"Tell me a story"
Many fish tales have been created in response to that request but if you're a druid of a certain age, you don't have to make stuff up...you've lived it.
Sitting around a campfire one night, Oberon & Granuaile ask Atticus for a bedtime story from his past (well...actually Oberon asked for snacks but a juicy tale will hold him 'til the marshmallows are done).
So Atticus tells them of how he rescued the Holy Grail when he was just a garden variety druid, not yet bound to cold iron. The year is 537 & he went by the name of Gawain. The grail is actually Dagda's Cauldron, a large vessel capable of supplying a constant source of food, kind of like a portable all-you-can-eat-forever buffet.
It was stolen by one of those creepy Picts & Ogma asks Gawain to retrieve it. If he does (after 2 other druids have failed...PERIL! PERIL!), Ogma will help him hide from his perma-nemesis Aenghus Og. Seems like a deal. He has to cope with scary dead guys, bad weather & a smartass horse who suffers from paranoia but can be bribed with...you guessed it...snacks.
If you're a fan, this short story will provide you with the laughs you've come to expect due to the author's penchant for putting his own hilarious spin on ancient mythology. But it's also evident how much research Hearne has done just as in his other books that illustrate a vast knowledge of Norse & Celtic lore.
Love this series.
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