“It’s Felix,” I said, coming closer and wondering why, all of a sudden, I was on the verge of weeping. “She wants to be in two places at once: with you, here, and on the boat with him. Let her say goodbye, Snake, and perhaps she’ll quieten down.”

Snake stepped onto the boat, holding the dog, and Felix took her in his arms. The howling stopped. Felix murmured something, resting his cheek against her head for a moment. She wriggled around to lick his face. Then Felix passed her back to Snake, who returned to the jetty. Fang began a forlorn whimpering. Snake held her firm.

“Sibeal, I think we’re ready,” Johnny said. “Will you say your prayer now?”

I glanced at Clodagh again. She stood perfectly composed, pale and still. I saw that there was still a bag in her hand.

“If we’re ready, yes,” I said, and turned to face the boat, the bay, the great ocean beyond. I lifted my arms. “May the gods of wind and waves look on this voyage with understanding. Manannán, let not your creatures harm us, nor storm and tempest wreck us. We go in peace, to make good what was done in error. We go to find men cruelly abandoned in a far place. May fair winds fill our sails, may we travel safe and swiftly, may we return all together with our mission achieved. May those we leave on shore be guarded and shielded from all harm. We ask your solemn blessing on Liadan and on all who sail in her.”

It was time. And here, as if summoned by my words, was Cathal, taking the bag casually from Clodagh’s hand, giving her a chaste kiss on the brow, walking with me across the jetty as if there had never been any doubt about his being part of this. He held my hand as I made the awkward jump required for a short-legged person to reach the boat, then boarded himself in one elegant stride. Gareth called a series of orders and the crew obeyed, one man moving to the steering oar, eight to the rowing oars, which were situated at either end of the boat. I went to stand beside Svala on the deck at the bow. We would have to go down in the hold soon enough, but it felt wrong to start a brave mission amidst the cargo.

The folk on the jetty grew smaller. The gap grew wider. Felix came to stand on my other side. The ghost of that other voyage lingered in his eyes. “It will be all right,” I said. “We can do this.”