The Hound at the Gate (32 page)

Finn blinked. It took several attempts before he could get the words out “The
what
of the…
what
?”

“You must show you have mastered the four ancient elements of water, earth, fire, and air and can bend them to your will.” Gideon leaned forward and took the disk from Finn's numb fingers. “By presenting us with this symbol, the Lady is letting us know that your first test will somehow be linked to you controlling fire. It's a reference to the four Treasures the very first Tuatha De Danaan brought with them to Ireland—the Javelin, the Cauldron, the Sword, and the Stone.”

“
How
?” Dismay swelled his throat, making his voice hamster-squeaky. “I can't do stuff like that. Heck,
you
can't do stuff like that!”

“Finn—”

“That's like…like…
magic
! Wait!” Hope leapt in Finn's heart. “Can Iona control the elements? I mean, she
is
a witch. Is that how she's going to help us?”

“Most likely. Although her help will be more peripheral, as she will not want to anger the goddess any further by using her magic directly to aid us.”

Of course it is. Nothing ever comes easy for us
, Finn thought. “So, what are we going to do?” The desire to be doing something,
anything
, surged through him like a fever. It was as if a clock was suddenly ticking in his skull.
Nine days
!

“First, we will not panic.” The calm voice of his master helped bring Finn's terror down to a not-going-to-barf-on-his-shoes level. “We've some time to prepare. We also need to give thought about the goblins in the neighborhood and how to continue to guard the Steel family. In this, we will need the help of—”

Finn startled when the phone rang. At a nod from Gideon, he hurried to the kitchen and picked up the receiver. Before he could speak, a voice started babbling.

“They're in the backyard!” Savannah's voice was breathless, as if she had been running.

“Who is?”

“Goblins. Four, I think.” The muffled sound of Rufus Steel ordering Rafe to get the hell away from the window came through
the receiver. A distinct
chuck-chuk
of a shotgun being loaded followed. “Hurry, Finn!” The phone went dead.

“Savannah? Savannah!” He slammed the phone down. “Son of a goat! Gideon!” Even as he bolted across the living room to the front door, his master was already on his feet. “Amandán! Attacking the Steels!”

While these author notes mostly repeat the ones from books one and two, I've included a wee bit of information on the
Scáthach
.

Finnegan MacCullen
: My protagonist is based loosely on the Irish legend of Finn McCool or Fionn mac Cumhail. This story cycle, called
The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn mac Cumhail
, follows the adventures of Finn as he grows from boy to legendary warrior.

Lir
: The warrior-father from
The Children of Lir
story cycle. All I really took from that cycle was the name Lir. However, Gideon's name is a nod to the legendary Welsh figure
Gwydion
. That character was a warrior, but also a bit of a trickster. I took that trait and gave Gideon a sarcastic bent.

Mac Roth
: A friend and strong right arm to one of the early kings of Ireland. A fitting name for Gideon's old friend and avuncular figure to Finn.

Scáthach
: A formidable warrior and instructor of the young heroes. She trained many a famous figure from Celtic mythology, including the legendary warrior, Cúchulainne. “Cu-Chulainne,” by the way, means “The Hound of Culain.” He is often referred to as the Achilles of Celtic mythology.

Rath
: As Gideon mentioned in
Chapter Four
, the
rath
was a fortified ringfort. Ruins of
raths
can still be found scattered throughout Ireland. And, yes,
Rí
is another word for Ruler or King.

warp spasm
: This, too is a part of Celtic lore. This battle frenzy gave warriors extra strength and speed and helped them ignore injuries until after the conflict.

torc
: A neck ring made from strands of metal twisted together. Most are open-ended at the front and were worn as a sign of nobility and high social status. Many examples of these have been found in European Bronze Age graves and burial sites.

deadnettle
: A plant used as a curative tea amongst various peoples in northern Europe and the British isles.

Amandán
: Mythical Irish and Scottish figures which are said to reside in fairy mounds. They are feared because it is believed their touch (called the fairy stroke or
poc sidhe
) is said to cause paralysis or death.

The Song of the Tuatha De Danaan
: The words that open the novel and are recited in
Chapter Twelve
and throughout the book are a portion of the famous early Irish “Song of Amergin.” This translation is from the article “Echoes of Antiquity in the Early Irish ‘Song of Amergin'” by Lloyd D. Graham, 2010.

“Fire in the Head
,” a modern version of “The Song of Amergin,” lyrics by Arthur Hinds, performed by Emerald Rose (
www.emeraldrose.com
), is quoted in
Chapters Eleven
and
Thirteen
.

“
The Minstrel Boy
,” Gideon's favorite song, is also quoted in
Chapter Eleven
, and was written by Thomas Moore (1779-1852).

As Finn's and Gideon's adventures keep on a-coming, so do the number of people involved in their lives. My family and friends continue to be staunch supporters of my writing and never fail to ask what's in store next for my characters. Thank you all. Words cannot express my gratitude toward two special friends—Kaci Guthrie and Kelly Hager, who have stepped into my late mother's position as beta-readers. During a month when I was silently despairing how to fill Mom's role, these two Warriors of the Written Word asked me if they could read the drafts of my current works. Their timely offers helped me more than they will ever know. Ladies, you do know you have signed on for a lifetime of servitude, right?

I want to give a rousing shout of gratitude to book reviewers (and friends) Leisha O'Quinn, Starr Griggs, Beverly Archer (friend and fellow educator of young minds) Mckenzie (future author) and Michele at
A Belle's Tale
, Kathy Martin, and all the other reviewers who have supported this series.

Thanks, also, to fellow authors Beverly Stowe McClure (who never fails to be first in line to help promote my boys), and Jeannie Mobley and Lindsay Eland (two fellow Colorado authors and friends who took time out of their crazy-and-beyond schedules to read and blurb
Gideon's Spear
.) It is my privilege to have gotten to know these three amazing women.

To Trish Wooldridge and Vikki Ciaffone—it is the luck of the Irish that you two are both my editors and my friends.
Mo chara
, ye ken?

Thank you, Kate Kaynak, Rich Storrs, Kelly Hager, Jennifer Carson, Laura Ownbey, Lisa Amowitz (who has created yet another stunning cover), and the rest of the Spencer Hill Press and Spencer Hill Middle Grade team, for supporting this series and cheering my Irish lads every step of the way.

My husband, Wes, gets to be last in the acknowledgements because he is first in my heart. Really and truly.

Darby Karchut
is an award-winning author, former teacher, and compulsive dawn greeter. She's been known to run in blizzards and bike in lightning storms. When not dodging death by Colorado, Darby writes urban fantasy for tweens, teens, and adults.

The Hound at the Gate
is the third in
The Adventures of Finn MacCullen
series. The first two books in the series,
Finn Finnegan
and
Gideon's Spear
, were also published by Spencer Hill Press. Her other young teen books include
Griffin Rising, Griffin's Fire
, and
Griffin's Storm
. Darby is currently working on the next books in
The Adventures of Finn MacCullen
series.

Visit her at:
www.darbykarchut.com

A portion of the net profit of each copy of
The Hound at the Gate
goes to The Gava Kids (Topnaar Education Fund). The Gava Kids is a non-profit organization focused on educating and empowering Topnaar students from the southern African country of Namibia. They work with traditional Topnaar community leaders to identify children based on need; most are either orphans or are from extremely compromised family situations. For more information, visit them at
www.gavakids.com