"
Brian said, "That hath the sound of human speech!"
"I am in truth a man," said the pig, "and I am Kian, son of Canta, and
I pray you show me mercy."
"That will we," said Iuchar and Iucharba, "and sorry are we for what
has happened."
"Nay," said Brian, "but I swear by the Wind and the Sun that if thou
hadst seven lives I would take them all."
"Grant me a favour then," said Kian.
"We shall grant it," said Brian.
"Let me," said Kian, "return into my own form that I may die in the
shape of a man."
"I had liefer kill a man than a pig," said Brian. Then Kian became a
man again and stood before them, the blood trickling from his breast.
"I have outwitted you now," cried he, "for if ye had killed a pig ye
would have paid a pig's eric,[16] but now ye shall pay the eric of a
man. Never was greater eric in the land of Erinn than that which ye
shall pay; and I swear that the very weapons with which ye slay me
shall tell the tale to the avenger of blood."
[16] Blood-fine.
"Then you shall be slain with no weapons at all," said Brian; and they
picked up the stones on the Plain of Murthemny and rained them upon
him till he was all one wound, and he died. So they buried him as
deep as the height of a man, and went their way to join the host of
Lugh.
When the host was assembled, Lugh led them into Connacht and smote the
Fomorians and drove them to their ships, but of this the tale tells
not here.
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