,” Morag said as part of their discussion on the issue of Oengus and Celtic Gods.

“But if he calls the fleas?” Dearg Due said with a shudder.

“My spell will wear off soon,” Morag warned.

“Either we run or we negotiate. He is our prisoner,” the Greyman said.

“We have strengths. He cares for Nina and for Maedbh. He must believe they are under threat,” Dearg Due offered. “And you could re-immobilize him repeatedly I presume.”

“What we want is a conduit to Otherworld. Why risk activating Oengus? And Maedbh may be able to act as go-between,” Morag said.

“We need to be clear on our demands,” the Greyman said.

“We should isolate Oengus. Get Nina out of there,” Dearg Due suggested.

“Good start,” Morag agreed. “Watch out for the Puca.”

They went back into the bedroom. Morag tuned up the computer. They could see Maedbh and Peter, apparently having a cup of tea. In the other room Nina and Fergal were chatting over a coffee while Oengus lay upended on the floor, stiff and immobilized.

“I’m opening up the entrance door,” Morag said, opening the wardrobe and clicking the lock. The metal door swung open.

Morag gave a smile and indicated to Dearg Due. A small mouse was creeping around the door and into the panic room.

“Puca’s are loyal but not very bright,” the Greyman whispered as they watched the mouse on the screen as it scampered down towards Oengus.

Morag opened the access to Oengus’s room using the remote system control. As he entered Puca shape shifted and became Puca the poodle. He yapped a greeting to Nina.

“Puca!” Nina said. “They captured you too!”

A puzzled look crossed Puca’s face.

“Welcome,” Morag said over the microphone.

“Bitch,” Nina said.

“Well done Morag,” Dearg Due said. “all the eggs in one basket.”

They watched as Puca the poodle licked the face of the immobilized Oengus.

“Yuck,” the Greyman said. “I hate when a dog licks my mouth.”

“Shit!” Morag said. “A magic dog!”

Oengus croaked as Puca’s spittle hit his throat.

“Sword!” he managed.

They heard a loud crash.

The Great Fury came out blasting through the door of the safe, into the bedroom and through the steel door of the panic room and rested in Oengus’s hand.

The sword absorbed the spell and the silver chain fell off and clattered onto the ground. Feeling a little dizzy but fine, Oengus stood with the sword in his hand.

Morag, Dearg Due and the Greyman stared at the screens in horror.

“Hi Oengus!” Nina said, while Fergal just stared.

“Maybe you should get some clothes,” he managed.

“This is Fergal,” Nina introduced.

“Oengus!” Morag called down the microphone.

Oengus steadied himself, still a bit groggy and wondered where the voice was coming from.

“You are our prisoner,” Morag added.

“I don’t think so,” Oengus said giving the ‘Great Fury’ a wave. It pulsated red and then a blue steel.

Dearg Due took Morag’s hand off the microphone button.

“This is a game changer,” she said.

Turning the microphone back on, “Don’t make a move or Maedbh will get it!” Morag shouted.

“We want a deal,” the Greyman added into the microphone.

“What?” Oengus asked, feeling confused.

“It’s a negotiation,” Nina clarified.

“We want our team safe and left alone,” Nina said, addressing herself to the speaker over the door.

“I let you go, you let us go,” Morag said.

Nina looked at Oengus.

“We don’t want fleas and we don’t want you coming after us,” Dearg Due chipped in.

“Will you leave New York?’ Oengus asked.

“We’re out of here,” the Greyman agreed.

“Immunity for myself and Dutronc,” Morag asked.

“Dutronc? Is he here?” Oengus asked.

“No but he’s my man and I want him safe. And we want to stay in New York.”

“Tell you what, you set us free. Turn Maedbh free and Peter. No more immobilization spells and I’ll forget past offences. However I won’t promise in relation to any future evil.”

Morag looked at Dearg Due and the Greyman.

They nodded.

“Dearg Due and Greyman will leave New York. I leave the apartment long enough to let you out. I’ll set Maedbh and her lover Peter free,” Morag recapped.

“Her what?” Oengus asked.

“Just detail,” Nina intervened. “You stay way from all of us for the future and you undo the immobilization of the cat,” she added.

“OK, if we have agreement, I’m releasing the doors,” Morag said.

“See you,” the Greyman said as he and Dearg Due moved out.

“New Orleans?” Dearg Due suggested.

“Wait for me,” Morag said. “I’ve just remembered my hair appointment.”

With a bit of a search Maedbh, Peter and Oengus located their things and got dressed. Oengus was pleased to find his credit card intact.

“What now?” Maedbh asked. She picked up Venus and scratched her ear just like Maedbh knew Venus liked.

“I think I go back to Ireland,” Oengus said “I have the sword so I have achieved my mission.”

“There’s something that bothers me,” Maedbh said.

“What?” Oengus asked.

“Your uncle said something before he died when we were down in the water system,” Maedbh said.

“He betrayed us,” Oengus said, but without bitterness. He could understand his uncle was out of his depth and trying to survive.

“He said you’d killed your father,” Maedbh said.

“They only person I killed was the tramp and that was an accident. He grabbed my leg and I fell into him and the sword...”

“Only a God can kill a God,” Maedbh said.

“You think I killed my father?” Oengus asked. “I never knew him but they said he’d been banished to the Bronx. Maybe he became a tramp?”

“If you did then maybe you are now to be the God of Love?” Maedbh offered.

“Nice one,” Nina said, adding, “Sorry for your troubles.”

“Can I collect my tools?” Fergal asked, going to the window. He examined the repair and decided that it was an adequate job.

“Go down to the lobby Fergal and wait there for me,” Nina said. “I’ll catch you up and explain what happened.”

“I hope someone can.”

“What about the body of Leanan?” Venus meowed.

“When we get home I’ll do a call to the police,” Maedbh offered. “See if Morag can talk her way out of that one.”

“Let it go,” Oengus said.

When they were gone Oengus stood alone at the window of Morag’s apartment. He’d asked Nina if she’d like to do America with him, using the credit card. But she’d said a nice, no, explaining that Fergal had a number of overalls in sizes he wanted her to model.

And Maedbh had taken Venus and Peter back to her place.

“Alone again,” Oengus said to the wide world. But he didn’t feel lonely, he felt confident, anticipation, and a bit confused by it all.

In the high security prison Deirdre looked out of her cell window and wondered how long she’d be incarcerated. But things were going in the right direction she thought.

She turned as the door of her cell opened and Darina, a large overweight prison guard filled the entrance.

“I brought the herbs,” Darina said.

“Show me,” Deirdre said as she put the herbs on the bed.

Darina pulled down her knickers and showed a bottom covered in warts.

“The doctors don’t know what caused it and the warts keep coming back,” Darina said in embarrassed tones.

“I understand,” Deirdre said.

“You said you could do ancient Irish cures?”

“Darina, if I may call you Darina?” Deirdre asked.

“Sure.”

“Darina, I can clear your warts. But you have to promise to look after me. Otherwise the warts will come back and I won’t fix them. Do you understand?”

Darina looked around to where Deirdre was looking at her bottom and mixing the herbs she’d specified with water.

Darina felt her blood run cold when Deirdre began to chant and to rub a dirty looking brown paste on to her behind. But she felt immediate relief and the intense itch stopped.

“I think you really are a witch but I’ll take care of you Deirdre if you take care of me,” Darina promised.

“Good, and you know I have an ancient slimming remedy. Sort of a spell. Would you like to be slimmer.”

“Would I?” Darina said with emphasis.

“In return for a favor or two,” Deirdre said and began to chant the cure for her itchy warts spell.

The Greyman sat beside Dearg Due on the New Orleans train. Dearg Due took his hand.

“New beginnings,” she said.

Dutronc listened with incredulity to Morag as she related the events in her apartment.

“Charge the repair to the company,” he offered. “And I’ll organize our cleaners to dispose of Leanan, rest her soul.”

“What should I do?’ Morag asked. “I know I deserve punishment for such a mess.”

“You got us out of a mess. Everyone falls into a mess. The true test of quality is how you get out and up and running again.”

“Are we up and running?” Morag asked anxiously.

“We’ll take a holiday together. We need a break. It has been a stressful period,” Dutronc said softly.

He took Morag’s hand. Morag could feel herself tremble with excitement.

Dutronc looked into her eyes. “I’m fond of you,” he said.

Morag leaned over and kissed him. “Thank you sir,” she said.

Oengus wondered about his destiny. It would appear that in time he was to be the God of Love. Around him he could sense love. Peter’s reaction to Maedbh and the way Fergal looked at Nina.

But how was it if he was to be a God of Love that he was the one to be alone?

Of course he had Puca who was a nice poodle when he wasn’t being a pigeon or a dancing bear or a horse.

Oengus shook himself.

He would start by finding America.

It was time to go forth and seek his destiny.