“Yes. The news is bad from Ireland. You know they have a young king there, Gilloman? A young firedrake, they tell me, and eager for war. Well, you may have heard it, the news is that Pascentius is contracted to Gilloman’s sister. You see what this could mean? Such an alliance as that might put the north and west of Britain both at risk together.”

“Is Pascentius in Ireland? We heard he was in Germany, gathering support.”

“That is so,” he said. “I can’t get accurate information about his numbers, but I’d say about twenty thousand men. Nor have I yet heard what he and Gilloman plan to do.” He lifted an eyebrow at me, amused. “Relax, boy, I haven’t called you here to ask for a prediction. You made yourself quite clear at Kaerconan; I’m content to wait, like you, on your god.”

I laughed. “I know. You want me for what you call ‘real work’.”

“Indeed. This is it. I am not content to wait here in Britain while Ireland and Germany gather their forces and then come together on both our coasts like a summer storm, and meet in Britain to overwhelm the north. Britain lies between them now, and she can divide them before ever they combine to attack.”

“And you’ll take Ireland first?”

“Gilloman,” he said, nodding. “He’s young and inexperienced—and he is also nearer. Uther will sail for Ireland before the month’s end.” There was a map in front of him. He half turned it so that I could see. “Here. This is Gilloman’s stronghold; you’ll have heard of it, I don’t doubt. It is a mountain fortress called Killare. I have not found a man who has seen it, but I am told it is strongly fortified, and can be defended against any assault. I am told, indeed, that it has never fallen. Now, we can’t afford to have Uther sit down in front of it for months, while Pascentius comes in at the back door. Killare must be taken quickly, and it cannot—they tell me—be taken by fire.”

“Yes?” I had already noticed that there were drawings of mine on the table among the maps and plans.

He said, as if at a tangent: “Tremorinus speaks very highly of you.”

“That’s good of him.” Then, at my own tangent: “I met Uther outside. He told me what you wanted.”

“Then will you go with him?”

“I’m at your service, of course. But, sir,” I indicated the drawings, “I have made no new designs. Everything I have designed has already been built here. And if there is so much hurry—”