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.Unlike Bercilak, though, Don Rodrigo didn'trecover it.His body collapsed, spewing blood all over the floor, and stayed still as only the dead can.Preparing for consequences, I caught up the sword he had dropped, but for amoment no one moved except Hermione."Darling," she said, swaying towardLucius, "are you all right?"He took his eyes off Ravan.The killing fury hadn't left them, but he managedto make his voice soft."Yes, my love.""Then I'm all right," she assured him; and passed out in the arms of Golias,who had just pushed his way forward."Huon couldn't have done it better," he congratulated Lucius."No, don't worryabout her.It's just reaction, and the bridesmaids can take care of her.Comeand get her!" he snapped at the bewildered girls."I've got other things to do.""Taliesin," the arch king said in his bored, easy voice, when Hermione hadbeen taken off Golias' hands, "have you and your friends accomplishedeverything you had planned with the possible exception of getting out alive?""Almost everything, your highness.""Then let me point out to you that although some of your activities wereremarkable, I find them in wretched taste at a wedding."As he spoke, I could feel swords in my gizzard.Golias didn't like it, either, buthe shrugged."If you're concerned about the loss of the groom, sire, we can fixyou up with a better one."To my surprise Jamshyd seemed to be giving his words consideration."A deadfavorite is not a favorite at all," he finally observed to no one in particular.Heglanced at me, then stared at Jones."I've been king long enough never to havea man killed without finding out who he is."Lucius stopped looking defiant and looked confused instead."I don't quiteknow, your highness.That seems a foolish admission, but they tell me that thename I have always carried is not rightly my own.""What name is that?""Lucius Gil Jones, your majesty.""What?" His majesty looked mildly interested."Next of kin to the oldbaron and to the late Lord Ravan, for that matter?""The old baron's grandson and heir, sire," Jones flushed as he bowed."Butmy legitimacy is in doubt." A bastard is as much a grandson as any other.""Not if somebody else's son is the father." Lucius' voice was so husky he wasall but whispering as he pointed that out."It's what my grandsire came toquestion at my Lord Ravan's instigation, I believe.I can't, of course, be sure,and my father is not alive to speak.""That's so." Jamshyd looked reflective."You know, I have always thought DonRodrigo brought about your father's mysterious disappearance after he came tocovet the person and property of your mother, whose widowhood, it isinteresting to note, was terminated by death shortly after her refusal to him."He paid no attention to Jones' exclamation."Put up your sword you, too, youwith the silverlock and kneel to your sovereign."While I was still fumbling to stick my blade in its sheath, for I wasn't going toargue while there was any chance of arbitrating, Jones stepped over Ravan'sbody, knelt, and bent his head.I looked at Golias to see whether he thought good would come of it, but I saw he was holding his breath, too.For anagonizing minute the king stared down at the man at his feet.Naked above thewaist, Lucius peeled well.He had a finely muscled back and a clear skin whosewhiteness was only broken by that heart-shaped birth mark on his shoulder.After an interval his majesty put a finger on it."Get up," he ordered."Some few years ago, when I was only a prince," hewent, on when Lucius had risen, "I knew the old baron's son.In fact I was avery good friend of his and he was my associate.I make this distinction foryou, because you'll never have the royal opportunity to make it for yourself."Jamshyd must have had magnificent features once.They still looked so atfirst glance, then with repulsion you realized that there was no more feelingbehind them than exists behind the smile of a jack o' lantern.Watching hiseyes as he spoke, I shivered, because I remembered where I had seen such alook of self-possessed deadness before.It was every time I had gazed in themirror during the months years, perhaps prior to boarding the Naglfar.Itshocked me to find something at once so familiar and disquieting in theCommonwealth.It also filled with vague premonitions of evil."You are young Jones," the king said, after his parenthetical observation."Asan intimate, if not a friend of your father, I know that a son, reckoning thenormal period of gestation, was conceived on your parents' honeymoon.You arethat son.I was present to cheer your father's anxiety when you were born andsaw you before you wore your first diaper.Both the shape and the location ofyour birth mark check with your name and I will inform your grandfather."Before Lucius could respond, the arch king turned his back on him."Get thatgirl on her feet," he commanded."I came here to attend a wedding, and I'm notused to being thwarted." WAY THREEDown and Out to an Ending XXIIILorel's Passenger ListI had a fine time at the wedding celebration except when I looked at the archking.Of course, Golias and I didn't overdo it.I don't recall that we drank a dropmore than was held by any given bottle.At that it was three days before weeased back to normalcy.In the meantime Jamshyd had left, making it possiblefor others to depart.Lucius and Hermione had taken advantage of theopportunity to escape on their honeymoon.If we had made any friends in the course of our whingding, they must havegone, too."Cold sober," I said, as we sat at breakfast the fourth day, "I don't likethis joint or the people in it.""There are more cheerful places than Castle Nigramous most of the time,"Golias admitted."Let's hit the road, then." Disregarding the fact that he made no rejoinder, Ilooked at him with cheerful expectancy."Where shall we go?"This time I noticed his hesitancy and the curious expression which went withit."I haven't quite decided," he said at length."About where I'm going, that is.You're going to try to reach Hippocrene.""Oh, yes, that business." The Delian's injunction had slipped my mind.Nowthat it was called to my attention again, I was only a little troubled; but I didn'tlike the way Golias was talking."What's the matter with going together?"He helped himself to some more ham and eggs."The Delian didn't includeme.""Forget the Delian." 1 was irritated by his evasiveness but still inclined to becheerful."Make up your mind where you're steering for, and I'll tag along."Golias hadn't been looking me squarely in the eye, but now he did."I wish itcould work out that way, Shandon, but it's not in the cards.""Go to hell, then!" I snapped."And the next time you don't want a man'scompany, tell him so instead of giving him double talk."I was still indignant when we left the castle and retraced our steps throughthe swamp.A factor which increased my bad humor was that Golias made noovertures.Moreover when he found Tyl waiting for him at the end of thecauseway, he held a long confab with the gambler one which I wasn't invitedto join before he walked on with me.Puzzled as well as angered, I, too, keptsilent until our arrival at a split in the road forced the issue."Well," I demanded, "which way now?"He pointed down the left-hand road."That's the only way you can go [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Unlike Bercilak, though, Don Rodrigo didn'trecover it.His body collapsed, spewing blood all over the floor, and stayed still as only the dead can.Preparing for consequences, I caught up the sword he had dropped, but for amoment no one moved except Hermione."Darling," she said, swaying towardLucius, "are you all right?"He took his eyes off Ravan.The killing fury hadn't left them, but he managedto make his voice soft."Yes, my love.""Then I'm all right," she assured him; and passed out in the arms of Golias,who had just pushed his way forward."Huon couldn't have done it better," he congratulated Lucius."No, don't worryabout her.It's just reaction, and the bridesmaids can take care of her.Comeand get her!" he snapped at the bewildered girls."I've got other things to do.""Taliesin," the arch king said in his bored, easy voice, when Hermione hadbeen taken off Golias' hands, "have you and your friends accomplishedeverything you had planned with the possible exception of getting out alive?""Almost everything, your highness.""Then let me point out to you that although some of your activities wereremarkable, I find them in wretched taste at a wedding."As he spoke, I could feel swords in my gizzard.Golias didn't like it, either, buthe shrugged."If you're concerned about the loss of the groom, sire, we can fixyou up with a better one."To my surprise Jamshyd seemed to be giving his words consideration."A deadfavorite is not a favorite at all," he finally observed to no one in particular.Heglanced at me, then stared at Jones."I've been king long enough never to havea man killed without finding out who he is."Lucius stopped looking defiant and looked confused instead."I don't quiteknow, your highness.That seems a foolish admission, but they tell me that thename I have always carried is not rightly my own.""What name is that?""Lucius Gil Jones, your majesty.""What?" His majesty looked mildly interested."Next of kin to the oldbaron and to the late Lord Ravan, for that matter?""The old baron's grandson and heir, sire," Jones flushed as he bowed."Butmy legitimacy is in doubt." A bastard is as much a grandson as any other.""Not if somebody else's son is the father." Lucius' voice was so husky he wasall but whispering as he pointed that out."It's what my grandsire came toquestion at my Lord Ravan's instigation, I believe.I can't, of course, be sure,and my father is not alive to speak.""That's so." Jamshyd looked reflective."You know, I have always thought DonRodrigo brought about your father's mysterious disappearance after he came tocovet the person and property of your mother, whose widowhood, it isinteresting to note, was terminated by death shortly after her refusal to him."He paid no attention to Jones' exclamation."Put up your sword you, too, youwith the silverlock and kneel to your sovereign."While I was still fumbling to stick my blade in its sheath, for I wasn't going toargue while there was any chance of arbitrating, Jones stepped over Ravan'sbody, knelt, and bent his head.I looked at Golias to see whether he thought good would come of it, but I saw he was holding his breath, too.For anagonizing minute the king stared down at the man at his feet.Naked above thewaist, Lucius peeled well.He had a finely muscled back and a clear skin whosewhiteness was only broken by that heart-shaped birth mark on his shoulder.After an interval his majesty put a finger on it."Get up," he ordered."Some few years ago, when I was only a prince," hewent, on when Lucius had risen, "I knew the old baron's son.In fact I was avery good friend of his and he was my associate.I make this distinction foryou, because you'll never have the royal opportunity to make it for yourself."Jamshyd must have had magnificent features once.They still looked so atfirst glance, then with repulsion you realized that there was no more feelingbehind them than exists behind the smile of a jack o' lantern.Watching hiseyes as he spoke, I shivered, because I remembered where I had seen such alook of self-possessed deadness before.It was every time I had gazed in themirror during the months years, perhaps prior to boarding the Naglfar.Itshocked me to find something at once so familiar and disquieting in theCommonwealth.It also filled with vague premonitions of evil."You are young Jones," the king said, after his parenthetical observation."Asan intimate, if not a friend of your father, I know that a son, reckoning thenormal period of gestation, was conceived on your parents' honeymoon.You arethat son.I was present to cheer your father's anxiety when you were born andsaw you before you wore your first diaper.Both the shape and the location ofyour birth mark check with your name and I will inform your grandfather."Before Lucius could respond, the arch king turned his back on him."Get thatgirl on her feet," he commanded."I came here to attend a wedding, and I'm notused to being thwarted." WAY THREEDown and Out to an Ending XXIIILorel's Passenger ListI had a fine time at the wedding celebration except when I looked at the archking.Of course, Golias and I didn't overdo it.I don't recall that we drank a dropmore than was held by any given bottle.At that it was three days before weeased back to normalcy.In the meantime Jamshyd had left, making it possiblefor others to depart.Lucius and Hermione had taken advantage of theopportunity to escape on their honeymoon.If we had made any friends in the course of our whingding, they must havegone, too."Cold sober," I said, as we sat at breakfast the fourth day, "I don't likethis joint or the people in it.""There are more cheerful places than Castle Nigramous most of the time,"Golias admitted."Let's hit the road, then." Disregarding the fact that he made no rejoinder, Ilooked at him with cheerful expectancy."Where shall we go?"This time I noticed his hesitancy and the curious expression which went withit."I haven't quite decided," he said at length."About where I'm going, that is.You're going to try to reach Hippocrene.""Oh, yes, that business." The Delian's injunction had slipped my mind.Nowthat it was called to my attention again, I was only a little troubled; but I didn'tlike the way Golias was talking."What's the matter with going together?"He helped himself to some more ham and eggs."The Delian didn't includeme.""Forget the Delian." 1 was irritated by his evasiveness but still inclined to becheerful."Make up your mind where you're steering for, and I'll tag along."Golias hadn't been looking me squarely in the eye, but now he did."I wish itcould work out that way, Shandon, but it's not in the cards.""Go to hell, then!" I snapped."And the next time you don't want a man'scompany, tell him so instead of giving him double talk."I was still indignant when we left the castle and retraced our steps throughthe swamp.A factor which increased my bad humor was that Golias made noovertures.Moreover when he found Tyl waiting for him at the end of thecauseway, he held a long confab with the gambler one which I wasn't invitedto join before he walked on with me.Puzzled as well as angered, I, too, keptsilent until our arrival at a split in the road forced the issue."Well," I demanded, "which way now?"He pointed down the left-hand road."That's the only way you can go [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]