This distressed the monks and terrified them. They were not used to hearing these awful beings called names, and they did not know what might be the consequence. There was a dead silence now; superstitious bodings were in every mind. The magician began to pull his wits together, and when he presently smiled an easy, nonchalant smile, it spread a mighty relief around; for it indicated that his mood was not destructive. He said:
“It hath struck me speechless, the frivolity of this person’s speech. Let all know, if perchance there be ———————————————————————— Page 220
any who know it not, that enchanters of my degree deign not to concern themselves with the doings of any but kings, princes, emperors, them that be born in the purple and them only. Had ye asked me what Arthur the great king is doing, it were another matter, and I had told ye; but the doings of a subject interest me not.”
“Oh, I misunderstood you. I thought you said ‘anybody,’ and so I supposed ‘anybody’ included — mdash; well, anybody; that is, everybody.”
“It doth — mdash; anybody that is of lofty birth; and the better if he be royal.”
“That, it meseemeth, might well be,” said the abbot, who saw his opportunity to smooth things and avert disaster, “for it were not likely that so wonderful a gift as this would be conferred for the revelation of the concerns of lesser beings than such as be born near to the summits of greatness. Our Arthur the king — mdash; ”
“Would you know of him?” broke in the enchanter.
“Most gladly, yea, and gratefully.”
Everybody was full of awe and interest again right away, the incorrigible idiots. They watched the incantations absorbingly, and looked at me with a “There, now, what can you say to that?” air, when the announcement came:
“The king is weary with the chase, and lieth in his palace these two hours sleeping a dreamless sleep.”
“God’s benison upon him!” said the abbot, and crossed himself; “may that sleep be to the refreshment of his body and his soul.”
“And so it might be, if he were sleeping,” I said, “but the king is not sleeping, the king rides.” ———————————————————————— Page 221
Here was trouble again — mdash; a conflict of authority. Nobody knew which of us to believe; I still had some reputation left. The magician’s scorn was stirred, and he said:
“Lo, I have seen many wonderful soothsayers and prophets and magicians in my life days, but none before that could sit idle and see to the heart of things with never an incantation to help.”
“You have lived in the woods, and lost much by it. I use incantations myself, as this good brotherhood are aware — mdash; but only on occasions of moment.”
When it comes to sarcasming, I reckon I know how to keep my end up. That jab made this fellow squirm. The abbot inquired after the queen and the court, and got this information:
“They be all on sleep, being overcome by fatigue, like as to the king.”
I said:
“That is merely another lie. Half of them are about their amusements, the queen and the other half are not sleeping, they ride. Now perhaps you can spread yourself a little, and tell us where the king and queen and all that are this moment riding with them are going?”
“They sleep now, as I said; but on the morrow they will ride, for they go a journey toward the sea.”
“And where will they be the day after to-morrow at vespers?”
“Far to the north of Camelot, and half their journey will be done.”
“That is another lie, by the space of a hundred and fifty miles. Their journey will not be merely ———————————————————————— Page 222
half done, it will be all done, and they will be here, in this valley.”
That was a noble shot! It set the abbot and the monks in a whirl of excitement, and it rocked the enchanter to his base. I followed the thing right up:
“If the king does not arrive, I will have myself ridden on a rail: if he does I will ride you on a rail instead.”