"And the hill on which ye must give three shouts is the hill where
dwells Mochaen in the north of Lochlann. Now Mochaen and his sons have
it as a sacred ordinance that they permit not any man to raise a shout
upon their hill. With him it was that my father was trained to arms,
and if I forgave ye his death, yet would Mochaen not forgive it.

"And now ye know the eric which ye have to pay for the slaying of
Kian, son of Canta."

Astonishment and despair overcame the Sons of Turenn when they learned
the meaning of the eric of Lugh, and they went home to tell the
tidings to their father.

"This is an evil tale," said Turenn; "I doubt but death and doom shall
come from your seeking of that eric, and it is but right they should.
Yet it may be that ye shall obtain the eric if Lugh or Mananan will
help you to it. Go now to Lugh, and ask him for the loan of the fairy
steed of Mananan, which was given him to ride over the sea into Erinn.
He will refuse you, for he will say that the steed is but lent to him
and he may not make a loan of a loan. Then ask him for the loan of
Ocean Sweeper, which is the magic boat of Mananan, and that he must
give, for it is a sacred ordinance with Lugh not to refuse a second
petition."

So they went to Lugh, and it all fell out as Turenn had told them, and
they went back to Turenn.

"Ye have done something towards the eric," said Turenn, "but not much.
Yet Lugh would be well pleased that ye brought him whatever might
serve him when the Fomorians come to the battle again, and well
pleased would he be that ye might get your death in bringing it. Go
now, my sons, and blessing and victory be with you."

Then the Sons of Turenn went down to the harbour on the Boyne river
where the Boat of Mananan was, and Ethne their sister with them. And
when they reached the place, Ethne broke into lamentations and
weeping; but Brian said, "Weep not, dear sister, but let us go forth
gaily to great deeds. Better a hundred deaths in the quest of honour
than to live and die as cowards and sluggards." But Ethne said, "ye
are banished from Erinn--never was there a sadder deed." Then they
put forth from the river-mouth of the Boyne and soon the fair coasts
of Erinn faded out of sight. "And now," said they among themselves,
"what course shall we steer?"

[Illustration: "'Bear us swiftly, Boat of Mananan, to the Garden of
the Hesperides'"]

"No need to steer the Boat of Mananan," said Brian; and he whispered
to t