With his hand upon Colman's shoulders, Gardiner looked down at his pupil and uttered: "My family was neither rich nor noble, quite unremarkable, but I loved my family just the same. When I was tormented by the other children, they would comfort me. When I came of a certain age and found girls would mock me when I tried to woo them, again my family would comfort me. I too wish I could speak with my parents again, Colman. It has been so long. I was your age, maybe a bit older, when I lost them to the Conquest. I had a brother as well, one who joined a caravan of Walking People not long after the deaths of our parents. I never saw him again and I blame those human insects for taking the only family I had left away from me."
"That was over fifty years ago." Said Colman, looking into his mentor's blue eyes. "And surely he must have been safer among the Walking People than he would have been anywhere else in Ireland!"
"How can you be sure of that?" asked Gardiner, removing his hand from Colman's shoulder and returning to his seat. "The Walking People are the Devil's servants, here to lead promising people away. My brother was such a person and so are you, Colman. Your interest in this Ruby is troubling, but were it not for your interest in her this puzzle, this riddle of a group of druids living into the time of either the Plantagenets or the Tudors, would never have come to my attention."
"We live in Ireland, Master Gardiner." Stated Colman. "Any old druidic symbols could have found their way onto any common items. It does not mean there are still druids living in Ireland or that they last as long as Henry VII's reign."
"How can you be certain?"
"I can't, but it is certainly more logical than presuming anything so outrageous!"
Sighing, Gardiner said: "That will conclude our lesson for the day, Colman. You may leave, but I am telling you now: stay away from that Walking Girl or you will never join the pantheon of great playwrights and poets."
Colman doubted what Gardiner said. He did not believe him knowing Ruby would hurt his chances to become a great poet or playwright. Why would it? Such an argument made no sense. The Walking People made ornaments, jewellery and horse harness, how did that qualify as leading away promising people?
Standing up, Colman departed from Gardiner's study and walked out into the cathedral. Taking a breath, he looked up at the ceiling and wondered if there were any hidden triskelion upon this very building. How could, he be sure?
"Something on your mind, Colman?"
Turning to see Hugh, Colman answered: "Yes, I was just wondering something."
"And what, would that be?" asked Hugh, staring at the lips of the Young Poet.
"Have you seen any symbols like that upon Ruby's locket here at the cathedral?"
Stroking his chin, Hugh turned away as he tried to remember. Twenty-five years he had lived at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, had he seen any such symbols with that good eye of his?
"I am not certain." Hugh answered. "There are many symbols in Ireland, but here at Saint Patrick's Cathedral? I can't say I have ever seen anything like it."
Colman could do not but sigh as the Hunchback once more looked upon his lips. Being deaf, he had to read the lips of the one he was speaking to. If he did not, he could have missed something that was said to him.
"What do you know about druids, Hugh?" Colman inquired.
"Druids?" asked Hugh, puzzled by the question.
"As Master Gardiner's adoptive son, he must have told you about them."
"Aye, he has, but wherefore this question?"
"Master Gardiner seems to believe that a group of them could have survived into the reign of Henry VII's." stated Colman, before adding: "All because the symbol on Ruby's locket is druidic in origin."
Stroking his chin, Hugh commented: "Life is strange, Colman. Look at me. On a technicality I have two eyes, but my disfigurement has left one without sight. I am for all intents and purposes a cyclops despite my having two eyes. Who is to say that druids have not survived that long?"
Colman was not sure the analogy worked. How did Hugh being a cyclops for all intents and purposes despite having two eyes tie to the possibility of the druids having survived early into the reign of the Tudors? Perhaps he should have asked someone else. Could he ask King James? He was Scottish, but had there been druids in Scotland? The Gaels had brought over many things from Ireland, but was druidism one of them? Had the Picts druids? Had the Britons and the Gauls? Truly, that was something he would have to ask his mentor about.
"Er… Thank you so much for that piece of wisdom." Uttered Colman with uncertainty.
"You are quite welcome." Said Hugh with a smile. "Yes, quite welcome." He did not see nor hear Colman's uncertainty. As far as he was concerned, he had given Colman helpful information, even if that was debatable.
"I shall be going to see, Ruby." Colman said. "If Master Gardiner needs me, you will know where to find me, unless she is dancing for the masses."