Chapter 2

[_He lays his Helmet on the ground_]

And wear upon his own head, and choose for yourselves the best. O! Laegaire and Conall are brave, but they were afraid of my jest. Well, maybe I jest too grimly when the ale is in the cup. There, I'm forgiven now--

[_Then in a more solemn voice as he goes out_]

Let the bravest take it up.

[_CONALL takes up Helmet and gazes at it with delight_]

LAEGAIRE

[_Singing, with a swaggering stride_]

Laegaire is best; Between water and hill, He fought in the west With cat heads, until At the break of day All fell by his sword, And he carried away Their hidden hoard.

[_He seizes the Helmet_]

CONALL

Give it me, for what did you find in the bag But the straw and the broken delf and the bits of dirty rag You'd taken for good money?

CUCHULAIN

No, no, but give it me.

[_He takes Helmet_]

CONALL

The Helmet's mine or Laegaire's--you're the youngest of us three.

CUCHULAIN

[_Filling Helmet with ale_]

I did not take it to keep it--the Red Man gave it for one, But I shall give it to all--to all of us three or to none; That is as you look upon it--we will pass it to and fro, And time and time about, drink out of it and so Stroke into peace this cat that has come to take our lives. Now it is purring again, and now I drink to your wives, And I drink to Emer, my wife.

[_A great noise without and shouting_]

Why, what in God's name is that noise?

CONALL

What else but the charioteers and the kitchen and stable boys Shouting against each other, and the worst of all is your own, That chariot-driver, Laeg, and they'll keep it up till the dawn, And there's not a man in the house that will close his eyes to-night, Or be able to keep them from it, or know what set them to fight.

[_A noise of horns without_]

There, do you hear them now? such hatred has each for each They have taken the hunting horns to drown one other's speech For fear the truth may prevail.--Here's your good health and long life, And, though she be quarrelsome, good health to Emer, your wife.

[_The charioteers, Stable Boys and Kitchen Boys come running in. They carry great horns, ladles and the like_]

LAEG

I am Laeg, Cuchulain's driver, and my master's cock of the yard.

ANOTHER

Conall would scatter his feathers.

[_Confused murmurs_]

LAEGAIRE

[_To_ CUCHULAIN]

No use, they won't hear a word.

CONALL

They'll keep it up till the dawn.

ANOTHER

It is Laegaire that is the best, For he fought with cats in Connaught while Conall took his rest And drained his ale pot.

ANOTHER

Laegaire--what does a man of his sort Care for the like of us! He did it for his own sport.

ANOTHER

It was all mere luck at the best.

ANOTHER

But Conall, I say--

ANOTHER

Let me speak.

LAEG

You'd be dumb if the cock of the yard would but open his beak.

ANOTHER

Before your cock was born, my master was in the fight.

LAEG

Go home and praise your grand-dad. They took to the horns for spite, For I said that no cock of your sort had been born since the fight began.

ANOTHER

Conall has got it, the best man has got it, and I am his man.

CUCHULAIN

Who was it started this quarrel?

A STABLE BOY

It was Laeg.

ANOTHER

It was Laeg done it all.

LAEG

A high, wide, foxy man came where we sat in the hall, Getting our supper ready, with a great voice like the wind, And cried that there was a helmet, or something of the kind, That was for the foremost man upon the ridge of the earth. So I cried your name through the hall,

[_The others cry out and blow horns, partly drowning the rest of his speech_]

but they denied its worth, Preferring Laegaire or Conall, and they cried to drown my voice; But I have so strong a throat that I drowned all their noise Till they took to the hunting horns and blew them into my face, And as neither side would give in--we would settle it in this place. Let the Helmet be taken from Conall.

A STABLE BOY

No, Conall is the best man here.

ANOTHER

Give it to Laegaire that made the murderous cats pay dear.

CUCHULAIN

It has been given to none: that our rivalry might cease, We have turned that murderous cat into a cup of peace. I drank the first; and then Conall; give it to Laegaire now,

[_CONALL gives Helmet to LAEGAIRE_]

That it may purr in his hand and all of our servants know That since the ale went in, its claws went out of sight.

A SERVANT

That's well--I will stop my shouting.

ANOTHER

Cuchulain is in the right; I am tired of this big horn that has made me hoarse as a rook.

LAEG

Cuchulain, you drank the first.

ANOTHER

By drinking the first he took The whole of the honours himself.

LAEG

Cuchulain, you drank the first.

ANOTHER

If Laegaire drink from it now he claims to be last and worst.

ANOTHER

Cuchulain and Conall have drunk.

ANOTHER

He is lost if he taste a drop.

LAEGAIRE

[_Laying Helmet on table_]

Did you claim to be better than us by drinking first from the cup?

CUCHULAIN

[_His words are partly drowned by the murmurs of the crowd though he speaks very loud_]

That juggler from the sea, that old red herring it is Who has set us all by the ears--he brought the Helmet for this, And because we would not quarrel he ran elsewhere to shout That Conall and Laegaire wronged me, till all had fallen out.

[_The murmur grows less so that his words are heard_]

Who knows where he is now or who he is spurring to fight? So get you gone, and whatever may cry aloud in the night, Or show itself in the air, be silent until morn.

A SERVANT

Cuchulain is in the right--I am tired of this big horn.

CUCHULAIN

Go!

[_The Servants turn toward the door but stop on hearing the voices of Women outside_]

LAEGAIRE'S WIFE

[_Without_]

Mine is the better to look at.

CONALL'S WIFE

[_Without_]

But mine is better born.

EMER

[_Without_]

My man is the pithier man.

CUCHULAIN

Old hurricane, well done! You've set our wives to the game that they may egg us on; We are to kill each other that you may sport with us. Ah, now, they've begun to wrestle as to who'll be first at the house.

[_The Women come to the door struggling_]

EMER

No, I have the right of place for I married the better man.

CONALL'S WIFE

[_Pulling Emer back_]

My nails in your neck and shoulder.

LAEGAIRE'S WIFE

And go before me if you can. My husband fought in the West.

CONALL'S WIFE

[_Kneeling in the door so as to keep the others out who pull at her_]

But what did he fight with there But sidelong and spitting and helpless shadows of the dim air? And what did he carry away but straw and broken delf?

LAEGAIRE'S WIFE

Your own man made up that tale trembling alone by himself, Drowning his terror.

EMER

[_Forcing herself in front_]

I am Emer, it is I go first through the door. No one shall walk before me, or praise any man before My man has been praised.

CUCHULAIN

[_Spreading his arms across the door so as to close it_]

Come, put an end to their quarrelling: One is as fair as the other, and each one the wife of a king. Break down the painted boards between the sill and the floor That they come in together, each one at her own door.

[_LAEGAIRE and CONALL begin to break out the bottoms of the windows, then their wives go to the windows, each to the window where her husband is. EMER stands at the door and sings while the boards are being broken out_]

EMER

Nothing that he has done, His mind that is fire, His body that is sun, Have set my head higher Than all the world's wives. Himself on the wind Is the gift that he gives, Therefore womenkind, When their eyes have met mine, Grow cold and grow hot, Troubled as with wine By a secret thought, Preyed upon, fed upon By jealousy and desire. I am moon to that sun, I am steel to that fire,

[_The windows are now broken down to floor. CUCHULAIN takes his spear from the door, and the three Women come in at the same moment_]

EMER

Cuchulain, put off this sloth and awake: I will sing till I've stiffened your lip against every knave that would take A share of your honour.

LAEGAIRE'S WIFE

You lie, for your man would take from my man.

CONALL'S WIFE

[_To LAEGAIRE'S WIFE_]

You say that, you double-face, and your own husband began.

CUCHULAIN

[_Taking up Helmet from table_]

Town land may rail at town land till all have gone to wrack, The very straws may wrangle till they've thrown down the stack; The very door-posts bicker till they've pulled in the door, The very ale-jars jostle till the ale is on the floor, But this shall help no further.

[_He throws Helmet into the sea_]

LAEGAIRE'S WIFE

It was not for your head, And so you would let none wear it, but fling it away instead.

CONALL'S WIFE

But you shall answer for it, for you've robbed my man by this.

CONALL

You have robbed us both, Cuchulain.

LAEGAIRE

The greatest wrong there is On the wide ridge of the world has been done to us two this day.

EMER

[_Drawing her dagger_]

Who is for Cuchulain?

CUCHULAIN

Silence!

EMER

Who is for Cuchulain, I say?

[_She sings the same words as before, flourishing her dagger about. While she is singing, CONALL'S WIFE and LAEGAIRE'S WIFE draw their daggers and run at her, but CUCHULAIN forces them back. LAEGAIRE and CONALL draw their swords to strike CUCHULAIN_]

LAEGAIRE'S WIFE

[_Crying out so as to be heard through EMER'S singing_]

Deafen her singing with horns!

CONALL'S WIFE

Cry aloud! blow horns! make a noise!

LAEGAIRE'S WIFE

Blow horns, clap hands, or shout, so that you smother her voice!

[_The Horse Boys and Scullions blow their horns or fight among themselves. There is a deafening noise and a confused fight. Suddenly three black hands come through the windows and put out the torches. It is now pitch dark, but for a faint light outside the house which merely shows that there are moving forms, but not who or what they are, and in the darkness one can hear low terrified voices_]

A VOICE

Coal-black, and headed like cats, they came up over the strand.

ANOTHER VOICE

And I saw one stretch to a torch and cover it with his hand.

ANOTHER VOICE

Another sooty fellow has plucked the moon from the air.

[_A light gradually comes into the house from the sea, on which the moon begins to show once more. There is no light within the house, and the great beams of the walls are dark and full of shadows, and the persons of the play dark too against the light. The RED MAN is seen standing in the midst of the house. The black cat-headed Men crouch and stand about the door. One carries the Helmet, one the great sword_]

RED MAN

I demand the debt that's owing. Let some man kneel down there That I may cut his head off, or all shall go to wrack.

CUCHULAIN

He played and paid with his head and it's right that we pay him back, And give him more than he gave, for he comes in here as a guest: So I will give him my head.

[_EMER begins to keen_]

Little wife, little wife, be at rest. Alive I have been far off in all lands under sun, And been no faithful man; but when my story is done My fame shall spring up and laugh, and set you high above all.

EMER

[_Putting her arms about him_]

It is you, not your fame, that I love.

CUCHULAIN

[_Tries to put her from him_]

You are young, you are wise, you can call Some kinder and comelier man that will sit at home in the house.

EMER

Live and be faithless still.

CUCHULAIN

[_Throwing her from him_]

Would you stay the great barnacle-goose When its eyes are turned to the sea and its beak to the salt of the air?

EMER

[_Lifting her dagger to stab herself_]

I, too, on the grey wing's path.

CUCHULAIN

[_Seizing dagger_]

Do you dare, do you dare, do you dare? Bear children and sweep the house.

[_Forcing his way through the Servants who gather round_]

Wail, but keep from the road.

[_He kneels before RED MAN. There is a pause_]

Quick to your work, old Radish, you will fade when the cocks have crowed.

[_A black cat-headed Man holds out the Helmet. The RED MAN takes it_]

RED MAN

I have not come for your hurt, I'm the Rector of this land, And with my spitting cat-heads, my frenzied moon-bred band, Age after age I sift it, and choose for its championship The man who hits my fancy.

[_He places the Helmet on CUCHULAIN'S head_]

And I choose the laughing lip That shall not turn from laughing whatever rise or fall, The heart that grows no bitterer although betrayed by all; The hand that loves to scatter; the life like a gambler's throw; And these things I make prosper, till a day come that I know, When heart and mind shall darken that the weak may end the strong, And the long remembering harpers have matter for their song.