Gene Wolfe - The Wizard

I shook my head. “I don’t know, My Lord. I didn’t count. Not as many as that.”

Marder said, “You rode through the air. I’d heard about that from some of my men, but I didn’t believe them. Today I saw it myself. You galloped on air as though it were a range of hills and your arrows—I’ve never seen so strong a bow. Never.”

“It’s my bowstring, Your Grace. I’ve had it since I was a boy, but I hope not to need it before long.”

No one spoke, so I added, “As for riding on air, please don’t fall prey to the idea that I do it. It is my mount who does it. I have a good mount.”

Mani bounded into Idnn’s lap, and she smiled. “And a good cat.”

“A very good cat, whenever he’s not Your Majesty’s cat.”

Marder dropped his spoon into his empty bowl. “I need to sleep. So does Sir Able—we all do. The first thing we wanted to say, Sir Able, was that after what happened this morning Celidon and Jotunland are at war. Border raids can be blamed on unruly vassals. This can’t.”

I nodded.

Idnn said, “And we wanted to ask you why—why King Schildstarr laid an ambush for His Grace’s party.” She gave me her old impish grin. “Knights aren’t supposed to know much. You’re to be fighters, and leave the thinking to us. We were teasing Sir Svon about it as we rode.”

“Your Majesty is as wise as she is beautiful.”

“Thank you, sir.” She made me a mock bow. “We are Queen of Jotunland.” (Some sound outside the pavilion told me we were overheard.) “But a queen without power is a queen without wisdom, we’re afraid. Wise enough, however, to know who has it. Why did King Schildstarr want to kill His Grace and his knights?”

I said, “I don’t think he did, Your Majesty. The ambush wasn’t intended for them. They came on it from the rear, and were wise enough to detect it.”

Marder said, “Sir Woddet’s giantess did. I would have ridden straight into it.”

“Hela?”

He nodded. “We were traveling without an advance guard. In retrospect, that was foolish.”

Idnn’s eyes had never left my face. “If the ambush was not meant for His Grace’s party, for whom was it meant? Us?”

“I can only speculate. But yes. I think it was.”

“We don’t—we were bearing Schildstarr’s gifts to King Arnthor. Why would he...?”

“To get them back, to begin with.” I glanced at Marder and Beel.”Do you want to hear this, My Lords? Her Majesty and I can speak privately if you want to rest.”

Beel said, “I do. Very much,” and Marder nodded.

“As you wish. Second, we aren’t popular in Jotunland. Before he got the crown, we were an asset to Schildstarr, fighters he couldn’t afford to lose. That’s why he helped rescue Sir Svon and his party when they were attacked in the market. Once he was king, we were a liability. His people despise us, and he was associated with us.”

Beel nodded. “It was one reason I was eager to go.”

“So was I, and I hoped that if we left at the earliest possible moment there wouldn’t be time to arrange something like we saw today. I was wrong, of course. He waited until his ambush was ready before turning the gifts he was sending King Arnthor over to you.”

Mani rose and appeared to lick Idnn’s ear, and she said, “Wouldn’t it have been better to attack us piecemeal, while were still in Utgard? We wouldn’t have had our horses, and some of us wouldn’t have had weapons.”

I shook my head. “It would have been a violation of the laws of hospitality—”

“We know. But Frost Giants?”

“I believe so, Your Majesty. While I was traveling with a certain friend not so long ago, we were attacked on our way to a castle belonging to giants. We fought them off, reached the castle, and asked for lodging. They lodged and fed us. And entertained us, for that matter. While we stayed there, it became obvious that they had been our attackers. We left stealthily, and so avoided the second attack they planned.”

Slowly, Idnn nodded. “We see.”

“It would have given Schildstarr an ill name among his people, something he can’t afford. He was trying to wipe out the one he’d gotten already by associating with us.”

Marder added, “From what you’ve said, he’d have wanted to do it in public, anyway. Kill you in a place where his people could know of it.”

“I agree, Your Grace. But by waiting until his ambush was ready, he ran an awful risk—you might arrive, tripling our strength. He gambled, and lost only by a hair.”

Idnn sighed. “To get back a few trinkets.”

“Not really, Your Majesty. To humble the small folk who had beaten his more than once, pygmies they thought should be slaves or dead. Also to reclaim that diadem you wear. Gold plates, cups, and amber may seen like trinkets to you, though there are bold men and virtuous women who own nothing half so fine. But there’s not a king in Mythgarthr who would think the diadem King Gilling gave you a trinket.”

Beel murmured, “He’s right, Your Majesty. You must be very careful of it.”

“He loved us, didn’t he?”

I nodded, and Marder said, “He surely must have.”

“We didn’t love him. We—we tried to do our duty...” She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped away her tears. “Be a good ruler to our people. For those few short, short days we believe we were.”

Gently I said, “He knew you couldn’t love him. What he got from you was as near to love as Angrborn can ever come. Thus he loved you, and tried to show it.”

Marder cleared his throat. “You yourself are not one of those bold men who own nothing as fine as a gold plate or an amber necklace, Sir Able. You have a good horse, as you say, and a good sword. I would have said I had those too, if I hadn’t seen yours this morning.”

“His bowstring,” Idnn whispered.

I said, “Yes, Your Majesty. My bowstring, as you say and though no one would count my bow as valuable, I made it myself and I treasure it. I have the queen of seven worlds’ swords as well, and the best of all dogs.”

Mani made a sound of disparagement, which I ignored.

“But no squire,” Marder continued, “now that Svon has become Sir Svon. And no land.”

“No, Your Grace.”

“When Lord Beel wanted to see you, we discussed the advisability of rousing you from sleep—and missing some ourselves. You’ve heard the questions Her Majesty and Lord Beel had. I didn’t have any so urgent that I felt justified in keeping you up.”

“I’m always at your service, Your Grace.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed. Ahem! I can’t offer you a new squire. Not here and now. I brought no boys, save my own squire. As for lands, well, the deed’s at home, locked in a drawer. But the place is yours, and I’ll give you the deed as soon as I can. Redhall’s one of the best manors in my dukedom. Quite fertile, and nicely situated on the road to Kingsdoom. I see you’ve heard of it.”

“It—” I could scarcely speak.

“It was Sir Ravd’s. Reverted to me at his death, of course. I’ve a steward taking care of things. You may want to keep him on. Or not. Up to you.”

I doubt that I managed a nod.

“I’ll let him know you’re coming, naturally, and give you a letter for him.”

Idnn spoke for me, prompted perhaps by Mani. “This is most generous of Your Grace.”

“Not at all.” For a moment Marder seemed embarrassed. “I wish I could do more. No, I will do more. But I can’t do it now, not in this wilderness. Later though. You’ll see.”

I left soon after that, and left abruptly enough to see a tall figure steal off into the shadows.

The next day we decided that the Knight of the Leopards should take the rear guard. We all agreed it was the post of greatest danger, and Svon, Garvaon, and he were all eager to command there. Garvaon led the advance guard, however, and Svon was wounded. That day I rode with the advance guard, and Sir Woddet with me.