language and the way they stood a little too close, that made her feel an outsider. She considered leaving them alone, but the tenacious part of her nature drove her forward.
Niamh smiled politely when she saw Ruth, but she didn't appear too happy with the intrusion. 'I will leave the two of you alone,' she said a little stiffly. 'I am sure you have much planning to do if you are to achieve your aims.'
Once she was out of earshot, Ruth said, 'You seem like you're getting on.'
Church's eyes narrowed; he knew her too well. 'What does that mean?'
'Nothing. Just what I said.'
'There's nothing going on.' He turned his eyes back to the cream-topped surf. The sun was slipping towards the horizon, painting the waves golden and orange. 'When it comes to romance I've been an idiot in the past. I was just trying to fill the gap left when Marianne died, and it was a big, big gap. But I couldn't see what I was doing. I can now. I'm not going to make any stupid mistakes again.'
'Still, it's obvious she wants to get in your trousers.'
'I don't think it's a physical thing. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but the Tuatha De Danann value emotions more than anything. Don't worry, I'm going to be careful, not lead her on. Especially after the last time.' He flinched. 'It's hard, though. The way they unconsciously manipulate emotions. It's overpowering.'
'I can't understand why she's so full-on.'
'What, you don't think I'm worth it?' He laughed as he leant on the rail to peer down the side of the boat.
'On second thoughts, go for it. You should take what you can get.'
'Steady on, acid tongue.'
She slipped an arm around his shoulders; it was something a friend would do, but, as earlier, the warmth was unmistakably stronger and they both drew comfort from it.
'I know lots of terrible things have happened, but when I think about everything that's been lost so far it's all the normal things I feel acutely about,' he continued. 'Never being able to go to a movie. No more Big Sleep or Some Like It Hot. No more electric guitars at some seedy gig. Sometimes I'm so shallow.'
'What do you miss the most? The one thing above all else?'
He thought about this for a second, then gave an embarrassed laugh. 'Never being able to hear a Sinatra song again. Stupid, isn't it?'
'No.'
'It's not even about the music, it's what it means to me.' He tried to pick apart the tangled emotions. 'It means a love of life, abandon, not worryingjust enjoying.'
'Does it remind you of Marianne?'
'No, it reminds me of what life used to be like before responsibility.'
In the distance sea creatures resembling dolphins frolicked in the pluming water, their shiny skin reflecting the late afternoon light. There was a certain poetry to the image that wasn't lost on either of them.
'The quicker we get there, the quicker we can get back and do something positive,' Ruth said.
'Maybe we shouldn't be in such a hurry to arrive.'
'Why?'
'In all the old stories, the Western Isles are a metaphor. They're where the dead live.'
'Heaven?'
'Or Purgatory, in some cases. So we're leaving life behind us and moving into death.'
'Trust you to put a damper on things.'
He forced a smile. 'Let's hope we can make the return journey.'
Chapter Three
After Ruth had related to Church her encounter with the Malignos, the Portune and Baccharus, they retired to their rooms for a brief rest. When the red sun was bisected by the horizon, Cormorel disturbed them with a sharp rap on the door.
'The Master requests your presence at his table for dinner,' he said with his usual ironic smile.
They weren't about to argue; their stomachs were rumbling and the cooking aromas floating through the ship were mouthwatering. Spices, herbs and roast meat were prominent, but there were other, subtler scents they couldn't quite place. Cormorel led them across the deck to the raised section at the aft where Manannan's quarters obviously lay. A winding, wood-panelled staircase took them down to another corridor. Here torches roared furiously, as if fired by gas burners. At the end, Cormorel swung open two double doors to reveal a scene that took their breath away. Spread out before them was a banqueting hall so large it could have filled eight or nine ships the size of the Wave Sweeper they had seen from the seafront. They could barely think with the noise that echoed amongst the lofty rafters. Oak tables ranged in lines, around which sat a mesmerising array of strange creatures of all shapes and sizes, interspersed with the more sedate figures of the Tuatha lle Danann. There was babbled, incomprehensible conversation, shouts and screeches; in a few places brawls rolled amongst the aisles.
'Do not worry,' Cormorel said wearily, 'you will get used to it.'
The walls were an odd mix of stone and wood, hung with luxuriant drapes of the deepest scarlet. Log fires roared in enormous stone hearths at strategic points around the perimeter, yet the temperature remained pleasant; the flames cast dancing shadows over the army of diners, making them even more bizarre and terrifying. Some of them looked towards Ruth and Church with unpleasant stares that made the blood run cold.
'Is everyone here?' Ruth asked. 'The Malignos?'
Cormorel raised an eyebrow. 'Ah, you have met some of your fellow travellers, I see. No, not all dine here. Some have very, shall we say, individual tastes.'
'Where do you find the food?' Church said.
Cormorel smiled. 'Our kitchens are particularly well stocked.'
He led them amongst the diners where the smell of sweat and animal musk was almost overpowering. The tables were laid out with what appeared to be pewter plates, knives and goblets, each section with an intricate centrepiece of feathers, flowers and crystal. Nothing had yet been served. Something reached out and tugged at Ruth's arm, but she shook it off without daring to turn around.
At the far end of the room was the long table of the Master, piled high with the most magnificent gold and silver plates and dishes. Manannan sat in the centre on a large chair carved with intertwining dolphins, fish and rolling waves, his face still a mask, his eyes unfathomable. On either side sat members of the Tuatha lle Danann, obviously the more highborn members of the race; there were two whose forms were so alien they hurt Church's eyes and forced him to look away, but Niamh was there, at Manannan's right hand. Three spaces remained at the far end, next to where Baccharus sat patiently.
Manannan let his eyes wander over them when Cormorel presented them to him; they were unable to decipher his emotions. 'Welcome to my table,' he said in a voice like the cold depths. 'It is good to dine once again with a Brother of Dragons.'
Church gave a curt bow. 'We are honoured.'
'This sustenance is given freely and without obligation,' Manannan continued. 'Enjoy this repast, Fragile Creatures.'
Cormorel led them to the empty chairs. 'Good evening, Baccharus,' he said a little tartly as he took the seat next to his friend. 'I hope you have been passing your time well while I was engaged in the business of the Master.'
'Well, indeed. I have met many of our travelling companions and investigated some of the wonders hidden in Wave Sweeper.'
'You always were a sociable and inquisitive fellow,' Cormorel noted dismissively. Church and Ruth sensed some kind of tension between the two. Cormorel clapped his hands once. Instantly some of the bland-featured Tuatha lle Danann emerged from side rooms carrying platters of food and goblets of wine. Their perfect features, so
