Nine queens out of the Country-under-Wave Have woven it with the fleeces of the sea And they were long embroidering at it.—Boy, If I had fought my father, he’d have killed me. As certainly as if I had a son And fought with him, I should be deadly to him; For the old fiery fountains are far off And every day there is less heat o’ the blood. CONCHUBAR. [_In a loud voice._] No more of this. I will not have this friendship. Cuchulain is my man, and I forbid it. He shall not go unfought, for I myself— CUCHULAIN. I will not have it. CONCHUBAR. You lay commands on me? CUCHULAIN. [_Seizing CONCHUBAR._] You shall not stir, High King. I’ll hold you there. CONCHUBAR. Witchcraft has maddened you. THE KINGS [_shouting_]. Yes, witchcraft! witchcraft! FIRST OLD KING. Some witch has worked upon your mind, Cuchulain. The head of that young man seemed like a woman’s You’d had a fancy for. Then of a sudden You laid your hands on the High King himself! CUCHULAIN. And laid my hands on the High King himself? CONCHUBAR. Some witch is floating in the air above us. CUCHULAIN. Yes, witchcraft, witchcraft! Witches of the air! [_To YOUNG MAN._ Why did you? Who was it set you to this work? Out, out! I say, for now it’s sword on sword! YOUNG MAN. But ... but I did not. CUCHULAIN. Out, I say, out, out! [_YOUNG MAN goes out followed by CUCHULAIN. The KINGS follow them out with confused cries, and words one can hardly hear because of the noise. Some cry, ‘_Quicker, quicker!_’ ‘_Why are you so long at the door?_’ ‘_We’ll be too late!_’ ‘_Have they begun to fight?_’ and so on; and one, it may be, ‘_I saw him fight with Ferdia!_’ Their voices drown each other. The three women are left alone._ FIRST WOMAN. I have seen, I have seen! SECOND WOMAN. What do you cry aloud? FIRST WOMAN. The ever-living have shown me what’s to come. THIRD WOMAN. How? Where? FIRST WOMAN. In the ashes of the bowl. SECOND WOMAN. While you were holding it between your hands? THIRD WOMAN. Speak quickly! FIRST WOMAN. I have seen Cuchulain’s roof-tree Leap into fire, and the walls split and blacken. SECOND WOMAN. Cuchulain has gone out to die. THIRD WOMAN. O! O! SECOND WOMAN. Who could have thought that one so great as he Should meet his end at this unnoted sword! FIRST WOMAN. Life drifts between a fool and a blind man To the end, and nobody can know his end. SECOND WOMAN. Come, look upon the quenching of this greatness. [_The other two go to the door, but they stop for a moment upon the threshold and wail._ FIRST WOMAN. No crying out, for there’ll be need of cries And knocking at the breast when it’s all finished. [_The WOMEN go out. There is a sound of clashing swords from time to time during what follows._ [_Enter the FOOL dragging the BLIND MAN._ FOOL.