The Kings of Clonmel

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r, fll 1 hl it limbs, staggering and blundering in wild circles. Some

Now the priest turned back to the people of Mountshannon, who had watched open-mouthed with awe as he drove the intruders off. He smiled at them, holding both his arms wide as if to embrace them.

`People of Mountshannon, give praise to the god Alseiass who has saved us this day!' he boomed.

And the spell was broken as the villagers streamed forward to surround him, calling out his name and the name of his god. He stood among them, smiling and blessing them as they swarmed around him, seeking to kneel before him, to touch him, to shout his name and to thank him.

Halt and Horace stood back and exchanged a glance. Horace scratched his chin thoughtfully.

`Funny,' he said, 'those bandits were completely disabled. That strange chord hit them like a ton of bricks, didn't it?'

`It certainly seemed to,' Halt agreed.

`Yet I couldn't help noticing…' Horace went on. `They were staggering and suffering and terrified and completely disoriented by the whole thing. But not one of them dropped his sword.'