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It was Jocasta’s blessing on our venture; her acceptance of Jaiveness for what enerosity, and I folded the small piece of iron carefully into

We blessed the hearth two days later, standing in the wall-less cabin Myers had removed his hat, from respect, and Ian had washed his face Rollo was present, too, as was the s, as required to attend as the personification of our "flocks," despite her objections; the pig saw no point in being removed from herin food

Ignoring piercing pig-screaht by its tip, so that it formed a cross, and said quietly,

"God, bless the world and all that is therein

God, bless my spouse and my children,

God, bless the eye that is inofearly,

What ti early,

Anddown late in bed"

He reached out and touched first --with the iron, before going on:

"God, protect the house, and the household,

God, consecrate the children of the ,

Be Thou after the them,

What time the flocks ascend hill and wold,

What time I lie down to sleep

What time the flocks ascend hill and wold,

What time I lie down in peace to sleep

"Let the fire of thy blessing burn forever upon us, O God"

He knelt then by the hearth and placed the iron into the s for it, covered it over, and ta hearthstone, and laid it carefully into place

I should have felt quite ridiculous, standing in a house with no walls, attended by a wolf and a pig, surrounded by wilderness and an I didn’t

Jamie stood in front of the new hearth, stretched out a hand to me, and drewdown at the slate before us, I suddenly thought of the abandoned homestead we had found on our journey north; the fallen timbers of the roof, and the cracked hearthstone, from which a hollybush had sprouted Had the unknown founders of that place thought to bless their hearth--and failed anyway? Jahtened on mine, in unconscious reassurance

On a flat rock outside the cabin, Duncan kindled a sun, the fire was coaxed into brightness, and a brand taken from it Duncan held this in his one hand, and walked sunwise around the cabin’s foundation, chanting in loud Gaelic Jauard of Fionn uard of Coruard of Conn and Cumhall be yours,

From wolf and from bird-flock

Fro as he ca to the "four airts," swept his brand in a blazing arc before his-on, growled deep in his throat, but was fir of Fiann be yours,

The shield of the king of the sun be yours,

The shield of the king of the stars be yours,

In jeopardy and distress

In jeopardy and distress"

There were a good many verses; Duncan circled the house three times It was only as he reached the final point, next to the freshly laid hearthstone, that I realized Jamie had laid out the cabin so that the hearth lay to the north; the led shadows to the west

"The sheltering of the king of kings be yours,

The sheltering of Jesus Christ be yours,