finally gave up the struggle and lay over the gold. “You can’t have it. It’s mine! I sto—”
His eyes widened and Finn realized what he’d been about to say.
“Ah. You stole it, did you? And who might you have stolen it from?”
“That’s it. I’m not sayin’ another word.”
He had the little guy. Finn doubted even a leprechaun lawyer could get him out of this. He crossed his arms. “I’ll make a bargain with you.”
The little leprechaun straightened up and looked interested.
“I’ll let you keep your gold if you help me find Shannon and her family,” Finn said. “Oh. And I’ll be needin’ your name.”
The little man’s lips thinned. At last he ground out between clenched teeth, “It’s Shamus.”
“Shamus what?”
“Just Shamus. It’s not like there’s so many of us that we need last names.”
Finn nodded. “All right. Now, tell me how to find Shannon Arish.”
Shamus let out a deep sigh. “Last I saw, they were on a fishin’ boat headin’ west.”
Finn narrowed his eyes. “And why would they suddenly decide to go fishin’ and never come back?”
The little man looked away and shrugged.
“I wonder if you might remember more if I ground your foot under me heel.”
Shamus didn’t react.
“Hmmm. Don’t value your foot much, do you? Mayhaps if I gouge out your eyes and toss them over the cliff so you can’t see your gold.”
The leprechaun winced. “You’d never…”
Finn tipped his chin up stubbornly. “Desperate men do things they’d never do otherwise. If you know somethin’ you’d better start talkin’ or prepare to say good-bye to your eyes.”
“No. Don’t do it. I’ll tell you.”
After a brief hesitation, Shamus confessed.
“We leprechauns set them on the boat and gave it a tiny push. I don’t know where they be now.”
Finn clenched his fists and tried to wrestle his temper under control. This leprechaun knew more than he was telling.
“Do you have some magic in you? Can’t you see them if you close your eyes or somethin’?”
Shamus scratched his whiskered cheek. “First let me go, and I’ll tell you what I see.”
Finn laughed. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He was careful not to use the words ‘I release you’ in any way. Not even with the word ‘if’ in front. “Sure’n you’d disappear down that tunnel and take your gold with you.”
Shamus looked as if he were trying to stomp his foot. Or maybe he was making one last desperate attempt to get free. “If I do as you wish, you must let me go.”
Finn mulled it over. He figured it was a good bargain—if it led to finding Shannon. “Go ahead.”
“How do I know you won’t take me pot of gold and leave me here as soon as I tell you what I see?”
“First, I don’t want your stinkin’ gold. Second, I couldn’t get it out of here without some help, and that would involve leavin’ and comin’ back. You’d be long gone by then. And third, I’m a man of my word, and I give you me word.”
Shamus stroked his beard and stared off into the distance. At last, he said, “All right. I’m trustin’ you, though you should know that if you try to take me gold, I’ll come after you. And leprechauns can be mighty creative when it comes to playin’ tricks on humans.”
Finn didn’t bother pointing out that if he’d lied and didn’t release the leprechaun, there was little Shamus could do to “come after him.” He wanted the little man to trust him completely, so he nodded.
The leprechaun took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. He remained silent for so long that Finn worried he might have fallen asleep.
At last he opened his eyes. “I saw the young Arish women walkin’ up to a brick building. A brownstone, I think they call it, though it wasn’t brown. Trees lined the street, and many cars were drivin’ down the road. I’d say she’s in a city with her sister.”
Finn wondered why their brother wasn’t with them, but he’d have to find out
His eyes widened and Finn realized what he’d been about to say.
“Ah. You stole it, did you? And who might you have stolen it from?”
“That’s it. I’m not sayin’ another word.”
He had the little guy. Finn doubted even a leprechaun lawyer could get him out of this. He crossed his arms. “I’ll make a bargain with you.”
The little leprechaun straightened up and looked interested.
“I’ll let you keep your gold if you help me find Shannon and her family,” Finn said. “Oh. And I’ll be needin’ your name.”
The little man’s lips thinned. At last he ground out between clenched teeth, “It’s Shamus.”
“Shamus what?”
“Just Shamus. It’s not like there’s so many of us that we need last names.”
Finn nodded. “All right. Now, tell me how to find Shannon Arish.”
Shamus let out a deep sigh. “Last I saw, they were on a fishin’ boat headin’ west.”
Finn narrowed his eyes. “And why would they suddenly decide to go fishin’ and never come back?”
The little man looked away and shrugged.
“I wonder if you might remember more if I ground your foot under me heel.”
Shamus didn’t react.
“Hmmm. Don’t value your foot much, do you? Mayhaps if I gouge out your eyes and toss them over the cliff so you can’t see your gold.”
The leprechaun winced. “You’d never…”
Finn tipped his chin up stubbornly. “Desperate men do things they’d never do otherwise. If you know somethin’ you’d better start talkin’ or prepare to say good-bye to your eyes.”
“No. Don’t do it. I’ll tell you.”
After a brief hesitation, Shamus confessed.
“We leprechauns set them on the boat and gave it a tiny push. I don’t know where they be now.”
Finn clenched his fists and tried to wrestle his temper under control. This leprechaun knew more than he was telling.
“Do you have some magic in you? Can’t you see them if you close your eyes or somethin’?”
Shamus scratched his whiskered cheek. “First let me go, and I’ll tell you what I see.”
Finn laughed. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He was careful not to use the words ‘I release you’ in any way. Not even with the word ‘if’ in front. “Sure’n you’d disappear down that tunnel and take your gold with you.”
Shamus looked as if he were trying to stomp his foot. Or maybe he was making one last desperate attempt to get free. “If I do as you wish, you must let me go.”
Finn mulled it over. He figured it was a good bargain—if it led to finding Shannon. “Go ahead.”
“How do I know you won’t take me pot of gold and leave me here as soon as I tell you what I see?”
“First, I don’t want your stinkin’ gold. Second, I couldn’t get it out of here without some help, and that would involve leavin’ and comin’ back. You’d be long gone by then. And third, I’m a man of my word, and I give you me word.”
Shamus stroked his beard and stared off into the distance. At last, he said, “All right. I’m trustin’ you, though you should know that if you try to take me gold, I’ll come after you. And leprechauns can be mighty creative when it comes to playin’ tricks on humans.”
Finn didn’t bother pointing out that if he’d lied and didn’t release the leprechaun, there was little Shamus could do to “come after him.” He wanted the little man to trust him completely, so he nodded.
The leprechaun took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. He remained silent for so long that Finn worried he might have fallen asleep.
At last he opened his eyes. “I saw the young Arish women walkin’ up to a brick building. A brownstone, I think they call it, though it wasn’t brown. Trees lined the street, and many cars were drivin’ down the road. I’d say she’s in a city with her sister.”
Finn wondered why their brother wasn’t with them, but he’d have to find out
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