“As for the skin of the pig, that is a treasure of Tuish, the King of Greece.  If it be laid upon a wounded man it will make him whole and well, if only it overtake the breath of life in him.  And do ye know what is the spear that I demanded?”

“We do not,” said they.

“It is the poisoned spear of Peisear, the King of Persia, and so fierce is the spirit of war in it that it must be kept in a pot of soporific herbs or it would fly out raging for death.  And do ye know what are the two horses and the chariot ye must get?”

“We do not know,” said they.

“The steeds and the chariot belong to Dobar, King of Sicily.  They are magic steeds and can go indifferently over land and sea, nor can they be killed by any weapon unless they be torn in pieces and their bones cannot be found.  And the seven pigs are the swine of Asal, King of the Golden Pillars, which may be slain and eaten every night and the next morning they are alive again.

“And the hound-whelp I asked of you is the whelp of the King of Iorroway, that can catch and slay any beast in the world; hard it is to get possession of that whelp.

“The cooking spit is one of the spits that the fairy women of the Island of Finchory have in their kitchen.

“And the hill on which ye must give three shouts is the hill where dwells Mochaen in the north of Lochlann.  Now Mochaen and his sons have it as a sacred ordinance that they permit not any man to raise a shout upon their hill.  With him it was that my father was trained to arms, and if I forgave ye his death, yet would Mochaen not forgive it.

“And now ye know the eric which ye have to pay for the slaying of Kian, son of Canta.”

Astonishment and despair overcame the Sons of Turenn when they learned the meaning of the eric of Lugh, and they went home to tell the tidings to their father.

“This is an evil tale,” said Turenn; “I doubt but death and doom shall come from your seeking of that eric, and it is but right they should.  Yet it may be that ye shall obtain the eric if Lugh or Mananan will help you to it.  Go now to Lugh, and ask him for the loan of the fairy steed of Mananan, which was given him to ride over the sea into Erinn.  He will refuse you, for he will say that the steed is but lent to him and he may not make a loan of a loan.  Then ask him for the loan of Ocean Sweeper, which is the magic boat of Mananan, and that he must give, for it is a sacred ordinance with Lugh not to refuse a second petition.”

So they went to Lugh, and it all fell out as Turenn had told them, and they went back to Turenn.

“Ye have done something towards the eric,” said Turenn, “but not much.  Yet Lugh would be well pleased that ye brought him whatever might serve him when the Fomorians come to the battle again, and well pleased would he be that ye might get your death in bringing it.  Go now, my sons, and blessing and victory be with you.”