Challenge on the Hill of Fire

by Marianne Hering

  The bishop rose to his feet. “I will gladly come,” he said. “Thanks be to God! This is the reason I built the fire.”

  “What about the boy?” Lochru asked. “He admitted that he helped!”

  “What do I care about a boy?” the soldier asked.

  Just then a big druid with red hair stepped out of the crowd of white robes.

  Beth gasped. It was Shane.

  “I care!” Shane shouted. “The boy is an escaped slave! I paid a bagful of gold for him.”

  Lochru turned. He pounded his staff on the ground. “Bring him along! To the castle!” he cried.

  “Walk behind us!” shouted the soldier. He climbed back into his chariot. He gave a command. All the chariots turned. The horses galloped away. They pulled the chariots back toward the castle.

  The bishop and Patrick marched after the soldiers. The men in brown robes fell in line behind the bishop.

  Bong. Bong. Bong.

  A solemn drum sounded. One of the bishop’s followers pounded a steady beat as they walked.

  Beth thought the drum sounded like a death march.

  Princesses

  Beth wrung her hands in worry.

  “Don’t be afraid, Beth o’ the Shamrock,” Tristan said. “We’ll ask God to deliver our friends.”

  Tristan moved away from the rising sun and the fire. He walked into the dark woods. “Follow me,” he said.

  Beth obeyed. Tristan picked up his pace as they walked down the hill.

  They reached the valley. Then Tristan followed a path up the hill to Tara. They came up behind the castle. Its tall gray walls looked like ancient stones piled up to the sky.

  Tristan pushed hard on a small, heavy wooden door.

  The door opened up into a little garden. A high hedge surrounded it. Orange and red flowers waved at them in the morning sunshine.

  Beth noticed a small girl kneeling in the middle of the garden. The girl was placing food and pretty plates on a purple carpet. It looked as if she was preparing a picnic.

  The girl wore a pretty yellow dress. Her hair was bright red and curly.

  The girl turned toward Beth and Tristan. It was Caera.

  Caera looked surprised. “’Tis Beth o’ the Shamrock! And Tristan!” she said. “What are you doing here?”

  Tristan laughed. “I might ask you the same thing,” he said. “Only yesterday you wore the clothes of a farmer’s daughter. Now look at you!”

  Caera smiled again. She said, “Dubbach found my father a job here. He tends the king’s farms. The queen made me a lady-inwaiting. Today I’m preparing breakfast for the royal daughters.”

  Tristan turned to Beth. “Perhaps the Lord of heaven has planned it,” he said. “Stay here with Caera while I make sure we’re safe.”

  Tristan gave a half-bow to the girls. Then he hurried off with Finn following him.

  Caera asked, “What did he mean by ‘safe’? Are you in trouble?”

  Beth nodded. But before she could tell Caera what had happened, Beth heard quick footsteps. They were coming from the other side of the high garden hedge.

  Then she saw two pretty girls run through an opening in the hedge. They stood next to Caera. They looked a little older than Beth. They were dressed in long dresses. The dress fabric was woven from golden thread and covered with tiny jewels.

  “Caera, who is this?” asked the girl with blonde hair.

  “What is she doing here?” asked the girl with red hair.

  Caera curtsied to the girls. “Princess Ethne the Fair, meet Beth o’ the Shamrock,” Caera said. “And Princess Fedelm the Red, also meet my friend. Beth is a friend of the bishop too.”

  Both princesses clapped their hands. “Tell us about the bishop!” they cried. “We’ve heard about him and his new God.”

  Caera knelt down and cleared a space on the carpet. She helped the princesses sit down. Beth sat down also. Then Caera stood next to them.

  Beth didn’t know how to begin teaching about God. Then she remembered the shamrock in her vest. It gave her an idea.

  She showed them the shamrock. “There is one true God,” she said. She pointed to one of the three leaves. “There is God the Father,” she said.

  Beth pointed to a second green leaf. “There is God the Son,” she said. “His name is Jesus.” Beth pointed to the third green leaf and said, “There is God the Holy Spirit. The three are one God. Just as these three leaves are one shamrock.”

  “Where does this God live?” Fedelm the Red asked. “Is He in the heavens or somewhere on earth?”

  Beth thought a minute. Then she said, “God is the Creator of everything. He is high King over the heavens and the earth!” Caera pointed to the third leaf.

  “Tell us about this other one. The Holy Spirit,” she said carefully.

  “God sent the Holy Spirit to teach us how to love one another,” Beth said.

  Caera’s face shone with joy. “’Tis wondrous to think about,” she said. “A God of love who created every beautiful thing.”

  “That it is,” Ethne the Fair said. “This God sounds so different from the gods of the druids. Does this God demand that people be sacrificed?”

  Beth shook her head. She touched the second leaf. “Jesus sacrificed Himself for the whole world,” she said. “Nobody else needs to die.”

  Then Ethne the Fair asked, “Is this what the bishop teaches?”

  Beth nodded. “Yes. He wants to spread the love of Jesus to your people.”

  The girls looked wide-eyed.

  “I think a God of love is far better than the druid gods,” Ethne said.

  “If you believe what I told you about Jesus,” Beth said, “you can become a Christian.”

  Caera said, “I believe it.”

  Fedelm frowned. She said, “It’s dangerous to defy the druids.”

  Beth suddenly remembered Patrick and stood up. “I know,” she said. “The druids took my cousin to meet the king. He may be killed for lighting the paschal fire last night.”

  She began to panic. Tristan had told her to wait there to be safe. But she didn’t care about her own safety anymore. “Do you know where they are?” she asked.

  Poison

  The princesses explained the fastest way to the great hall. Beth first had to find the kitchen. Then she had to follow the servants to the great banquet room.

  “You must hurry!” Ethne said. “My father is a fair man. But Lochru is powerful.”

  “But what can a girl do?” Caera asked.

  “I don’t know,” Beth said. “God will tell me what to do.”

  Beth thanked the princesses and curtsied. Then she started running and cut through the hedge. She was worried that Patrick could be sacrificed. There must be something I can do to help! she thought.

  Inside the castle walls was a tiny village. Beth was glad that the princesses had given her directions. Even so, she had to look inside several buildings. At last she found the kitchen.

  Shiny pots and pans hung from hooks on the walls. Great tables overflowed with foods of every kind. Stacks of golden dishes and goblets were off to the side.

  A movement caught Beth’s eye. A man stood alone at a side table. He was pouring drinks from a jug into three golden chalices. Beth thought he was a servant. She almost stepped forward to ask him where the great hall was. Then she recognized the man.

  It was Lochru!

  What is he doing in the kitchen? she wondered. She crouched down out of view behind a table and watched.

  Lochru finished filling the chalices. Then he reached in a pocket in his white robe. He pulled out a small silver flask. He dripped a few drops from the flask into one of the chalices. Then he returned the flask to his pocket.

  He glanced around as he put the three chalices on a gold tray. Then he picked up the tray, turned, and walked out.

  Beth suspected that Lochru had put something bad in one of the chalices. But what? she wondered. Poison? A sleeping potion?

  She carefully moved out from behind the t
able. She began to follow Lochru. He would lead her to the banquet room.

  Lochru moved down the hallway with the tray.

  How can I warn them about the drink? Beth wondered.

  She stepped into the hallway and looked around. Tapestries hung along the long wall. She moved near them. She thought she could duck behind one if anyone came. Suddenly she heard a soft brushing noise above her. She looked up. A red squirrel sat on the rod holding one of the tapestries.

  “Finn!” she whispered.

  The squirrel stopped and looked down at her.

  Beth looked quickly at Lochru. He was at the far end of the hallway. He stopped for a moment to adjust the tray. Then he stepped through a high doorway to what looked like a flight of stone steps.

  Just then a heavy hand grabbed Beth’s shoulder from behind.

  Shane pushed Patrick into the magnificent banquet room. The great hall was crowded, and so Shane and Patrick had to stand in the back. Shane kept a grip on Patrick’s arm, so Patrick couldn’t slip away.

  But Patrick could still see everything.

  King Logaire sat at the head of the royal banquet table. The beautiful queen sat next to him. They both wore small crowns of gold on their heads. The king wore a rich cape over his tunic made of soft brown fur. The cape was clasped at his right shoulder with a golden brooch.

  The queen’s dress was a pale, shimmering blue. Over her shoulders she wore a long flowing cape. She wore gold bracelets on her wrists and ankles. Her golden-red hair reached almost to the floor.

  Soldiers stood guard behind them.

  The bishop was standing tall in the center of the room. His band of followers stood against the right side wall. Tristan stood among them. A crowd of druids in white robes sat in a balcony above the bishop.

  Men and women in colorful clothes were seated at tables around the room. Standing along the walls were other people wearing the clothes of common laborers.

  They were all waiting for something.

  Then Lochru came through a side door carrying a tray with drinks. He went to the king’s table and set the tray down. He spoke quietly to the king. The king listened and then responded. Patrick couldn’t hear what they were saying. Once or twice Lochru gestured toward the bishop.

  The king frowned.

  This isn’t good for the bishop, Patrick thought.

  Beth was staring into the face of a redcheeked servant woman.

  “Beggar,” the woman said with a spray of spit. “You’ll not get a bite of the king’s food. Go away!” She pushed Beth away from the banquet room.

  Beth tried to dodge her. “You don’t understand,” she said.

  The woman grabbed Beth by the skirt. Beth pulled away. Her pocket ripped open, and the acorns inside rolled to the ground.

  Suddenly a ball of red fur flew through the air. Finn had jumped from the tapestry rod to the floor. He pounced on the acorns.

  The squirrel startled the servant woman. She let go of Beth.

  “Get out of here you dirty rodent!” the woman shouted at Finn. The she chased Finn down the hallway away from the banquet room.

  Beth saw her chance. She rushed up the stairs and into the banquet room.

  She thought, The acorns have been used. Someone is in great danger—I must act quickly!

  The High King

  The first thing Beth saw was Lochru. He stood in the great banquet hall right in front of the king and queen. He was holding his staff. The three golden chalices were on the table next to him. A small loaf of bread sat on the table too.

  The bishop stood next to Lochru.

  Beth scanned the room for Patrick. She saw him near a back wall next to Shane.

  Beth began to move along the side of the room. Her wanted to reach the chalices.

  Lochru stepped forward. He pointed his staff at the bishop. “This traitor lit a fire on the day none may be lit,” he said. “The king knows that the penalty is death!”

  “It is an ancient druid law,” the bishop said calmly. He looked at Lochru. “It is a law meant to bring death, as all of their laws do.”

  “My king—” Lochru began to say.

  The king held up his hand for silence.

  Lochru bowed slightly and kept quiet.

  The king said to the bishop, “You lit the fire in defiance of the druids. You are willing to die for this God of yours. Why?”

  “Because He brings peace and truth to your people,” the bishop said. “His truth is not like the lies and death that the druids bring.”

  “Words,” Lochru said. “Mere words.”

  “I am trying to understand,” said the king. “Show me the power of your God.”

  “I will not attempt to impress you with tricks,” the bishop said. “You must believe by faith.”

  Then Lochru said to the bishop, “Do you have a custom of eating bread and drinking together?”

  “It is true,” said the bishop.

  Lochru ignored him and quickly turned to the king. “Your Highness,” he said. “Let us drink and eat with this Christian according to their custom. You will see whether it has power or not. Then Your Highness will know the truth.”

  Beth knew this was the moment Lochru had been waiting for.

  The king nodded in agreement. “So be it. I want to experience this custom for myself.”

  “Look,” Lochru said. “I have here on this table our bread and our drinks.”

  “Your Highness,” the bishop said, “it will not work as Lochru suggests.”

  The king shook his head. “Let us proceed,” he said. It’s now or never, Beth thought. I’ve got to act.

  Beth stepped forward to the center of the hall. She curtsied to Lochru. “I am your servant,” she said. “I will serve the drinks.”

  Lochru looked puzzled. But he handed Beth one of the chalices. “Serve this to King Logaire,” he said.

  Beth carried the chalice to the king. She handed it to him. Then she curtsied and returned to Lochru.

  The druid handed Beth a second chalice. “Serve this to the Christian,” he said.

  Beth carried the chalice to the bishop. She handed it to him. “It’s poisoned,” she whispered. She curtsied and made her way back to the wall.

  Lochru pounded his staff. He held up his chalice. “Let us drink together,” he said.

  “Wait!” the bishop said. “Our custom of eating bread and drinking together is not a simple one. It has deep meaning for us. It shows our love and unity of faith. So we share a chalice.”

  “Share?” Lochru asked.

  The bishop raised the chalice Beth had given him. “I pray over my chalice and then pass it on for others to drink. So you must drink from this chalice, Lochru,” he said. He held the chalice out.

  Lochru narrowed his eyes. “That seems foolish,” he said.

  “You said you wanted to honor our custom,” the bishop said.

  Lochru turned pale. He didn’t seem to know what to say.

  The bishop smiled at him. “Or if you will not take it, I may pass the chalice to the king,” he said.

  The bishop handed his chalice to King Logaire. Lochru looked frozen with fear.

  “That’s the way we share the cup,” the bishop said.

  “It seems rather simple,” the king said and raised his chalice to his lips. “I will be interested to see what it does to me.”

  Beth watched the bishop. Surely he will stop this, she thought. But he didn’t move. Patricius’s eyes were closed as if he was praying. He looked calm and at peace.

  Beth closed her eyes and prayed too. Please, God, stop the druids from hurting anyone.

  When she opened her eyes, the chalice was very near the king’s lips.

  Then Lochru shouted, “Stop!”

  The king lowered his chalice.

  “What is it, Lochru?” asked King Logaire.

  “You must not drink that,” Lochru said.

  “Why not?” the king asked.

  “Because . . . because . . .” Lochru seemed lost for word
s.

  The bishop stepped forward and said, “You must not drink it because Lochru has poisoned it.”

  King Logaire dropped his chalice on the floor. “Poisoned!”

  Lochru looked shaken. He pointed to the bishop and said, “He knows because he poisoned it!”

  The king stood up. Anger flashed in his eyes. “How? When?” he shouted at Lochru. “You brought in the chalices!”

  Lochru bowed slightly, his head hung down. “Your Highness,” he said. “I didn’t mean any harm. I meant for him to drink it. To give him the death he deserved.”

  “Out!” shouted King Logaire. “You and all your druids are to leave immediately!”

  “But Your Highness!” Lochru cried.

  “Out, I command you!” King Logaire said. “If your laws are just, then you wouldn’t have resorted to poison to get justice!”

  Lochru took a few steps away. “My king—”

  “How often have you done such things to my people?” the king asked.

  Lochru shook his head. “What I have done, I have done for you,” he said.

  The king’s eyes narrowed. “Not for me,” he said. “You have done it for your own power. Why have I not seen it until now? You have made us slaves to your darkness and fear for too long.”

  Lochru raised his hands, pleading.

  “From this day forth, you and your druids are banished from our land,” the king shouted for all to hear. “This is my command! Guards!”

  Soldiers rushed forward, their swords ready. They took Lochru by the arms and led him out of the banquet hall. The other druids in the balcony left too.

  Shane clamped his hand down on Patrick’s shoulder. The druid began to drag Patrick with him.

  “Wait, Your Highness,” the bishop called out. “There is one among us who is also a victim of the druids. This one is now threatened with slavery.”

  “Who?” the king asked. “Show him to me.”

  The bishop pointed to Patrick and Shane. “A mere swinekeeper who was stolen by that enslaver,” the bishop said.