arrived onthe scene a little early. It was well that he had, for hardly a minutepassed before he heard hoofbeats approaching from the south, andpresently he saw a tall knight astride a resplendent steed turn intothe lane. His armor gleamed in the moonlight and bespoke a quality andclass that only a knight of Sir Launcelot's status would be able toafford.
Mallory watched him ride down the lane to the lion-flanked entranceand heard him announce himself as "Sir Launcelot". The portcullis wasraised without delay, and the knight rode through the gateway anddisappeared from view.
Mallory frowned in the darkness. Something about the incident hadfailed to jibe. He thought back, but he could isolate nothing that, inretrospect anyway, seemed in the least incongruous. He tried again,with the same result, and at length he concluded that the note ofdiscord had originated in his imagination.
Again, he settled back to wait. He wasn't particularly worried aboutthe outcome of the forthcoming encounter--the superiority of theweapons and armor should be more than enough to see him through--butjust the same he wished there was some way to avoid it. There wasn't,of course. Sir Launcelot's theft of the Sangraal was alreadyincorporated in fact, and, as a _fait accompli_, could not be obviatedby a previous theft. All Mallory could do was to make his move afterthe _fait acccompli_ in the hope that that was when he _had_ made hismove. A time-thief didn't have nearly as much leeway as his seemingfreedom of movement might lead the uninitiated to believe. About allhe could do was to play along with destiny and await hisopportunities. If destiny smiled, he succeeded; if destiny frowned, hedid not. However, Mallory was optimistic about his forthcoming bid forthe Grail, for if it wasn't in the books for him to wrest the Cup fromSir Launcelot, the chances were he wouldn't have gotten as far as hehad.
He estimated that it would take the man five minutes to enter thecastle, proceed to the chamber, seize the Sangraal, return to thecourtyard and come riding back to the portcullis. Seven minutes provedto be nearer the mark. In response to a hail from within the wall,several of the warders bent to the windlass, whereupon the portcullisscraped and groaned aloft, and the tall knight came riding out just asthe hands of Mallory's timepiece registered 7:43 p.m.
Mallory let him pass, straining his eyes in vain for a glimpse of theSangraal. He waited till Sir Launcelot was half a hundred yards downthe highway before he encephalopathed Easy Money to follow, and hewaited till a bend in the road hid the castle of Carbonek from viewbefore encephalopathing the command to charge. At this point, SirLauncelot became aware that he was no longer alone, and wheeled hissteed around. Without an instant's hesitation, he dressed his spearand launched a counter-charge. All Mallory could think of was atwentieth-century steam locomotive bearing down upon him.
He swallowed grimly, "aventred" his own spear, and upped Easy Money'space. Two could play at being locomotives. The approaching knight andsteed loomed larger; the sound of hoofbeats crescendoed into staccatothunder. The spear pointing straight toward Mallory's breastplate hadsomething of the aspect of a jet-propelled flagpole. Hurriedly, he gothis shield into position. Maybe the man would spot the red cross,realize its significance, and slow down.
If he spotted it, he gave no sign, and only came the faster. Mallorybraced himself for the forthcoming impact. However, the impact neveroccurred. At the last moment his antagonist directed the spearpoint atMallory's helmet, did something that made it separate itself from theshaft to the accompaniment of a gout of incandescence and comestreaking through the air like a little comet. Mallory tried to dodge,but he would have been equally as successful if he had tried to dodgea real comet. There was a deafening _clang!_ in the region of his leftaudio-amplifier, and the whole left side of his face went numb. Justbefore he blacked out he saw the oncoming knight veer his steed, wheelit around, and ride off. A peal of all-too-familiar laughter driftedback over the man's shoulder.
* * * * *
"Now," said the rent-a-robogogue, "you will try again: 'A' is for'Atom', 'B' is for 'Bomb', 'C' is for 'Conform', 'D' is for 'Dollar','E' is for 'Economy', and 'F' is for 'Fun'. What comes after 'F'?"
The boy Mallory squirmed in his ABC chair. "I don't know what comesnext and I don't care!"
"I'll box your ears," the rent-a-robogogue threatened.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Yes I would--I'm a physical-chastisement model, you know. Now, we'lltry once more: 'A' is for 'Atom', 'B' is for 'Bomb', 'C' is for'Conform', 'D' is for 'Dollar', 'E' is for 'Economy', and 'F' is for'Fun'. What comes after 'F'?"
"I told you that I didn't know and that I didn't care!"
"I warned you," said the rent-a-robogogue.
"Ow!" the boy Mallory cried.
"Ow!" the man Mallory groaned, sitting up in the weeds beside theearly sixth-century highway.
All was silence around him, if you discounted the stridulations ofinsects and the _be-ke korak-korak-korak_ of frogs. A few yards away,Easy Money stood immobile in the moonlight. Mallory raised his handto his helmet and felt the sizable dent that the spearpoint had made.Gingerly, he took the helmet off. Who in the world would have dreamedthat they had jet-rifles in this day and age!
The absurdity of the thought snapped him back to full awareness. Amoment later he remembered the peal of familiar laughter.
Perfidion!
The man must have wanted the Grail desperately to have come after ithimself, which meant that it was probably worth much more than he hadlet on. But how had he known when and where to essay the lift? Morespecifically, how had he found out when and where to essay the lift onsuch short notice?
Mallory thought back. He was reasonably certain that he had made noslips of the tongue during his visit to the Perfidion Tower and duringthe ensuing game of golp, and he was equally certain that he had letfall no revealing references to the place-time he had so carefullypinpointed. Where, then, had he gone astray?
Suddenly, way back in his mind, Perfidion said, "By the way, Tom, Itake it you're all set as regards costume, equipment and the like."
"I've got the sweetest little suit of armor you ever laid eyes on,"Mallory heard himself answer.
He swore. So that was it! All Perfidion had needed to do was to makethe rounds of the costumers who specialized in armor, and to shell outa few Kennedees to the one Mallory had patronized last. Then, inpossession of the knowledge that Mallory was embarking into the pastas Sir Galahad, all Perfidion had had to do was to consult one of themany experts he kept at his beck and call. The expert had undoubtedlytold him where Sir Galahad was supposed to have found the Grail beforetaking it to Sarras, and, equally as important, approximately when theevent was supposed to have taken place. Further questions could nothave failed to elicit the additional information that Sir Launcelothad come to the chamber of the Sangraal before Sir Galahad had, andfrom this Perfidion had undoubtedly deduced that Sir Launcelot couldvery well have been a time-thief in disguise, too, and that the man,having arrived on the scene first, could very well have beenresponsible for the Grail's so-called return to Heaven, despite whatlegend said to the contrary. Certainly it had been a gamble worthtaking, and obviously Perfidion had taken it.
And won the jackpot.
But that didn't mean he was going to keep the jackpot. Not by a longshot. Mallory encephalopathed Easy Money to his side and pulledhimself to his feet with the help of the left stirrup and hung hishelmet on the pommel. Then he picked up his spear and clambered intothe saddle. "We're not beat yet, Easy Money," he said. _Giddy-ap!_
Easy Money whinnied, stamped its feet, and started back toward the_Yore_. A short while later they passed the lane that led to thecastle of Carbonek. Presently Mallory heard the _clip-clop_ ofapproaching hoofbeats, and not wanting to risk an encounter in hisweakened condition, he encephalo-guided the rohorse off the highwayand into the deep shadows of a big oak. There was somethingtantalizingly familiar about the horse and rider coming down thehighway. Small wonder: the "horse" was Easy Money and the rider washimself. He was on his way to the castle of Carbonek to lift the Holy
Grail.
Mallory gazed after his retreating figure disgustedly. "Sucker!" hesaid.
IV
Rowena nearly threw a fit when Mallory rode into the rec-hall. "Oh,fair knight, ye be sorely wounded indeed!" she cried, helping him downfrom his rohorse. "Certes, an ye bleed so much ye may die!"
Mallory's head was throbbing, and he saw two damosels that hightRowena instead of only one. "I'll be all right after I lie down for awhile," he said. "And don't worry about the bleeding--it's almoststopped."
He took a step in the direction of his bedroom office, staggered andwould have fallen if she hadn't caught his arm. Her strengthastonished him: for all the lightness of his armor, it still lent himan over-all weight of some two hundred and ten pounds; and yet theshoulder which she provided for him to lean on did not give once allthe way to his bedside. She had his pauldrons, breastplate, andarm-coverings off in no time flat. His cuisses, greaves, and solleretsfollowed. The last he remembered was lying there in his under garmentsand his chain-mail vest with three faces swimming in the misted sea ofhis vision, each of them invested with the peculiar beauty thatconcern, and concern alone, can grant.
"How is mammakin's little man now?" the rent-a-mammakin asked,applying soothing sedasalve to the boy Mallory's swollen ear.
"He hit me, mammakin," the boy Mallory sobbed. "Just because Iwouldn't tell him that 'G' stands for 'Geography'. I hate geography! Ihate it, hate it, hate it!"
"Nasty old rent-a-robogogue! Mammakin sent him away. He was an oldmodel that got rented out by mistake. Is mammakin's little man's earall right now?"
The boy Mallory sat up. "I want my real--" he began.
The man Mallory sat up. "I want my real--" he began.
"I have great joy of thy swift recovery, fair sir," Rowena said.
She was perched on the edge of his bed, applying a cool and soothingointment to his ear. On the table by the bed lay a basin of water, andon her lap lay a pink tube. He grabbed the tube, looked at the label._Sedasalve_. He sighed with relief. "Where did you find it?" heasked.
"La! fair sir, when ye did seem no longer on live I did run bothtoward and forward in the castle seeking a magical salve whereby Imight succor ye, whereupon I did come to a white box in the chapelwherein lay many magical tubes of diverse colors and natures whereof Idid choose one and--"
Mallory was incredulous. "You chose a tube at random?" he demanded."Good Lord, it might have contained a counteragent that could havekilled me!"
"The ... the letters thereon seemed of a magical nature, fair knight.And ... and the color was seemly."
"Well anyway it was the right one." He looked at her. Could she read?he wondered. He was tempted to ask her, but refrained for fear ofembarrassing her. "In that same white box," he said, "you will find abig bottle filled with round red pellets. Would you get it for me?"
When she returned with it, he took two of the pills, then he laid hishead back on the pillow. "They'll restore the blood I lost," heexplained, "but in order for them to do the job properly I've got tolie perfectly still for at least one hour."
She sat down on the edge of the bed. "Marry! the magic of Merlin ismarvelous, albeit not as marvelous as the magic of Joseph ofArimathea."
"What did he do that was so marvelous?"
The plum-blue eyes were fixed full upon his face. "Ye wit naught ofthe tale of the white shield ye bear, fair sir? List, and I will tellye:
"It befell after the passion of our Lord thirty-two year, that Josephof Arimathea, the gentle knight, the which took down our Lord off theholy Cross, at that time departed from Jerusalem with a great party ofhis kindred with him. And so he labored till that they came to a citythat hight Sarras. And at that same hour that Joseph came to Sarrasthere was a king that hight Evelake, that had great war against theSaracens, and in especially against one Saracen, the which was KingEvelake's cousin, a rich king and a mighty, which marched nigh thisland, and his name was called Tolleme la Feintes. So on a day thesetwo met to do battle. Then Joseph, the son of Joseph of Arimathea,went to King Evelake and told him he should be discomfit and slain,but if he left his belief of the old law and believed upon the newlaw. And then there he showed him the right belief of the HolyTrinity, to the which he agreed unto with all his heart; and therethis shield was made for King Evelake, in the name of Him that diedupon the Cross. And then--"
"Hold it a minute," Mallory said. "This shield you've finally gotaround to mentioning--is it the same one you set out to tell meabout?"
"Wit ye well, fair sir. And then through King Evelake's good belief hehad the better of King Tolleme. For when Evelake was in the battlethere was a cloth set afore the shield, and when he was in thegreatest peril he left put away the cloth, and then his enemies saw afigure of a man on the Cross, wherethrough they all were discomfit.And so it befell that a man of King Evelake's was smitten his handoff, and bare that hand in his other hand; and Joseph called that manunto him and bade him go with good devotion touch the Cross. And assoon as that man had touched the Cross with his hand it was as wholeas ever it was tofore. Then soon after there fell a great marvel, thatthe cross of the shield at one time vanished away that no man wistwhere it became. And then King Evelake was baptized, and for the mostpart all the people of that city. So, soon after Joseph would depart,and King Evelake would go with him whether he would or nold. And so byfortune they came into this land, that at that time was called GreatBritain: and there they found a great felon paynim, that put Josephinto prison. And so--"
"A great _what_?" Mallory asked. In one sense the story was familiarto him, but what bothered him was the fact that it was familiar inanother sense too--a sense he couldn't put his finger on.
"A wicked unbeliever in our Lord. And so by fortune tidings came untoa worthy man that hight Mondrames, and he assembled all his people forthe great renown he had heard of Joseph; and so he came into the landof Great Britain and disinherited this felon paynim and consumed him;and therewith delivered Joseph out of prison. And after that all thepeople were turned to the Christian faith.
"Not long after that Joseph was laid in his deadly bed. And when KingEvelake say that he made much sorrow, and said: For thy love I haveleft my country, and sith ye shall depart out of this world, leave mesome token of yours that I may think on you. Joseph said: That will Ido full gladly; now bring me your shield that I took you when ye wentinto battle against King Tolleme. Then Joseph bled at the nose, sothat he might not by no means be staunched. And there upon that shieldhe made a cross of his own blood. Now may ye see a remembrance that Ilove you, for ye shall never see this shield but ye shall think on me,and it shall be always as fresh as it is now. And never shall man bearthis shield about his neck but he shall repent it, unto the time thatGalahad, the good knight, bare it; and the last of my lineage shallhave it about his neck, that shall do many marvelous deeds. Now, saidKing Evelake, where shall I put this shield, that this worthy knightmay have it? Ye shall leave it there as Nacien, the hermit, shall beput after his death; for thither shall that good knight come thefifteenth day after that he shall receive the order of knighthood: andso...."
* * * * *
When Mallory awoke, Rowena's head was resting on his chest, and shewas breathing the soft and even breaths of untroubled sleep. Her hair,viewed thus closely, was not as dark as he had at first believed it tobe. It was brown, really, rather than dark-brown. And astonishinglylustrous. Without thinking, he rested his hand lightly upon her head.She stirred then, and sat up, rubbing her plum-blue eyes. For amoment she stared at him uncomprehendingly, then, "Prithee forgive me,fair sir," she said.
Mallory sat up, too. "Forgive you for what? Go open a couple of vacuumtins while I get into my armor--I'm going to bring this caper to aclose."
"Thy ... thy strength has returned?"
"I never felt better in my life."
In the rec-hall he said, sitting down at the table before one of thetwo vacuum tins she had opened, "You never did ask me what happened."
"Ye will
tell me of thy own will an ye wish me to know."
Mallory took a mouthful of simulsteak, chewed and swallowed. "Your SirLauncelot turned out to be a phony, and pulled a rabbit out of hishelmet the nature of which I'd better not try to describe to you."
Eyes round as plums, she regarded him across the table. "A ... aphony, fair sir?"
Mallory nodded. "That's a sort of felon paynim who plays golp."
"But with my own eyes I did see his armor, fair knight."
"That's right--you saw his armor. But you didn't see him. A certaincharacter by the name of Perfidion was residing behind thathardware--not the good Sir Launcelot."
"Perfidion?"
Mallory grinned. "Sir Jason Perfidion--a knight errant ye wit not of.But the tournament's not over yet, and this time _I've_ got therabbit: he thinks I'm dead."
"He ... he left ye for dead, fair sir?"
"That he did, and if that little brain-buster of his had struck justone inch to the right, I'd have been just that." He shoved his emptyvacuum tin away and stood up. "Excuse me a minute--I've got to visitthe sorcerer's tower