The Secret of Kells Page #2

You were always good

at the old drawing,

Cellach.

Yes.

Well, if you'll excuse me,

I have a lot to attend to.

No wall can stop

the Northmen, Abbot.

When they come,

all we can do is run

and hope that

we are fast enough.

Come on, Pangur.

Pangur!

I don't mean

the book any harm.

All I've ever seen

is inside the walls of Kells.

If I could just see

one page...

Please.

Oh. Mmm.

Well!

If it isn't

the little Brother

with the big questions.

I didn't mean to...

I understand.

You got bored eavesdropping

on the Abbot's

private conversation

and decided to rummage

through my things.

Oh, no,

that's not it!

Calm down, lad, calm down.

I won't tell on you.

Maybe I...

The Brothers said

that the sinners are blinded

if they glance at the book.

So maybe I shouldn't.

Is that what you really

believe will happen?

There's nothing

in this life but mist,

is there, lad?

It's your decision,

no one else's.

The cover is not

the real treasure.

Open it!

The work of angels.

"The work of the angels."

Hear that, Pangur?

I didn't know

they made angels

as funny looking as me.

Maybe the boy

has gone blind.

I thought the very same

when I first saw it.

But it is only the work

of mere mortals, I'm afraid,

like me or you.

The book is a beacon

in these dark days

of the Northmen.

Do you want to see

the most beautiful page?

The one that will turn

darkness into light?

It is to be

the Chi-Rho page.

But it hasn't

been made yet.

No, but it will become

the most glorious page

of the entire book.

Tell me, Brendan,

would you like

to help me?

Oh, yes, please!

I help the Brothers

find quills all the time.

Calm down, calm down,

little Brother.

Now, to start with, you can

help me gather some of these,

from an old oak tree.

What is it?

It's a humble

little berry,

but it makes

the deepest emerald green

ink you will ever see.

If you help me

get a dozen or so

from the forest,

I'll show you

how to make it.

So, come on!

What's keeping you?

I can't go.

I'm not allowed

outside the walls.

It's too dangerous.

It is dangerous.

On Iona,

I lost my brothers

to attackers

from the outside.

Now, I have only the book

to remember them by.

But if my brothers

were here now,

they would tell you

that you will learn

more in the woods

from trees and rocks

than in any other place.

You will see miracles.

And that is something

the Abbot knew

a long time ago.

I've never seen

anything like it, Pangur.

I really want to

help Brother Aidan.

I think I could get

those ink berries

all by myself.

I could go into the forest.

Wouldn't Brother Aidan

be surprised?

Oh. But the Abbot...

I'd be back before

he'd even miss me.

But what if I get lost

in the dark?

No!

I should never

go out there!

Oh.

If I keep thinking

of the book,

I won't be afraid

of the dark.

And I'm sure I won't

have to go that far.

Right, so, Pangur Ban,

tomorrow I'll go

into the forest!

Pangur!

Oh!

Of course, it might help

if I knew what

an oak tree looked like.

Maybe we'd better go home.

Was it this way?

Do you remember?

Don't panic, Pangur.

We just have to find

the way back before dark.

Pangur!

Oh, no, it's hard enough.

Is this your cat?

Well?

I've heard about

creatures like you.

You're a fairy!

What are you doing

in my forest?

You've come to spoil it,

haven't you?

You were probably

sent here by your family

to get food, weren't you?

Well, you can go right back

where you came from.

If you don't, I'll make

the wolves get you!

No!

Uh... I didn't mean to.

Look, I'm sorry,

all right?

I'm not here to get

food for my family.

I'm here to get

things to make ink.

I don't have a family,

and we have food in Kells.

So I wouldn't come here

for it anyway.

I was just a bit lost.

You have no family?

Uh, no.

No mother?

I'm alone, too.

Oh!

If this is your forest,

you must know

everything about it.

Of course.

No. Wait!

Hello?

Shh, not so loud!

Go away!

No, wait, please!

Do you know where

I can find these?

Yes.

But you can't eat those.

I don't want to eat them.

They're for ink.

What is ink?

It's for the book.

For making pictures.

Liquid color,

you put it on pages.

Well, like leaves,

it's hard to explain,

I suppose

you'd have to see it.

I don't know

what you're talking about,

and I don't want to know.

But, Brother Aidan...

I will help you find

the things you want,

on one condition.

You and your pet

must promise to never come

into my forest again.

Uh...

All right, then.

We promise.

Come on then,

I'll ask the forest

where they are.

Ask the... What?

Hey, wait!

My name's Brendan.

What's yours?

It's a miracle,

just like Aidan said.

Aidan is my friend.

I'm helping him make

the most incredible book

in the whole world.

He says it will turn

darkness into light.

Wait until you see it!

Wait until you see

the rest of my forest.

You're fast.

Yes, I'm the fastest.

So, where are

the berries then?

You have climbed

a tree before,

haven't you?

Uh...

Yes, of course.

It's easy.

Come on so!

Oh.

Hmm?

Saved your life,

second time today.

I thought you knew

how to climb trees.

I do. Smaller ones.

Yeah, like bushes.

Don't look down. Come on!

Shh!

Look!

One beetle

recognizes another.

Whoa!

Come on.

Open your eyes

and I'll tell

you my name.

Aisling.

And this is my forest.

Hmm? Oh.

I asked them

not to sting you.

Here's what

you're looking for.

But they're

not really berries.

Ugh! They look like

boar droppings.

They're kind of stinky, too.

If you're finished,

it's time to go back down.

Back down. Hmm.

A bit left.

No, wait!

Don't lean on that...

...branch.

I'm sorry it took

so long to come down.

Oh. Except for

the last part.

We'd better go now.

I know a secret way

to get you home.

Come on!

Uh...

Look!

Brendan?

Brendan?

What are you doing?

Come away!

This is a place

of suffering.

Suffering?

What do you mean?

Just come away!

It's too dangerous.

Surely it can't be more

dangerous than climbing

an oak tree.

It is the cave

of the Dark One.

Crom Cruach?

But Crom Cruach's

only a story for children.

The Abbot of Kells says

that you shouldn't be

afraid of imaginary things.

It's not imagined.

It's waiting

in the darkness.

Waiting for someone

to awaken it.

Aisling, you're only

scaring yourself.

The Abbot says that

that's all pagan nonsense.

There's no such thing

as Crom Cruach.

Crom Cruach.

Don't speak its name!

You're really frightened?

Aisling!

Are you hurt?

What was that?

I told you.

Crom!

Brendan?

Hmm?

You can visit the forest

again, if you like.

And Pangur can come, too.

Ooh!

But, uh, on Iona

we always arranged them...

This is not Iona.

The scriptorium will

be arranged according

to my instructions.

But it's not a good...

It will be as I say.

Brother Aidan!

I found them! I...

Well, Brendan.

It's about time

we saw you today.

Where have you been? Hmm?

I'm listening.

Where were you?

I... I went into the forest.

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