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Description
As Inlé sat in class again, Mr. Selina came through the door behind him and stood beside his chair.

"Ah, Inlé," Mr. Selina greeted his student. "I see you came again today."

Inlé looked up at his teacher and replied, "Yes, sir."

"I'm glad to see I didn't scare you off yesterday," Mr. Selina said.

Inlé paused, then echoed, "Yesterday, sir?"

With a slight shrug, Mr. Selina answered, "The cryptohoplology and my catching you know gaelic."

"Oh, that," Inlé replied. "I do not care, sir."

"I'm glad, as I said. So was the book yesterday helpful, or was I right in saying you wanted something more ... specific?"

"You were right, sir. It helped very little."

"So," Mr. Selina began. "You did want something on the magical items, and not the stories themselves."

Inlé replied slowly, "Yes and no, sir." Seeing Mr. Selina's confusion, Inlé explained, "I want to know more about the treasures of the Tuatha dé Dannan, as well as refresh my memory on the various types of faerie, sir."

"Faerie, eh?" Mr. Selina said. "You do know a little, don't you?"

Inlé shrugged. "More than I would ever admit, sir."

Mr. Selina chuckled. "Well, then. I have something for you. Two somethings, in fact. See me after class, and I'll give them to you."

"As you say, sir."

Walking to the front as the class bell rang, Mr. Selina said over his shoulder, "Really, Inlé, you don't have to be so formal. Honor where due, and all. But don't overdo it, you know?"

"Yes, sir," Inlé answered, and class began.

After class, Inlé reported to Mr. Selina, who sat comfortable at his desk. "Inlé, I have these two books you may be interested in. Take a look."

He pulled two large, thick leather-bound books from a drawer and placed them on the desktop. One was red, the other blue, and their titles were scrawled across the covers in gold and silver, respectively.

Lovingly running his fingers over its cover, Mr. Selina identified the red book. "If you want the Four Hallows of Ireland, they're in here: 'Draoidheachd agus Inneal-cogaithean'. The Dannan themselves are talked about a little, along with all the other major players in here: 'Sìthichean'."

Inlé looked carefully at the books, then at their owner. "'Magic and Weapons' and 'Faerie'? Sir, where did you find things like these?"

Mr. Selina leaned back in his chair, hooking his hands together behind his head as he sucked an unlit cigarette. "Give me a little credit," he said. "As I said before, I'm very serious about these things. Sure, most people think it's trash, but I still believe. I can't stop myself, hard as I try."

Inlé stared impassively at Mr. Selina's relaxing figure. He paused, as his teacher tried to light the cigarette by sucking it into combustion.

"And if they were true, what then?" Inlé asked suddenly. "What would you do if you found it really was all the truth?"

A surprised look crossed Mr. Selina's face, and he dropped his feet off of his desk and leaned forward, resting his chin on the backs of his laced fingers. He wistfully smiled as he answered, "I'd believe."

Description
As Inlé sat in class again, Mr. Selina came through the door behind him and stood beside his chair.

"Ah, Inlé," Mr. Selina greeted his student. "I see you came again today."

Inlé looked up at his teacher and replied, "Yes, sir."

"I'm glad to see I didn't scare you off yesterday," Mr. Selina said.

Inlé paused, then echoed, "Yesterday, sir?"

With a slight shrug, Mr. Selina answered, "The cryptohoplology and my catching you know gaelic."

"Oh, that," Inlé replied. "I do not care, sir."

"I'm glad, as I said. So was the book yesterday helpful, or was I right in saying you wanted something more ... specific?"

"You were right, sir. It helped very little."

"So," Mr. Selina began. "You did want something on the magical items, and not the stories themselves."

Inlé replied slowly, "Yes and no, sir." Seeing Mr. Selina's confusion, Inlé explained, "I want to know more about the treasures of the Tuatha dé Dannan, as well as refresh my memory on the various types of faerie, sir."

"Faerie, eh?" Mr. Selina said. "You do know a little, don't you?"

Inlé shrugged. "More than I would ever admit, sir."

Mr. Selina chuckled. "Well, then. I have something for you. Two somethings, in fact. See me after class, and I'll give them to you."

"As you say, sir."

Walking to the front as the class bell rang, Mr. Selina said over his shoulder, "Really, Inlé, you don't have to be so formal. Honor where due, and all. But don't overdo it, you know?"

"Yes, sir," Inlé answered, and class began.

After class, Inlé reported to Mr. Selina, who sat comfortable at his desk. "Inlé, I have these two books you may be interested in. Take a look."

He pulled two large, thick leather-bound books from a drawer and placed them on the desktop. One was red, the other blue, and their titles were scrawled across the covers in gold and silver, respectively.

Lovingly running his fingers over its cover, Mr. Selina identified the red book. "If you want the Four Hallows of Ireland, they're in here: 'Draoidheachd agus Inneal-cogaithean'. The Dannan themselves are talked about a little, along with all the other major players in here: 'Sìthichean'."

Inlé looked carefully at the books, then at their owner. "'Magic and Weapons' and 'Faerie'? Sir, where did you find things like these?"

Mr. Selina leaned back in his chair, hooking his hands together behind his head as he sucked an unlit cigarette. "Give me a little credit," he said. "As I said before, I'm very serious about these things. Sure, most people think it's trash, but I still believe. I can't stop myself, hard as I try."

Inlé stared impassively at Mr. Selina's relaxing figure. He paused, as his teacher tried to light the cigarette by sucking it into combustion.

"And if they were true, what then?" Inlé asked suddenly. "What would you do if you found it really was all the truth?"

A surprised look crossed Mr. Selina's face, and he dropped his feet off of his desk and leaned forward, resting his chin on the backs of his laced fingers. He wistfully smiled as he answered, "I'd believe."