"Still, even if you don't know, she must have. Are you sure you never heard her speaking of them, perhaps to others? Particularly when all Lyonesse is in great danger from them?"
Annis laughed merrily once more.
"Now, I ask you, my Lord," she said. "Who could a simple demoiselle like myself overhear her speaking to?"
Jim's memory of the Arthurian legends had been coming back steadily as his time stretched out in Lyonesse.
"Oh, perhaps one of the other three great Witch Queens," he said. "The Queen of Northgales, the Queen of Eastland, or the Queen of the Out Isles. I understand they're often in her company; and you'd think all three would be equally concerned with her. You must have seen her with them, many times."
Annis's eyes had been fixed on him; but then their focus shifted, looking upward toward the cloth roof—and Jim also looked up, to see the white fabric over the heads of Annis and Sir Boy now also darkened by the shadows of heavy tree limbs; and the sides as well as the front of the tent darkened likewise.
More than that, the broad, rough, black bark of an enormous tree trunk could now be seen blocking the space between the two flaps of the tent that gave entrance and exit.
"It would be well if you answered the good knight about the Dark Powers," said the QB unexpectedly, "and answered truthfully. The Old Magic in the forests of Lyonesse is concerned; and the time of battle is coming, not to be avoided."
Annis turned to stare at him—then suddenly, and so swiftly that none of them could have stopped her even if they had not had a table in the way, she tore the great pearllike globe from its chain around her neck and threw it down onto the tabletop. It burst, sending up a momentary waft of white smoke or vapor.
"My Queen!" she cried to the ceiling of the tent, "They seek to use me against you! Help me! Help me!"
Her words rang in the tent, were gone; and silence flowed back. She lowered her eyes to glare at them.
"It was to no avail," said the QB. "The forest is all around you now. The leaves will drink up the magic in the ball you broke. The trees will carry your words back and forth across all Lyonesse, until they are so worn and tattered that they will be less than a whisper and bring no sense to any ears that can finally hear them—even if those are the ears of Morgan le Fay. Are you desperate enough to think that she will challenge the Old Magic of this land—for you and yours?"
Sir Boy shot up from his chair, drawing his sword. He advanced on Jim and Brian; who both also jumped up and drew theirs.
"You leave her alone!" Boy shouted. But he checked, looking around at Annis. "I'm not Bright!" he said.
"Of course not," said the QB. "There is no sun inside this tent to make your magic work."
Boy turned back.
"I don't need to be Bright!" he growled, advancing toward Jim, who still held his sword and was closer to him than Brian. Brian was already putting his sword back into its scabbard. He was being courteous, giving Jim first chance at the single foe—a hell of a time for politeness, thought Jim!
This was an instance in which Boy's inexpertness might be compensated for by other factors. They had all left their shields outside the tent with the horses, so it would be sword against sword only; and Boy, though probably as poor a swordsman as he was a jouster, was slightly taller and a good deal heavier and thicker-boned than Jim. In sheer muscle strength he had the advantage—and he certainly was willing to fight. He bulked large in this confined space…
"My great thanks to you, Brian." said Jim, putting the best face he could on his situation.
"Boy, you fool!" cut in the sharp voice of Annis. "Come back here! These men have each been trained for more than your lifetime—" If she only knew the truth about me, thought Jim. "—Either one can kill you easily. Come back, I say!"
She literally stamped her foot on the carpeting that had been laid down around the table.
Reluctantly, scowling, still holding his sword, Boy backed to his chair and sat down in it. He did not resheathe his sword, but laid it before him on the table. Annis sat down and looked at Jim and Brian, still on their feet, with a suddenly pitiful face.
"What can I do? Oh, what can I do?" she said. "Ask what you will; and I will tell."
"All right then," said Jim. "You can start by telling me about Morgan's meetings with the other three Witch Queens I mentioned."
"But I know nothing of them! How should I know—"
"Come on, now," said Jim, "people who live in a castle know everything about each other. I should know. I live in a castle myself—" And if I catch any of our servants listening outside the door of our Solar one more time… The stray thought wandered in before he could shut it out. "As I say, I know from experience that you'd know. So, answer me—" He had a sudden inspiration. A shot in the dark—but she could hardly deny it, since it was something all the gentry did. "After all," he added, "the four of them get together regularly. Everyone knows that."
"Perhaps! I do not. I know only what concerns me, such as my duties, attendance on the Queen—"
"And on her guests of rank, when there are such," said Jim. "Northgales, Eastland, and the Out Isles would hardly bring their complete retinues on so frequent visits. Those who served at the Castle would be called upon to do duty for the visitors. Tell me that never happened to you!"
She twisted in her chair. She was a powerfully persuasive actor. Jim forced himself to remember that her appearance of helplessness could change just as quickly as had her earlier one of gracious hospitality.
"Of course, there were occasions—"
"At one time or another you would have been chosen to serve one of the three witch Queens; and by now you have been, perhaps, demoiselle to all three, at some time?"
"No. Yes, I suppose I could have. But I would never know who they were. Only I took orders and obeyed them."
"There was a reason, of course, for such frequent getting-together," said Jim. "what did the servants in the castle think it was?"
"I do not talk to common servants!"
"Of course you do. Everyone talks to servants. Even I," said Jim, seeing an opportunity to hint at a higher importance than she probably thought he had, "have talked to servants. I've talked to blacksmiths, to cooks; I've even talked to common soldiers and serfs. Why, I've even talked to apprentices."
Her eyes grew round and dark. For the first time, Jim thought he might be seeing an honest reaction. Then he remembered that there had been no apprentices mentioned—that he could remember, anyway—in the Arthurian legends.
"Apprentices?"
"Certainly. Apprentices, the scum of the earth, lower even than pirates, which I've also talked to, to say nothing of kings and—but we aren't talking about me. Answer me now, what did the people think brought the other three so often to meet your Queen?"
"Well, of course…" She looked down at the table. Her fingertips were trembling, ever so slightly. "My Queen must lead among them. For of all four, she is by far the most powerful, and they dare not offend or cross her."
Jim's mind was beginning to click, as it usually did when he got his teeth into a situation.
"So, most of the time she was calling them to her to hear what she wanted them to do?"
"I do not know that! I do not know it at all!"
"It strikes me," said Jim slowly, "that your promise to tell whatever I should ask was a false promise. That being so—" He reached for the pommel of his sword.
"No, no, my Lord!" It was literally a cry of fear this time. "I'll speak. I'll tell you what you want to know. It is indeed of the Dark Powers that my Queen and the others talk now. My Queen feels that Lyonesse would be better off under those Powers—she does not deign to tell the others why. None but she knows. She has told them their only choice is to join the Powers now, while they can; for the Powers will be stronger than the Old Magic, which has always been a threat to the four of them!"
There was a moment of utter silence in the pavilion.
"It is false," said the QB. "No power is greater tha
n that of the Old Magic. We have Merlin's word on that."
Annis laughed unhappily.
"Merlin is tree-bound," she said, in a bitter voice. "Shut up and made helpless by a demoiselle little more than a child. Men are ever more persuaded by the child in women."
"You know nothing of it," said the QB. "Merlin is wiser than us all; and it was not because he was in his dotage and bemused by a woman-child alone that he ended in the tree."
"Hah!" said Annis. She tossed back her long hair, which had fallen forward when she looked down at the table. She looked squarely at the three of them. "Well, Messires? You have what you came for. Go."
"We were planning to," said Jim.
"There is no reason not to," said Annis. "Sir Brian is returned. You have your answer and there is nothing more I can tell you, though you question me for a twelvemonth. Leave us in peace."
"Lady, it was you who chose to trouble them," said the QB. "But yes," he went on, "I believe you have told all you know. Sir James, Sir Brian?"
Jim nodded. This was awkward. He felt he should say something; but there was nothing more to be said.
"Good-bye," he said, anyway. She looked at him, but did not answer.
"Get that lad to someone who can teach him lance and sword," said Brian unexpectedly as they turned to go, "if you hope to keep him. Magick is a chancy staff to lean on for those of us not magickians. Some skill may save his life someday."
Her eyes moved to Brian; but she still did not answer. The tree trunk blocking the pavilion entrance was gone, now, and the canvas flap of the entrance fell shut behind them, cutting off sight of her and Sir Boy. It was only then that Jim realized the limb shadows he had seen cast on the pavilion roof had been gone for some unknown time.
"Hah!" said Brian, mounting Blanchard. "It is a great relief to be free and have weapons to hand once more. Again, we must thank you… er… Sir QB."
"I am one of the Lords of Lyonesse," the QB answered. "But it pleases me that all just call me QB. It is a pleasure to me to see you free."
"Nonetheless," said Brian, "if my help can ever be of use to you, you have earned it most certainly. You will remember?"
"I shall, and thank you, Sir Brian."
"Good. Hark ye, James; I believe yon Sir Boy was no lad at all—or at least no lad as the word is meant to mean. I think he was silly."
"Silly?" Jim made the connection quickly, but not quickly enough to stop himself before he got that question out. Of course, silly, as Brian knew and used the word, meant Boy was not as mentally adult as someone his size normally would be.
"Yes," Brian was saying, "and while I cannot say I have much love for Lady Annis after a night in her dungeon, I do believe her to be not lacking in courage. Only her love for her son—and it could be he is her son, though she seems passing young for such a large lad. Only that, methinks, made her tell you what you wanted to hear. Courage is to be admired in whoso has it."
"Yes," said Jim. "And I think the way you do about Sir Boy. It occurred to me, too. He may not be a very large child at all—more like twenty-four; but with the mind of not even a fourteen-year-old. What do you think, QB?"
"I do not know," said the QB. "Repute all has it that the Bright Knight is her leman. Merlin would know, but I cannot ask him."
"Either way, it is a shameful mock of knighthood to put such a one in armor and set him to carrying a lance—yet he, too, did not seem to lack courage, when he thought her threatened. It will be a blessing if she takes my advice and gives him some training, setting aside this unfair magick he uses."
"Even with training, he's probably just going to get himself killed, if he doesn't have what it takes to think quickly in a fight, Brian."
"But he would die honorably—by the by, James, where are we headed now?" Jim reined Gorp to a sudden stop. Brian halted Blanchard beside him, and QB, running a little ahead of them, stopped and turned back, inquiringly. "Hell!" Jim said. "I don't know!"
Chapter Sixteen
The sumpter horse had necessarily also stopped. Hob stuck his head out from under the cover of the goods on that horse's back, startling Jim slightly. Hob had been out of sight and quiet so long he had again forgotten the hobgoblin was with him. The QB turned and trotted back to sit down on his leopard haunches.
"What is it you seek now, here in Lyonesse, Sir James?" he asked.
"Sir Brian and I both came to help Lyonesse as much as we can against the Dark Powers, who seem to want to take it over."
"Why did you not say so before?" The QB shook his serpent head. "When you were here before, you were only traveling to the Kingdom of the Gnarlies. It was but natural I should think you once more bound elsewhere, on some errand of your own; particularly since I heard you tell the Lady Annis that you were merely 'passing through.' " The snakelike head shook from side to side once more.
"If you will forgive me," he continued, "I will point out that since you have freed Sir Brian, you have been riding off in a direction directly away from the great cliff wherein is the entrance to that underground land."
"I just rode. I wasn't thinking," said Jim. "I beg the grace of your pardon, QB. I'd taken it for granted anyone here would know what the Dark Powers were trying to do. So I also, I guess, took it for granted you'd know what we'd come for. Is it a fact only a few people here like the Witch Queens with their people, and Merlin I suppose—as well as yourself—know about this Dark Powers business? I really thought everyone would know."
"All know. People, trees, creatures, the very winds themselves. Everything knows. And now we are learning that you, too, know—a thing Queen Morgan, plainly, was aware of all along."
"Why do you say Queen Morgan knew all along?"
"Surely it was her knowing you were here to help Lyonesse that earned her enmity."
"Right!" Jim said. "I've been wondering why she was so hostile to us. But how can she be on the side of the Dark Powers, when she belongs to Lyonesse herself?"
"She alone knows," said the QB, in a deeper tone of voice than Jim had ever heard from him before.
There was a moment of awkward silence.
"Well," said Brian, "things like that will happen, damn it all! Now that we all know we know, mayhap we can together set about being useful."
"Brian's right, of course," said Jim to the QB. "Do you have any suggestions about what we should do next?"
"Return whence you came, perhaps? Lyonesse is accustomed to dealing with her own difficulties."
"By Saint Peter, that we will not!" said Brian. "We did not come this distance to turn back with no thing done. Only point us to where these Dark Powers are."
"They are in no particular place, Sir Brian," said the QB. "They are everywhere in Lyonesse."
"I should have explained that to you, Brian," said Jim. "Forgive me."
"Hah!" said Brian—that useful sound which took care of every situation for which there were no ready words. "Well then, QB, there is another point on which you can inform us. These Witch Queens. If it be that they are with the Dark Powers, what forces do they field?"
"Forces?" said the QB.
"I think Brian means how many and what sort of armed men can they put in the field if it should come to a battle between our strength and theirs," said Jim.
"Why, none."
"None?" exploded Brian.
"Oh, they may each have a few knights of less than good repute, some men-at-arms of like kidney and common men of such; but all, more for courtesy; and show than any other reason. This is Lyonesse, Sir Brian. If it comes to battles, they will be fought in happenings of magick and other ways, but not with armies, not since the days of the great Arthur, himself—we have none such now to lead us."
Brian sat on Blanchard, shaking his head.
"Can this be true?" he asked Jim.
"I think we can believe it if the QB says so," said Jim grimly. "But you know the Dark Powers as well as I do, Brian. They're not beings or creatures in their own right. They have to use others—like the Hollow Men—or
make monstrous things to fight for them, like ogres and that Worm you fought for hours at the Loathly Tower."
"I have never heard of this Loathly Tower," said the QB suddenly; "though monsters are possible anywhere. But do I understand what I have just heard? The two of you have had encounters with the Dark Powers before this?"
"Certainly," responded Brian, a little curtly; just as Jim spoke.
"I'm sorry, QB," Jim said. "This is something else we should have talked about before—in fact, I should have told you the minute I met you this time. Brian and I have had more than one"—he remembered to use the knightly term—"brush with them. It was because of our experience we came."
"Also, there are knightly obligations," said Brian.
"But then you are triply welcome to Lyonesse at this time!" There was a new note in the QB's voice. "I had no thought this might be so. Of course, if you have faced their strength before, and particularly if you then overcame them, you may be of help to us now. Would you of your favor and grace tell me somewhat of these brushes you have had with them?"
"Sir James would entertain you in that way better than I," said Brian. "More important, would you tell us, then, with what kind of magick you of Lyonesse plan to defend yourselves?"
"Alas," said the QB, "I know not. That is all in the hands—though there are no hands involved, of course—of the Old Magic. Only if we have solid enemies to fight can we act; and then, of course, the Knights of Arthur will fight as they have always fought. But may I venture to you that it may be of help to you with others here, if you will tell me of some of these brushes with the Dark Powers."
"I believe the Lord QB is right, Brian," said Jim.
"Hah! Well," said Brian, "it can be done shortly enough. The first time it was the betrothed of Sir James stolen away to the Loathly Tower by a dragon of ill repute ensorceled by the Dark Powers there. We, with a few friends, went to the Tower and got her back. The next was a matter of a Mage, a Magickian of high rank ensorceled by the same evil forces, who had stolen our Prince, the eldest son of his Majesty King Edward. We got him back…"