Kells…

County Meath, Saturday, 30th July 2022…

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“Three’s are important,” she said.

*

And they are, so we can take it that ‘ol’ stubby’

from Killinaboy does not count

in our tally of round towers.

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The brick work whilst, perhaps,

not quite polygonal

is not all that far off?

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And Kells is another learned place

famous for its illuminated version of the Gospels.

*

The original tome is now safely ensconced in Dublin museum

and only a reproduction held here,

yet even that is still deemed precious enough

to be kept under glass!

***

***

A certain amount of reconstruction

seems to have taken place on the tower

and the ‘safe-door’ appears to be almost get-in-able!

*

One giant leap, and all that!

***

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It also starts to look

like we are being stalked!

***

***

… “How, we may wonder, is it possible for a nation to imprison and execute its citizens for the crime of translating a book from a foreign tongue into that nation’s native tongue?”

“It would very much depend on what the book is, I suppose…”

“Why should such a seemingly innocent, and apparently proactive, undertaking be deemed so threatening to the authorities?”

“Authorities are nothing if not paranoid…”

“Or is it because books hold serious ideas which are utilised to a greater extent by the ruling classes than by the common man, who in most ages is unlikely to even be able to read a foreign language?”

“Serious ideas?”

“Yes, ideas such as, hereditary sovereigns having accountability to God alone, and that there exists a divinely inspired obligation for the citizenry to pay their taxes.”

“I think I may be able to see what you’re getting at.”…

***

Lands of Exile Volume Two

BECK ‘N’ CALL

Stuart France and Sue Vincent

Ben, fast becoming a folk hero after the apparent theft of a standing stone, now languishes in Bakewell Gaol. Don and Wen, suspected of being his accomplices, are on holiday… or ‘on the run’ if Bark Jaw-Dark and PC 963 Kraas, hot in pursuit, are to be believed.

From England to Scotland, the officers of the Law have followed the trail of the erratic couple as they visited the ancient sites of Albion. This time, though, as Don and Wen take the slow boat to Ireland, Kraas and Jaw Dark are one step ahead.

But Ireland is a land of mystery and magic, where reality intertwines with vision and standing stones are still open doors…

How long can Don and Wen continue to evade the long arm of the Law?

Who are the men who wear the Templar emblem… and what are they doing in Derbyshire?

In the shadows, a labyrinth of secrecy shrouds a mysterious figure. What is Montgomery’s interest in a small standing stone?  Just how many high-level strings can he pull… and why?

And what is the dark, winged creature that is now on the loose?

Join Don and Wen as they continue their adventures in the sacred and magical landscape of Albion.

Available in Paperback and for Kindle via Amazon

(Illustrated in full colour)