Elder Isles - Madouc Part 77

In the morning the three continued along Munkins Road, under great trees which filtered the morning sunlight. They travelled an hour, when suddenly Travante gave a startled cry. Madouc turned to find him staring into the forest.

"I saw it!" cried Travante. "I am sure of it! Look yonder; see for yourself!" He pointed, and Madouc looked to barely see a flash of movement under the trees. Travante cried out: "Hold! Do not go away! It is I, Travante!" He raced off into the forest, shouting: "Do not flee from me now! I see you plain! Will you not slow your pace; why are you so fleet of foot?"

Madouc and Sir Pom-Pom followed for a s.p.a.ce, then stopped to listen, hoping that Travante would return, but the cries grew fainter and ever fainter and at last could be heard no more.

The two returned slowly to the road, pausing often to look and listen, but the forest had become still. In the road, they waited an hour, walking slowly back and forth, but at last they reluctantly set off into the west.

At noon they arrived at the Great North-South Road. The two turned south, Sir Pom-Pom as usual in the lead.

Finally Sir Pom-Pom halted in exasperation and looked over his shoulder. "I have had enough forest! The open country lies ahead; why do you tarry and loiter?"

"It happens without my knowing," said Madouc. "The reason I suppose is this: each step brings me closer to Haidion and I have decided that I am a better vagabond than princess."

Sir Pom-Pom gave a scornful grunt. "As for me, I am bored with this constant trudging through the dust! The roads never end; they simply join into another road, so that a wanderer never comes to his journey's end."

"That is the nature of the vagabond."

"Bah! It is not for me! The scenery s.h.i.+fts with every ten steps; before one can start to enjoy the view it is gone!"

Madouc sighed. "I understand your impatience! it is reasonable! You want to present the Holy Grail to the church and win grand honours for yourself."

"The honours need not be so grand," said Sir Pom-Pom. "I would like the rank of baron or knight, a small estate with a manor house, stables, barn, sty, stock, poultry and hives, a patch of quiet woodland and a stream of good fis.h.i.+ng."

"So it may be," said Madouc. "As for me, if I did not want Spargoy the Chief Herald to identify Sir Pellinore, I might not go back to Haidion at all."

"That is folly," said Sir Pom-Pom.

"So it may be," said Madouc once again.

"In any event, since we have decided to return, let us not delay."

IV.

At Old Street Madouc and Sir Pom-Pom turned west until they arrived at the village Frogmarsh and the road south, sometimes known as 'the Lower Way', which led to Lyonesse Town.

During the afternoon clouds began to loom in the west; toward evening trails of rain brushed the landscape. In a convenient meadow, behind a copse of olive trees, Madouc raised the pavilion, and the two rested warm and secure while the rain drummed on the fabric. For much of the night lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, but in the morning the clouds had broken and the sun rose bright to s.h.i.+ne upon a world fresh and wet.

Madouc reduced the pavilion; the two continued down the road: into a region of pinnacles and gorges, between the twin crags Maegher and Yax-known as the Arqueers-then out under the open sky and down a long rolling slope, with the Lir visible in the distance.

From behind came the rumble of galloping hooves. The two moved to the side of the road, and the riders pa.s.sed by: three rakeh.e.l.ly young n.o.blemen, with three equerries riding at their backs. Madouc looked up at the same moment Prince Ca.s.sander glanced aside and into her face. For a fleeting instant their eyes met, and in that time Ca.s.sander's face sagged into a mask of ack Vance disbelief. With a flapping arm he waved his comrades to a halt, then wheeled his horse and trotted back, to learn whether or not his eyes had deceived him.

Ca.s.sander reined up his horse near Madouc and his expression changed to half-scornful half-pitying amus.e.m.e.nt. He looked Madouc up and down, darted a glinting blue glance at Sir Pom-Pom, then gave a chuckle of incredulous laughter. "Either I am hallucinating or this unkempt little ragam.u.f.fin lurking beside the ditch is the Princess Madouc! Sometimes known as Madouc of the Hundred Follies and the Fifty Crimes!"

Madouc said stiffly: "You may put aside that tone of voice, since I am neither fool nor criminal, nor yet do I lurk."

Ca.s.sander jumped down from his horse. The years had changed him, thought Madouc, and not for the better. His amiability had disappeared under a crust of vanity; his self-conscious airs made him seem pompous; with his highly colored face, tight bra.s.sy curls, petulant mouth and hard blue eyes, he seemed a callow replica of his father. In measured tones he answered Madouc: "Your condition lacks dignity; you bring ridicule upon us all."

Madouc gave a stony shrug. "If you do not like what you see, look elsewhere."

Ca.s.sander threw back his head and laughed. "Your appearance is not so bad, after all; in fact, travel seems to become you! But your deeds do a disservice to the royal house."

"Ha!" said Madouc in scorn. "Your own deeds are not above criticism. In fact, they are a scandal, as everyone knows."

Ca.s.sander laughed again, if uneasily. His comrades joined the amus.e.m.e.nt. "I am speaking of different deeds," said Ca.s.sander. "Shall I enumerate? Item: you created a furore of hysterical inquiries. Item: you instigated a thousand recriminations which were discharged w.i.l.l.y-nilly in all directions. Item: you have nourished a volume of angers, carks, resentments and sore emotions beyond all estimate. Item: you have focused upon yourself a full spate of bitter reproaches, not to mention threats, judgments and curses. Item: -- "

"Enough," said Madouc. "It seems that I am not popular at Haidion; you need not proceed. It is all beside the point, and you yourself speak from ignorance."

"Just so. The fox in the poultry-run cannot be blamed for the cackling of the pullets."

"Your jokes are too airy for my understanding."

"No matter," said Ca.s.sander. He jerked his thumb toward Sir Pom-Pom. "Is this not one of the stableboys?"

"What of that? King Casmir allowed me horses and an escort. Our horses were stolen, so now we go afoot."

"For a royal princess a stableboy is not suitable escort."

"I have no complaints. Sir Pom-Pom, or Pymfyd, as you know him, has conducted himself well and our quests have been for the most part successful."

Prince Ca.s.sander shook his head in wonder. "And what were these marvellous quests, that His Majesty should approve them so readily?"

"Sir Pom-Pom went in search of holy relics, in accordance with the king's proclamation. I went to establish my pedigree, by the king's own order."

"Odd, most odd!" said Ca.s.sander. "Perhaps the king was distracted and paid no heed; there is much on his mind. We will travel to Avallon in a day or so for a great colloquy, and His Majesty perhaps did not understand what was afoot. As to your pedigree, what have you learned, if anything?"

Madouc glanced haughtily at Ca.s.sander's grinning comrades. "It is not a matter to be aired before underlings."

The mirth of Ca.s.sander's friends froze on their faces.

"As you like," said Ca.s.sander. He looked back to the three equerries. "You, Parlitz, dismount and ride behind Ondel; the princess shall use your horse. You, my lad -- " he pointed to Sir Pom-Pom " -- you may ride behind Wullam on the bay. Come now, promptly does it! We must be home by noon!"

Along the way Ca.s.sander rode by Madouc's side and tried to make conversation. "How did you learn your pedigree?"

"I consulted my mother."

"How did you find her?"

"We went to Madling Meadow, which is deep in the Forest of Tantrevalles."

"Aha! Is that not dangerous?"

"Extremely, if one is careless."

"Hmf! And did you encounter such dangers?"

"We did, for a fact."

"And how did you evade them?"