‘You, man, take Mary away from here, if you want her,’ Raghnailt says, and her voice is clear. ‘That woman you want lies out under full moons, on lunar binges, never sated. You may have her if you are that way inclined. She is one too many in the house, setting us off against one another like she is flint and we are dried straw; and she is not my family. We are not able to keep such a girl. And you, Colca, my boy, no violence in the house.’

Alannah stands up and begins undoing Mary’s chains.

‘What are you doing?’ Colca shouts at his wife. ‘That is not your woman to give away.’ He pauses. ‘My God,’ he says. ‘It was you two undid her and let her loose on Emota? My own wife and mother.’

He clutches at his hair, falls silent.

‘Have some decency in company, son,’ Raghnailt says.

‘I loved her, Mother,’ Colca says.

‘You are talking about the horse, no?’ Alannah asks. ‘Because you do not love your mother or me.’

‘I am trying,’ Colca says. ‘You make it hard, though.’

William, still stupefied from the blows to the head he has taken, is already guiding Mary away. She throws her arms round his neck, whispers a story into his ears.

‘I cannot let you go with her, interfering man,’ Colca shouts after William.

‘Let them go,’ Raghnailt says. ‘I am sick of her, and I am tired. I want to spend time alone with my family. If I am to ever sleep well I need a cleaner soul to sleep with. This lad seems like a good sort.’

They are gone out the door. Colca looks after them; he seems defeated, weak.

‘The man will kill us, burn us out,’ he says softly. ‘He has ways about him that I do not understand. You are killing us with this. You have condemned us to death. I must get her back.’

‘This is my family,’ Raghnailt says, gazing out the open door. ‘And no one else is crossing the threshold.’

It is just Alannah, herself and her son in the room. It seems like something that has been broken, but its parts are still there. Everything is quiet.

‘Mother,’ Colca says. ‘He’ll kill us, I tell thee.’

‘But son,’ she says, ‘I do not care any more. I have my family now; that is enough.’

Another dark room …