“Ye hear that?” Og laughed. “He called me Uncle Og!”
“Speaking of gifts,” Greenleaf interjected, “I would like to take it upon myself to give Breandan his instruction… if there are no objections?”
Ariel nodded. “I guess we have no choice, Breandan. You may return to your Human family, and we will make provisions for your instruction as far as the Disciplines go. Greenleaf will stay on at your school to watch over you.”
Brendan stood. “Thank you. I know this is weird for you. It’s doubly weird for me, believe me. But I can’t help it. I’m doing the right thing.”
“I hope you are right,” Ariel sighed. “You’ve chosen a difficult road, Breandan. One world is hard enough. Two worlds may be more than anyone can handle.”
“I’ll be okay,” Brendan said. “Oh, and by the way, my name is Brendan. No extra ‘a’ from now on.” Somehow, it was important to Brendan to retain that little bit of his old self. “Brendan.”
“As you wish.” Ariel chuckled.
“I’d better be going,” Brendan said. “My mum and dad will be worried sick.”
“Call them on the way home,” Og said, tossing him a small flat block of wood. Brendan caught it easily. His old clumsiness was a thing of the past.
He walked out through the crowd. Well-wishers slapped his back and made sure he knew they were glad he’d come through the Quest unscathed. As he approached the door, someone grabbed him by the arm. He was spun around to find himself looking into the face of Finbar. The old man smiled.
“Finbar! I’d forgotten. Are you all right?”
“Sure, I’m fine. Never better.”
“Are you going to be reinstated?”
The old man shook his head. “Nay, not yet anyway. They’re discussin’ my case.” Finbar cracked a smile. “But since I gave you a hand, they’re lookin’ at me with a kinder eye. I have ye to thank fer that.” The old man offered his calloused hand and Brendan shook it gladly.
“Thank you,” Brendan said sincerely.
“Thank me? Fer what? If I hadn’t lifted yer token, ye would never have had all this trouble.”
“Well, you saved Delia and I owe you a lot. I’ll lobby for you.”
Finbar winked and let go of Brendan’s hand.
Brendan turned and walked the rest of the way to the door. He reached the door of the Swan and looked back at his newfound friends and family.
Og, Kim, Deirdre, and Greenleaf smiled and waved. Brendan couldn’t help but feel excited about the possibilities his new life presented. Finbar ducked his head meekly and waved. Brendan waved back. Though he was desperate to get back to his Human family, he suddenly was reluctant to leave.
Then he caught sight of Ariel. The ancient Faerie sat unnaturally still, watching him with those inscrutable eyes, an enigmatic expression on his pale face. Brendan sensed that Ariel was a dangerous person for all of his benign, grand fatherly demeanour. He looked at Brendan as if he could pry open his mind and examine the boy’s inner thoughts.
Brendan looked at that face and realized he couldn’t get out of the Swan soon enough.
“Good luck, mon,” Leonard said, laying a massive arm around Brendan’s shoulders. “You’ve chosen a difficult path but I tink you be up to de task.”
Brendan looked up into the smiling dark face and smiled back. “I think it’s going to be okay, Leonard.”
“You be careful,” a feminine voice growled. Saskia, the bartender with the yellow, wolfish eyes, sidled up and took Leonard’s arm. “If you need anything, you be sure and let us know. I would be happy to help you with your Warp training.”
“Cool! Thanks a lot. I was really wiped out after I warped.”
“Everyone is after their first time. It gets better with practice.”
With one last look around at the bizarre and beautiful menagerie of Faerie patrons, he stepped out the door of the Swan of Liir and into the cool, crisp November evening.
The sun was already setting. He was standing in the grass behind the Ward’s Island Community Centre. A man came around the side of the building rolling an empty beer keg through the wet grass.
“Whoa!” the man said. “You scared the crap outta me. I didn’t know anyone else was back here.”
“Sorry,” Brendan said. He looked back at the wall of the Community Centre. The door to the Swan was clearly visible. He decided to try a little test. He pointed at the door. “Can you see that?”
The man looked at the door and his shoulders fell. “I know. I really gotta paint that wall. It’s peeling something fierce. There’s just no dough, my son.”
Brendan set off in the direction of the public ferry terminal. He would have gone to the Faerie Terminal but he still didn’t have any noble metal. The thought of the bargain he’d struck with the Ferryman sent a shiver down his spine. He was sure that bird would come home to roost one day. He went to the ferry operator and wove a tale about how his wallet and phone had been stolen. He promised to repay the man if he let him take the ferry back to the city. Though dubious, the operator agreed.
Later, dozing on the ferry, he was woken by the buzz of wings. A light pressure on his shoulder heralded BLT’s arrival.
“Hey, Brendan,” BLT said softly. “Don’t let me wake you.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m with you now,” she said proudly. “I’ve decided that you’re gonna be where the action is and that’s where I wanna be.” The Lesser Faerie pulled a single skittle from inside her vest and held it up to him. “To adventure!”
“Adventure?” Brendan snorted. “You haven’t been to high school, have you? It’s more like prison.”
“Eeeew!” A little girl across the aisle from Brendan pointed at his shoulder and made a face. “Look at that huge fly!”
Brendan smiled and patted BLT on the head. “She’s my friend!”
The girl buried her face in her mother’s side. The mother glared at Brendan. He laughed and turned away, looking out the window. He gasped.
“Holy…” He couldn’t believe his eyes. Seeing the city with his new Faerie Sight was a shock.
The ferry was approaching the docks. The skyline was nothing like he remembered. No, that wasn’t exactly true. The familiar buildings were there: bank towers, condos, and office buildings. There were simply more, as if another skyline had been laid overtop the one he knew. Jagged pieces stuck out of the familiar bank buildings. Towers and lights and strangely shaped buildings rose where no buildings were supposed to be. Most notably, the CN Tower, normally a long pointed stick with a bulge near the top like an olive on a toothpick, now had two bulges, a smaller one above the one he had known all his life.
There was a whole other city he had never known existed until his eyes had been opened by his initiation.
“Thanks, Dad,” Brendan said softly and he wondered if Briach Morn, on the Other Side, might hear him.
“This is so crazy!” Brendan laughed out loud.
BLT’s laughter tinkled in his ear. “Oh, my dear Prince Brendan. You have a lot to learn!”
84 Slainte is a common Irish toast meaning, as most toasts do in any language, “to your health.” The exception is the Ulikwe Tribe of Central Africa who say Ututu, which, roughly translated, means “I will strangle you in your sleep.” Needless to say, few people drink with the Ulikwe Tribe if they can avoid it.
Epilogue
Brendan was terrified of what his parents’ reaction would be. He expected them to be absolutely furious. He’d been rehearsing excuses for his disappearance on the walk home. BLT had tried to be helpful but she really didn’t have any experience with angry parents. Her suggestions were hardly workable: erase their minds, set a fire to distract them, etc.
So he was quite shocked when his parents weren’t angry at all. They were so delighted to see him on the
