“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.
The Great Fury Page 27
