A Sleepy, Simple Man

By Aonghus Fallon

Short story. He knew he could have done a better job as high king, that his friendship with the sons of Donn Dessa was to blame. Just like he knew there'd be a price to pay. But so soon?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aonghus Fallon
• Release date: Sep 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005176761

Book preview

A SLEEPY, SIMPLE MAN

Aonghus Fallon

Cover by the author.

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Well, the roars and curses out of the four lads over their brother! Mac Cecht had never heard the like.

Things got quiet for a while after that.

Then they saw the flicker of torches. The boys were stacking broken branches up against the walls, bad cess to them. It had been a dry autumn and they’d have had no problem finding enough wood.

He wondered if they’d come up with the idea themselves. He reckoned not. Somebody else was in charge, telling them what to do – a Briton by the sound of him, and big.

The branches caught fire only too quickly.

‘Get every cauldron you can find,’ he said, turning to the others, ‘and fill them with water.’

For this Briton wasn’t as clever as he thought: trying to set fire to a hall with a river running through it.

Well, everybody – even the old woman – went scurrying hither and thither, filling up containers with water from the river and flinging it against the walls.

The fires hissed and spat and went out, one by one. But the sons of Donn Dessa weren’t giving up that easy. Not after losing their brother. As fast as one fire was put out, another would appear.

Then the river died down to a trickle, they’d dammed it somehow – only it was too late: the walls were soaking wet.

The mutter of voices.

‘What’ll they do next, do you think?’ Dubthach whispered.

Even as he spoke, they heard a thump on the roof. Somebody had climbed up onto it and – by the sound of things – the others were throwing him up sticks and branches and whatever they could get their