"Then being outsmarted, or tricked, or outwitted, would make it angriest," she said. "No one who thinks himself clever likes being made to feel stupid."

Marcello frowned. "But I don't think anyone has outwitted it," she said. "At least, not anyone I know. Not me, or Niabheara, and I doubt Dierdre has, or...for God's sake, it got its own princess on the throne."

"That we know of," she pointed out. "The king's the only time anyone's gotten the better over it, and no one was opposing the king directly to infuriate the Puck. I would almost say treat it like the Acorn: let it stamp and scream for a while and go about your business as best you can while you disregard it. The only difference is that the Acorn usually only hurts herself when she's in a fit, and the Puck hurts other people."

Marcello nodded. "Yes," she said. "And what worries me is...I'm not saying this to blame Niabheara, or even her father...but neither of them tried to really hurt the Puck when it attacked her. Everyone needs to be on alert if we're going to do anything to stop it from terrorizing people, but no one...everyone is so frantic when it's around that we can't do anything in the moment. Or we don't know it's there."

Morgana started up the slope. "Do we know why no one's tried to hurt it yet?" she asked. "Really hurt it? There's no reason not to now. No King to offend."

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Marcello replied. "I think Neely certainly would have, especially since it was attacking his daughter, it's just...he didn't."

"Now I'm going to sound like Mother," said Morgana. "Could it be working for Niabheara's father?"

Marcello raised both eyebrows. "How?" she asked. "It...Even O'Niall wouldn't do that to his own daughter."

Morgana gave Marcello a bleak look. "That's the trouble. I don't know if he would or not."

Marcello looked uncomfortable. "Niabheara doesn't trust him," she said. "I...he's not a nice man, but I do trust him. She's his daughter, and he didn't want this for her. He's not happy that she didn't take the throne when it was practically handed to her, but...he doesn't want to be an earl. He's through with Cnoch-na-Niall, he wouldn't take it away from her. I think he only interferes when he thinks she's making a mistake."