Conachúr was preparing to go on a visit to Cairbre Niafar, King of Leinster, for he thought an alliance could be formed from which good might possibly come to Ulster. The neighbouring kingdom of Connacht had grown strong and stronger, and he knew that the people of that kingdom would be glad to think that Leinster and he remained at arm’s-length.
He would travel in state, and such a journey had to be organized carefully. Houses for rest and entertainment on the way must be arranged for. Heralds and messengers sent days in advance and dispositions made so that their reports might be received on his journey. Several thousand men would be in his company, and the shelter, feeding, and entertainment of these had to be thought of. So for a little time he was busy. But he was not too busy to remark anything that might chance to be remarkable.
Lavarcham sat with him in his retired room at the centre of the Royal Branch. From this room the great circular mass of his palace radiated in all directions to its ten-acre circumference, and in this deep-placed, well-secured centre the king sat, as a spider might sit in the middle of his gigantic web. The room he occupied was sufficiently large. The ceiling was an intricate medley and very encrustation of carved wood, and pushing out of that chaotic centre came a great shoulder and a grotesque head which held in its mouth a bronze chain with a crystal ball swinging from it, and that ball was so round and pure it seemed to be one great drop of clear water. Sometimes Cathfa came here, and would read matters in the crystal to the king. The walls of the room were panelled in polished red oak, and between each oaken panel was a panel of ruddy bronze, with a silver rail above it, and a golden bird was perched at the end of each rail; so that the light from the torches gleamed gently again from the walls and multiplied itself in faint winks and reflections about the room. There was one large chair there, and a small stool.
Lavarcham was seated on the stool. She was permitted to rest in her master’s presence, for she usually had much to say to him and he always found her interesting.
“Good my soul,” said the king. “I am glad that you are a woman.”
“I am not badly contented about that myself,” she smiled.
“For,” he continued, “if you had been a man I should have been afraid of you.”
“How so, master?”
“Because you could have taken my kingdom whenever you wanted it.”