Gilly gulped. Iseult looks strained and shook her head slightly. Gilly spoke anyway.

‘She is never coming back, dear friend.’

Gilly paused.

‘I know how much she meant to you but Inteachán is lost forever.’

Iseult watched Mac, expecting him to crumple again like he did before. Gilly blushed, pained to have said such a thing to his closest friend. Mac smiled.

‘Means to me,’ he replied. ‘Means to us. To the world.’

Mac patted his friend on the knee.

‘I doubted her once,’ he said. ‘I declared my doubt to the world and she still returned.’

Mac turned to Iseult.

‘I have no more doubt to declare!’