aid
Mongan.

"I know," the cleric continued, "that Duv Laca will not agree with a
word I say on this subject, and that she will try to prevent you from
doing what you have a right to do, for that is a wife's business, but a
man's business is to do what I have just told you; so come with me now
and do not wait to think about it, and do not wait to play any more
chess. Fiachna Duv has only a small force with him at this moment,
and we can burn his palace as he burned your father's palace, and
kill himself as he killed your father, and crown you King of Ulster
rightfully the way he crowned himself wrongfully as a king."

"I begin to think that you own a lucky tongue, my black-faced friend,"
said Mongan, "and I will go with you."

He collected his forces then, and he burned Fiachna Duv's fortress, and
he killed Fiachna Duv, and he was crowned King of Ulster.

Then for the first time he felt secure and at liberty to play chess.
But he did not know until afterwards that the black-faced, tufty-headed
person was his father Mananna'n, although that was the fact.

There are some who say, however, that Fiachna the Black was killed in
the year 624 by the lord of the Scot's Dal Riada, Condad Cerr, at the
battle of Ard Carainn; but the people who say this do not know what they
are talking about, and they do not care greatly what it is they say.

CHAPTER X

"There is nothing to marvel about in this Duv Laca," said the Flame Lady
scornfully. "She has got married, and she has been beaten at chess. It
has happened before."

"Let us keep to the story," said Mongan, and, having taken some few
dozen deep draughts of the wine, he became even more jovial than before.
Then he recommenced his tale:

It happened on a day that Mongan had need of treasure. He had many
presents to make, and he had not as much gold and silver and cattle as
was proper for a king. He called his nobles together and discussed what
was the best thing to be done, and it was arranged that he should visit
the provincial kings and ask boons from them.

He set out at once on his round of visits, and the first province he
went to was Leinster.

The King of Leinster at that time was Branduv, the son of Echach. He
welcomed Mongan and treated him well, and that night Mongan slept in his
palace.

When he awoke in the morning he looked out of a lofty window, and he
saw on the sunny lawn before the palace a herd of cows. There were fifty
cows in all, for he count