Aengus brings word of the Greeks back to the outskirts of Irish civilization. Gossip spreads like wildfire. Within two days, Aengus is summoned by Seamus to the capital. In a public meeting, Seamus demands to be filled in on who these "Greeks" really are.
"Right. Report," says Seamus in an authoritive voice.
"Em, well, uh..." began Aengus. "They're an upright lot, not to be sayin' uptight now, but they be more than friendly supposin' you don't mind that they're not Irish."
"'Ave they got mead?!" cries some drunk nobody has ever seen before from the crowd.
"None that I noticed, no," replies Aengus. Murmurs of disbelief shoot through the crowd. "The Greeks what I met were soldiers. Right serious about it, too. Drink would upset their idea of duty."
"Duty? What's this you say?" says Seamus.
"They all be fiercely loyal to Greece, like they have to work at it or else it'll just go away."
"Hmm..duty..loyalty..I need to force more of these things out of the Irish.." Seamus mutters to himself. "And what of this gift they gave you?"
"There was no gift, Seamus.."
"I demand, er, the SPIRITS demand their share of the gift! They taught you a craft they did, so all the rumors say...now tell the spirits what you've learned!"
"Honest Seamus, I learnt nothin'." The crowd disliked Seamus, so none of those who knew Aengus' secret felt like spilling the beans. After a bit of tirading, Seamus calmed down and forgot all about it...leaving Aengus free to quietly live in the capital and make a mint building Longships, with the secret of the powerful Greek hull.
The average Irish-person found it hilarious that Aengus and his Greek friends had outwitted Seamus, so the Irish put up with the business-like Greeks when they were slow to laugh, and even started to feel a general friendship towards them.
"Right. Report," says Seamus in an authoritive voice.
"Em, well, uh..." began Aengus. "They're an upright lot, not to be sayin' uptight now, but they be more than friendly supposin' you don't mind that they're not Irish."
"'Ave they got mead?!" cries some drunk nobody has ever seen before from the crowd.
"None that I noticed, no," replies Aengus. Murmurs of disbelief shoot through the crowd. "The Greeks what I met were soldiers. Right serious about it, too. Drink would upset their idea of duty."
"Duty? What's this you say?" says Seamus.
"They all be fiercely loyal to Greece, like they have to work at it or else it'll just go away."
"Hmm..duty..loyalty..I need to force more of these things out of the Irish.." Seamus mutters to himself. "And what of this gift they gave you?"
"There was no gift, Seamus.."
"I demand, er, the SPIRITS demand their share of the gift! They taught you a craft they did, so all the rumors say...now tell the spirits what you've learned!"
"Honest Seamus, I learnt nothin'." The crowd disliked Seamus, so none of those who knew Aengus' secret felt like spilling the beans. After a bit of tirading, Seamus calmed down and forgot all about it...leaving Aengus free to quietly live in the capital and make a mint building Longships, with the secret of the powerful Greek hull.
The average Irish-person found it hilarious that Aengus and his Greek friends had outwitted Seamus, so the Irish put up with the business-like Greeks when they were slow to laugh, and even started to feel a general friendship towards them.
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