Anubis puts on a record and works on a corpse. Ibis brings him some beer and Anubis tells him that they have more corpses coming. He informs Ibis that he has a story to tell, and Ibis goes to his study and looks at a map of Ireland. He then begins writing in his book of 1721. The phone rings and Anubis picks it up, and Ibis continues.
Prisoners are sold to captains going to America, and the prisoners are then sold to work in the field. After they're indenture, they make their best of the New World.
Essie Macgowan slips off to listen to tales of the faeries and the leprechauns. She goes to the shore and waits for her father's ship to come in. The Mistress of the House points out a nearby hill and says that it's a portal to Faerie, and Essie might catch a glimpse of them. She says that the leprechauns are mischievous but they leave them gifts to get their blessing.
When Essie grows up, she sets out milk for the faerie folk and passes on their stories to the children. She glances over at the accountant, Bartholomew, and afterward takes some bread and walks out into the night to place the bread for the Faerie, tying it with a string and putting a gold coin atop of it. a leprechaun--Sweeny--watches her.
Back at the house, Essie puts out milk and Bartholomew comes to her. They make love and afterward, Essie figures that Bartholomew will go off to Oxford and forget her. Bartholomew gives Essie a necklace that was a present from his grandfather to his grandmother, and promises to marry her when he returns.
Ibis: Intelligence has never been uncommon among women, and beauty is had by all of 17. But Essie possessed a rare token of ambition. Bartholomew's mother, the Mistress of the House, sees it and accuses Essie of stealing it. Bartholomew claims that he didn't, and the men take Essie to court. The judge sentences her to seven years of transportation on the Neptune, owned by Captain Clark. Despite her hunger, Essie always leaves a crumb for the leprechauns Eventually she seduces Clark and convinces him to take her to London where no man knows her.
When they return to London, Essie and Clark marry and Clark opens his home to his new bride. The Neptune prepares to sail eight months later, and Clark promises Essie that he will return as soon as he can. Once he leaves, Essie steals everything that she can and puts out milk for the leprechauns.
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Samil continues driving his cab and Laura sees Shadow's light ahead. They stop at the ranch of Derrick Arnold Jr. where a white buffalo believed sacred to the local Indians was born. Samil prays and invites Laura to join him. She turns him down and asks if he loves God. He says that he does love his God.. Meanwhile, Sweeney pisses in a nearby forest and a crow caws at him. Addressing the crow, Sweeney says that he's on his way to Wisconsin at House on the Rock per the arrangement, and tells the crow to tell Wednesday to fuck himself. As he turns back, he finds Laura there. She suggests that they let Samil go, but Sweeney refuses, saying he has business after her business. She tells Samil what Sweeney said that they will all be at House on the Rock, and that he's released from his bargain. Samil tells Sweeney that he's an unpleasant creature, gets in his cab, and drives off to find the Djinn.
Furious, Sweeney kicks across a picnic table. Meanwhile, Laura goes over to an ice cream truck and tells the vendor that she's going to steal his truck. She gives the vendor all of the money she has and tells him to tell his boss that the truck was stolen. Sweeney cheerfully punches the vendor to make the theft looking convincing, and he and Laura drive off.
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Essie becomes an accomplished shoplifter, living by her labors with the thanks of no man. She never forgets to leave gifts out for the leprechauns. A man sees her and they soon go home. They make love and slowly, Essie forgets to leave the gifts. Her luck runs out and she is caught, and taken to Newgate Prison to be hung. When she is given food, Sweeney in the next cell advises her to only eat the bread. He says that he doesn't belong there, and someone cut in front of him and he fought. The man lost his eye and Sweeney ended up in prison. Essie puts some of the bread on the window sill, and she says that she went to the Carolinas but didn't stay long. Sweeney says that he had quite a bit of gold but didn't keep it, and claims that he delivered it to the King. Essie tells Sweeney a tale about her time in America and how she met a woman who changed her name to become a new person. She says that she'd be content to be content, and tells Sweeney that in America he could deliver gold to their king.
When Essie wakes up the next morning, the bread is gone. She calls to Sweeney but gets no answer, and hears someone approaching. The warden brings her good food and says that he made it himself for her. He tells Essie that it will be twelve weeks until Essie's sentence is heard, that she is pretty, and that there was a way that she might escape the gallows. She is soon pregnant and her sentence of death is commuted to transportation for life. Around her, men die and their bodies thrown overboard.
When Essie arrives in Norfolk, tobacco farmer John Richardson needs a wet nurse since his wife has died, and busy Essie. She gives birth and raises both children, telling them her tales.
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As she drives, Laura turns up the air conditioning to preserve her body. He eats a popsicle and tells Laura that she'll be able to eat soon enough once she's resurrected. He tosses some coins out and when Laura asks him how much he has, Sweeney says that he was a king once and then they made him a bird. Then Mother Church turned them into saints and fairies. Laura wonders what Wednesday is presenting at the godfest, and Sweeney says that it's war. He went to war once, a long time ago, and he saw his death in the campfire on the eve of battle. Sweeney knew that he would die if he stayed, so he deserted. He tells Laura that he owes a battle, and Laura admits that he's done far worse than run Wednesday's errors.
A white rabbit runs ahead of the truck and Laura swerves to avoid it. The truck crashes and Laura flies out the windshield, ripping open her chest. Sweeney's coin falls out of her body and rolls down the road.
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Essie is telling the children her stories when John returns home. She sets the table and prepares to leave, and John strokes her face. Essie admits that she has feelings for him, feelings that John can't possibly return. He proposes to Essie on the spot to end her indenture. They're soon married and have a child. Essie continues to give the children salt and bread to keep them safe, and they always are. John eventually dies ten years later after Essie hears a banshee in the night. As Essie manages the plantation, she continues leaving out bread for the Faerie.
The farm flourishes, and Essie has grandchildren. She tells them her stories as well, terrifying one grandchildren. Essie soon realizes that there is no room for the spirits, but keep them in her heart to warm her. one night Sweeney comes to her and calls her by name.
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Sweeney wakes up and crawls out of the wreckage. He finds Laura's corpse and sees his coin nearby. Sweeney picks it up and starts to walk away... but then stops.
The night of the crash, Laura lies dying on the side of the road. Sweeney looks at her, and tells a watching Crow to tell Wednesday that it's done. The crow flies off
Furious, Sweeney curses in Irish and puts the coin onto Laura's chest. She comes back to life and immediately punches him. Laura puts on a jacket to cover her gaping chest wound and turns the truck back on its wheels, then tells Sweeney to come on. After a moment, he gets in and they drive off.
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Sweeney tells Essie that she might know him, and he says that he's there in the new world where no one puts out gifts for the Faerie except for her. Essie realizes who he is, and Sweeney assures her that he has no quarrel with her. It was Essie and a few like her that brought him into a world with no time like people like him. he says that they've done her good and ill, flips his coin into the air, catches it, and makes it disappear. Sweeney then asks if Essie will take her hand, and she does.
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Ibis writes that Essie's body was still warm when they found her. He finishes his writing and closes the book,
Written by Gadfly on Jun 11, 2017