Me, I’m wishing Gormán would take himself off so I can talk to the wild man without having to watch my words. But Gormán’s not going anywhere. If I’m here as Bardán’s minder, maybe the forester’s my minder, stopping me from asking the wrong questions. Happiest little building team in Erin, we’ll be.

I walk around the ruin again, with Bardán next to me and Gormán behind.

‘Stones first?’ I ask. ‘How high? How many courses?’

He shows me with his hands; hands that make it clear why he needs a helper for the building. Can’t tell how old the man is, could be my age, could be Gormán’s, could be anywhere in between. But those hands are crippled. They’re stiff and bent; they must hurt. Which means the man laying those stones is going to be me.

‘Stone on stone,’ Bardán says. ‘Stone on stone on stone.’ He shows me how high they’ll go – about up to his shoulder. ‘Posts set in. Oak. Ash. Beech.’

‘Wattle and mud up above?’ I ask, and he nods. Danu’s mercy. This is a poor sad wreck of a man. But he was a builder once. Wonder what happened, to twist up those strong hands? ‘How many couples for the roof?’

‘Nine,’ says Gormán from behind us. ‘Built steep.’

Nine couples! That’s a tall place all right. ‘Thatch, yes?’ A man would need a good long ladder. And a head for heights.

Bardán gives a grunt for yes.

‘Straw?’

Another grunt.

‘You got the materials ready for that too?’

‘We’ll have them by the time you need them,’ says Gormán. ‘I doubt you’ll be thatching before the end of summer.’

Cast my eye over the place again; try to see this heartwood house. I’m thinking Gormán’s right. It’ll take a long while to put together, even without the special touches. Not sure I want to be coming up here right through spring and summer and maybe into autumn.

‘What do you think?’ Gormán asks me. ‘Will you do it?’

I look at the wild man, wondering what his story is. Wondering why they need all the rules. Something wrong here, has to be. ‘Why not get a whole team in?’ I ask. Anyone with any sense would do that. ‘Doesn’t need to be craftsmen, just strong lads who can learn quick and follow orders. Six or seven men, you could be all done by midsummer. Maybe earlier.’