The Squire's Quest (22 page)

"Cligés!" rapped Acoriondes furiously, urging his horse to greater speed. Cligés looked up, and in that moment of hesitation Acoriondes's mount hit him with a shoulder and sent him sprawling in the underbrush. Terence threw himself from his own horse and raced to the person on the ground. It was Bernard, and he was horribly wounded. There were deep cuts on both his forearms, as if he had been warding off attack, but the worst wound was in his left leg, just below the knee. Terence had been in enough battles to know there would be no saving that leg. The bone was broken, and the skin nearly cut through. Bernard was screaming in agony and trying to reach down to his bloody leg. Terence had no time for gentle methods; drawing his dagger he first reversed it and with a wellplaced blow with the hilt knocked Bernard senseless. Then he whipped his own belt from his waist and tied it roughly but tightly around Bernard's leg, slowing the bleeding. Gritting his teeth, Terence took up his dagger again and cut away the rest of the loose and dangling leg. Then he rose to his feet, his hands and legs dripping with Bernard's blood, and his eyes full of fury.

"Tell me why I should not kill you right now! he said softly to Cligés, who was just then scrambling dazedly to his feet. Perhaps something in the very quietness of Terence's tone sank into Cligés's conciousness as shouting would not have. He took an involuntary step backwards.

"You have but a knife! Cligés stammered. "I have a sword.

"It's more than Bernard had, Terence said. "Why? Why did you attack an unarmed squire? What had he done to you?

"He ... he climbed the wall, calling for his falcon. Andhesawmeand ... he saw me in the garden.

"He saw you and Fenice, Terence said. "And so he had to be silenced."

"He would have ruined everything!"

Terence took a step forward, and Acoriondes intervened. "Will Bernard live?" he demanded.

"Maybe, I don't know, Terence said. "Longer than this vermin, anyway. Terence was vaguely aware of tears running down his face, and Cligés seemed clouded in a mist of red. Terence didn't remember ever feeling such rage.

"Why did he have to go hunting here? Cligés moaned. "He could have taken his birds anywhere!

"And what will you do now? Acoriondes snapped at Cligés. "Will you kill us as well?

"I am sorry, Acoriondes, but yes, I must! Cligés said wildly.

"Try, then! Terence said softly. Acoriondes drew his own short sword.

Cligés stepped forward resolutely but hesitated as a wail came from the woods, and then Fenice appeared, also barely clothed. Even in his fury, Terence was able to register that the secret entrance to the tomb must be a tunnel that came out among the trees. Fenice ran in front of Cligés and screamed, "No! You must not kill him! I will without him die!

"You're already dead, Terence said.

"I love him! Fenice screamed. "I love him! From the moment I see him, I love him! I have never another and will never another love!

Time seemed to stop as Cligés and Fenice stared defiantly at Acoriondes and Terence. Terence saw no way out of the impasse and was acutely aware that Bernard's chance to live was bleeding away behind him. Something had to break the frozen moment.

And then something did. Bushes rustled at Terence's left, and the portly figure of Alis, regent of Constantinople, emerged from the forest. He stopped abruptly, staring at Fenice, then dropped the posy of flowers he had been holding and walked slowly toward her.

"Phoenixa?" he whispered. No one would ever know how much Alis figured out during that brief walk, but he at least understood that Fenice had played him for a fool from the beginning. Alis's face grew still and empty, then hard, and as he stepped up beside his wife, he reached out and took her throat in his hands.

"No! cried Cligés. Acoriondes and Terence leaped forward to pull Alis away, but Cligés was quicker. He thrust his sword into Alis's breast.

Acoriondes brought the hilt of his weapon down on Cligés's head, dropping him like a stone, while Terence struggled to pry Alis's death grip from Fenice's neck. At last, he succeeded, and stepped back from the three prostrate forms.

Neither Terence nor Acoriondes spoke for a long time. At last Acoriondes said, "Sophocles. It is like the final scene in a play by Sophocles."

"Does this Sophocles write about fools? Terence asked bitterly.

"No, Acoriondes said. "But he does write about lies.

Without another word, Terence went back to finish his rough care of Bernard's wounds, while Acoriondes trussed Cligés and Fenice with ropes. The two lovers looked pathetically small, lying there together. And so they were, Terence thought.

Guinglain was sitting in the grass of his yard, basking in the late-afternoon sun, when Terence rode into his clearing. Surprisingly, there were no children about. Terence had never been to Guinglain's hermitage without seeing a crowd of children. "I send them home for dinner, the young hermit said without moving. "They should be with their families. And besides, I don't have enough food. At last he opened his eyes and smiled. "I'm glad you're back, he said.

"I'm glad to see you, too, Terence replied, dismounting. As eager as he was to return to Arthur's court, he had ridden out of his way to stop at Guinglain's hut in the forest. Perhaps because he had been raised by a forest hermit very like the young Guinglain, Terence found his deepest peace with this friend. "I wasn't sure you'd even know I'd been gone.

"Oh, yes," Guinglain said. "I may live out of society here, but everyone in England knows about your journey to Greece." His eyes narrowed as he looked at Terence's face, and he raised one eyebrow. "But you've been farther than that, haven't you?

Terence nodded but didn't elaborate. "What's been going on in England and Arthur's court? he asked. He had been asking that question at every inn and village he had come to, but mostly he had heard tales of tournaments and feasts and spectacles—nothing of importance.

"Gawain returned from Greece a few months ago, bringing the sad news of Emperor Alexander's death. It was a great sorrow for the court, and for Lady Sarah especially. Terence nodded soberly, and Guinglain added, "Mordred is back, as well, bringing with him tales of great deeds done on the continent.

"Which no one else saw, I suppose, Terence murmured.

Guinglain only smiled. "It is said that the king is very pleased with young Mordred and honors him greatly. I know little more than that.

"And for all that you've said everything that I needed to know, Terence said.

Guinglain rose to his feet. "But now you must tell me your tale. Come inside and share my bread.

A few minutes later, having seen to his horse, Terence joined the hermit at a rough table by the fire. There Guinglain said a quiet prayer, broke a loaf of brown bread and handed half to Terence, and poured him a cup of clear, cool water. Terence felt the simplicity of this home soaking into his being, like the warmth of a hot bath on a cold day, and began telling Guinglain all that had passed since their departure for the continent. Guinglain said nothing until Terence came to the discovery of Cligés and Fenice and the death of Alis. At that point, Terence paused.

After a moment, Guinglain asked, "Why do you stop?

"It still makes me angry, Terence admitted. "It was all needless. Cligés and Fenice were children playing a game, pretending to be courtly lovers from a romance. But people were hurt, even killed, for their game.

"They aren't the only ones who play make-believe. Most people do, I would think.

Terence nodded. "Maybe you're right. After all, even Alexander played the courtly romance game when he was wooing Sarah. But behind his play-acting, Alexander really loved her. Cligés and Fenice—they had nothing but the game. All they had was pretense.

"What happened to the squire, Bernard?

"He will live, Terence said. "With one leg, but he will live.

"I am glad. And Cligés and Fenice?

"They live, too, but under lock and key. Acoriondes couldn't bring himself to execute them, even for murdering Alis, but he couldn't let them go unpunished, either.

"Your friend Acoriondes is ruling the empire now?"

Terence nodded. "He's been declared regent until the legitimate heir can assume the throne. Guinglain raised a questioning eyebrow and Terence explained, "Fenice is pregnant.

Guinglain nodded slowly. "So the future emperor will be born in a prison.

"If you can call it a prison," Terence said. "Don't be imagining them in a dungeon. They have very comfortable rooms. Separate rooms.

"Separate. So Cligés and Fenice will never see each other again?

"Not in truth," Terence replied. "But when did truth ever matter to them? Acoriondes made one more provision for them. In a nearby room he has also locked up the nurse Thessala, and he's given her the task of preparing her Elixer of Good Dreams for Cligés and Fenice. Every night they drink the potion, then go to sleep believing that they're in each other's arms."

An expression of deep sorrow settled on Guinglain's face. "How horrible, he murmured. "To spend the rest of your life locked away with nothing but your own lies.

Terence nodded. "That's their punishment."

"It's more than a punishment; it's a hell," Guinglain said, with feeling.

"I doubt they agree with you. After all, they've always preferred their lies. It may be a hell, but it's the hell they've always chosen.

"Everyone's hell is the one they choose. It's still horrible.

Terence wasn't sure he agreed, but he only repeated Sylvanus's words from Elysium: "Justice is often cruel."

Terence rode hard from Guinglain's hermitage and arrived at Camelot shortly after dark on the fourth day. The gates were closed, but the guard recognized Terence at once and raised the portcullis to let him in. Terence stabled his horse by feel in the pitch black stables, then turned eager eyes to the castle keep and smiled: a light showed at Eileen's window.

A minute later he was swinging through the window into Eileen's sitting room, where he found his love talking with Sarah by the fire. Seeing him, Eileen leaped to her feet, and then for several minutes there were no words. At last Eileen managed to say, in a muffled voice, "When did you get back?

"Minutes ago.

"Have you seen anyone else?

Terence shook his head. "I came here first."

Eileen took his hand. "Come sit with us.

Terence allowed himself to be led to the fire. "Sarah, I'm glad to see you. I hadn't expected you to still be here."

"Actually," Sarah replied, "I'm here
again.
I went home for a while after we got word of Alexander's death, but it was lonelier at home than it used to be, so I came back.

Terence nodded. Sarah had spoken simply, and her matter-of-fact tone somehow spoke more truly of grief than tears would have. "I am sorry, Terence said simply. "He was a good man.

"Yes," Sarah replied. "He was. He was a man of honor and courage and joy and compassion. I didn't see it at first, being so annoyed at his minstrels and all that courtly love business, but in the end I realized that he never claimed to be anything but what he was. He was a rare man.

"You
did
love him," Terence said.

"I still do, Sarah replied calmly.

Eileen asked, "Did you ever find out who poisoned him?

Terence hesitated only a second. "It was Mordred.

Both woman stared at him, eyes wide. At last Eileen said, "But why?

"Spite, Terence said. It was what the Old One had said, and Terence had concluded that he—or perhaps she—had been correct. "Mordred had planned a civil war in Greece—partly to weaken Alexander and partly just to stir up trouble. When Alexander proved to be generous and wise and war was prevented, Mordred poisoned him on impulse. It's the only real weakness I've found in Mordred.

"But you know he's the murderer? demanded Sarah.

"Yes.

"And you can prove it?

Terence shook his head. "No. I have only the testimony of a blind seer in a land of shadows in a different world. In effect, I have certainty but not proof.

Eileen frowned. "But Mordred is ... but tomorrow the king is calling all the court together to present Mordred to them.

"Present him? What do you mean? He's already been knighted.

"I know," Eileen said. "Kai thinks the king's going to reveal some secret, but he wouldn't say what. I believe Kai's sworn to silence. Do you know what he's talking about?

Terence gazed blankly at the stone wall. So Arthur had at last convinced Guinevere to let him tell the secret of Mordred's birth. Once the court knew that Mordred was Arthur's son—illegitimate or not—he would be accepted as the heir to the throne. At that point, Mordred would be one murder away from ruling England.

"You
do
know, don't you? What is it?" Eileen demanded.

"I made the same vow Kai did, Terence said. "Sorry. What does Gawain say? Does he think Kai's right?

Eileen exchanged a glance with Sarah. "I couldn't say, she said. "I try to avoid Gawain these days.

Terence blinked with surprise. "Why? You aren't angry at him, are you?

"No, it's not that. It's ... well, do you remember that German chit who was here for a visit just before Alexander arrived? Venice or something like that?"

"Fenice, Terence said. "Yes, I remember her.

"Well, as you may recall, before she left she started the rumor that Gawain and I had been secret lovers for years. Now it's all over England. Minstrels are singing sickly songs about us.

Sarah almost smiled. "Sickly? How can you say so? I hear that Gawain has a picture of you that he carries with him everywhere, next to his heart. Not to mention the secret chapel he's had built in the forest, where he prays to your beauty. Did you know that he once killed a knight for saying that your features weren't perfect?

"Really?" Terence asked. "Which features?"

"Never mind, Sarah replied primly.

"It's not funny, Terence, Eileen said. "It's an incredible pain in the ... in the
features.
I can't have a normal conversation with any of the other ladies. Within five minutes, they're dropping hints about Gawain and giggling. And I think it's nearly as bad for Gawain. The older knights disapprove of him for carrying on a clandestine affair, and the young knights treat him like some kind of romantic hero. They say he's just like Sir Tristram.