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I do not know exactly how the words of your vows went, of course, when you
were knighted. Doubtless there was some difference from mine. But you must
have had the part about rescuing and protecting women and children?
Jim hated to lie to Brian, but of course his imaginary knighthood would have
had equally imaginary vows, if either of them had existed at all before his
necessary protective lie on his first meeting with Brian.
Yes, he said.
Brian coughed.
Well, it seems we may have something of a conflict here, James. My vows were
quite clear on the subject, and I will imagine yours were so as well.
I imagine so.
That leaves it as a problem for us-for you, I might say, but I feel an
obligation, since it was to rescue me you engaged in this spear-running. The
words of our vows ill rest beside your slaying not only a child of possibly
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twelve years-if such a child boy he is indeed. But can we take upon our souls
the chance of breaking vows made before the altar?-by compassing not only his,
but the sin of his mother s death as well? It might well be a great double
sin, James. Against my own inclinations I feel I must crave your indulgence by
counseling you to grant them both mercy.
Jim s heart lightened amazingly.
Well, perhaps you re right. I guess so, said Jim. I suppose there s no
hope of doing anything else?
No hope at all, alas, that I can see.
That s it, then, said Jim.
He turned and walked back to where the Lady still lay covering a good area of
the Bright Knight and glaring up at Jim. He looked past her at the one eye and
ear of the Bright Knight that was visible.
I grant you mercy, he said.
Chapter Fifteen
Let us all to the castle, then, said the Lady, now on her feet, tears
magically gone, all smiles and a sweeping curtsy, with the Bright Knight on
his feet also, hulking behind her-his brightness no longer blinding them,
however- so that we can celebrate this day of deliverance!
Better perhaps out here under the trees, said the QB, suddenly reappearing.
Was it Jim s imagination, or had the Lady s face suddenly turned a shade
paler? But she laughed merrily, and clapped her hands at the servants. They
were too far away for the sound to be heard by any except those with the
keenest ears; but evidently the mere sight of her hands in action brought them
all running to her.
A pavilion! A table! Meats! Wine! she ordered. Strike the irons from this
other good knight -she pointed at Brian- and return his weapons! They raced
to obey; and most hurried back toward the castle as she turned once more to
face Brian and Jim.
Sirs, she said, I am the Lady Annis of the White Castle, that Keep you see
behind me; all of which is now at your disposal. May I crave your pardon, Sir
Brian, for any discomfort you might have encountered while you were prisoner
in my home?
You have it, said Brian, deep in his throat and without a smile. Though I
have slept more comfortably before this.
We will endeavor to make you amends for that, Sir.
And you, said Brian, speaking over her head to the Bright Knight, I was
never made acquainted with your name. But if you are in any way disappointed
with my showing against you, it will be my pleasure to remove that
disappointment any time you wish to meet me once more with the lance-or any
other weapon, for that matter.
Sir, my name is Sir Boy; and I join my Lady in hoping that your stay with us
was not too burdensome upon you.
I minded it not.
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Some of the retainers now returned with a blacksmith, who quickly cut off
Brian s manacles; and this was speedily followed by the return of his
equipment and arms, and the erection of a pavilion, and its furnishing with
table, tablecloth, wine cups, platters, wine, and food-it all would
undoubtedly have been faster if they had been conjured up by magic-but not by
much.
To your great healths, my Lords, said the Lady, once they were all seated,
downing a nearly full cup of wine, unmixed-as far as Jim could see-with water.
Jim thanked her graciously. Politeness had now automatically laid its hand on
all of them. Even Brian, Jim noticed, was relaxing now that he had drained a
cup of wine-a little greater swallow than usual on his normal company manners-
after that first prickly verbal exchange with Lady Annis and Sir Boy. His
spine was still stiff, however, and his face unsmiling.
Both Brian and the QB seemed unusually alert, on guard with their hosts. The
QB, apparently taking his inclusion in the party for granted, was standing now
at one end of the table in the pavilion, the serpentlike forward part of his
body curving above its surface on a level with their own.
One odd thing, Jim recognized suddenly, was that-while he could have sworn no
trees were close enough to where the pavilion had been pitched to do any such
thing-now the shadows of branches could be seen on the cloth roof over his
head. They lay dark above the table s end occupied by Brian and himself, while
above Sir Boy and Lady Annis at their end, the cloth showed bright with
unshadowed sunlight.
What do you in Lyonesse, Messires? asked Annis. For I see by your armor
and weapons that you are from elsewhere.
Just passing through, answered Jim. He was trying to think of some way of
learning more about her connection with Brian s capture-Boy was clearly of
minor importance.
Undoubtedly it had been Morgan le Fay behind Brian s capture; but there must
have been some reason it was this Annis of the White Castle who had been
chosen to do it.
That reason-and possibly other useful information-might be extracted from
Annis if he could be clever enough in questioning her, thought Jim. But he
doubted he was that clever-particularly if she was determined not to talk. Her
swift and easy switch to the role of genial hostess, and her skill in playing
the social part involved, was as good as a preemptive strike. As long as the
assumption was that he and Brian were now guests, pinning her down with any
obviously hard questions had become socially difficult.
Had Morgan wanted Brian just as bait to catch Jim again, perhaps? No, Morgan
could never have arranged for the QB and Merlin to work as a team to feed him
the information on where Brian was being held.
Of course not-and one puzzle at a time. He would get further by finding out
more about Annis herself. For a beginning, she had certainly managed to at
least obscure the question of whether Boy was her lover or her son. But she
certainly-he searched for the word he wanted-had seemed disappointed, at
least, at not being able to get both Brian and Jim inside their castle.
Meanwhile, the QB, since his reappearance, had been acting very much as if he
was on his guard, since suggesting they sit down outside, rather than
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following Annis under her roof. Jim found himself wishing for an excuse to
move the QB and himself out of her hearing, so he could question this one
friend he and Brian had here, about this situation.
But nothing came to mind that would sound natural. Only, why hadn t Annis
objected to sitting down with them out here; and insisted on their going to
the castle? Of course, obviously the appearance of the QB had been a shock to
her. Any such insistence under these conditions probably would have sounded
suspicious.
Clearly, if Morgan le Fay was the cause of all that was happening to both Jim
and Brian, there seemed to be something more than just a Queenly annoyance
involved.
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