Gene Wolfe - The Wizard

The knocker banged at the last word. When it stopped I said, “That will wake Halweard, if waking’s needed.”

Smiling, she took another step back; firelight returned, and I felt that the knocker had cut short a dream. Soon the door rasped on its hinges. Hearing voices and the tread of booted feet, I told Org he was not to kill people or livestock without my leave, but that he might take game in the park, and sent him away.

Gylf came to sit by me; I stroked his head. “Did you see her, Gylf ? Did you see her eyes? Disiri has eyes of yellow fire, as all Aelf do. Her were black, but how they blazed!”

“Ears up.”

“Oh, yes. She’s dangerous. I realize that.”

In the corridor I heard Halweard say, “Sir Able’s abed, I’m sure. We’ll find you a place to sleep, and—”

I called, “In here!,” and they trooped in: Halweard, Qut, Wistan, Pouk, and Uns. Halweard asked, “Is this your squire, Sir Able? That’s what he says.”

Qut added, “I thought it best to let ’em in, sir, but I come to the hall with ’em to make sure it was all right. We can put ’em out if you want.”

“We’s his folk,” Uns began; and Pouk, “I signed on ‘fore anybody, an’ it ain’t right if—”

I silenced them, affirmed that Wistan was my squire, and told him to speak.

“We rode after you, Sir Able. That’s all.” He cleared his throat. “I know you had to leave us behind, there wasn’t any way you could’ve taken us with you, but you did. So I said we ought to ride ahead too, and maybe we could catch up. Lord Beel wanted us to stay, but Queen Idnn—I mean Her Majesty—said we ought to go, and after that His Grace did too and His Lordship said it was all right. I said for them to stay, but they wouldn’t so I took them with me.”

Pouk knuckled his forehead. “We has our duty, sir, I said, only Sir Able’s—”

“You’ve got to tell them to obey me,” Wistan finished.

I explained that he would have to earn their respect.

“I’ll earn it with my sword next time.” Wistan looked grim. “They insisted on coming, and bringing two mules.”

I could see both wanted to talk, but I shook my head.

“It slowed us, but I kept driving them. I wanted to ride ahead. Yesterday I almost did. Only there might be bandits, and they wouldn’t have had anyone to protect them.”

Pouk snorted.

“So I stayed, Sir Able. Because of the mules.”

“I’ve few possessions. Are these things yours?”

“No, sir. Or not much. I—”

Uns interrupted. “All yarn, onna mools. Loot, Sar.”

“Gleanings from the Army of Jotunland, sir.” Wistan looked apologetic. “It hadn’t been divided when you left, but we did it the next morning according to the rule.”

Not knowing the rule, I asked him to quote it.

“I think I can, sir. A quarter for the crown. Of what remains, one share for every person present, plus a share over for every gently born person not knighted.” He touched his own chest. “Five for a knight, plus one for each man-at-arms and archer he brought, only the knight keeps those. Ten for each noble, plus five for each knight he brought. That meant fifteen for His Grace, sir, only they wouldn’t hear of it because you’re really His Grace’s knight, it wasn’t just Sir Woddet, and you did more than anybody, so they made him take twenty. And then—”

“Enough,” I said. “I take it I got five shares, and of course you got two yourself, and Pouk and Uns one each.”

“You got more’n that, sir,” Pouk told me proudly, “When it were shared out Sir Woddet said you oughta have more—”

Uns interrupted him. “‘N Sir Leort, sar. Him ta, ‘n da queen. A peck a’

‘um.”

Wistan nodded. “His Grace said everyone who wanted to add to your share should line up, and we put yours on a blanket and everyone passed by and added what they wanted. Her Majesty was first, and she put down a big gold cup full of gold, and after that everyone put in a lot.”

“Not you, I hope.”

Wistan looked embarrassed. “It was a lot for me, Sir Able. Nothing in comparison to Her Majesty’s gift.”

“I understand, and I thank you. It’s great to see you again, and Uns, too, and Pouk. Especially Pouk. You got permission to ride ahead, and you must have pressed hard to cover the distance as quickly as you did. What time did you set out this morning?”

“Before cockcrow.”

I nodded. “It must be nearly midnight now, and I’ve ill news. We’ll be leaving for Thortower in a day or two. I’d intended to go tomorrow, but you and your horses must rest. The mules and their loads can be left here.”

I sent them off to bed as quickly as I could, and woke my grooms. The mules’ packs I had carried up to my bedroom, where I glanced at a few things before I got ready for bed. I was nearly asleep when someone whispered, “There is magic there, Lord. I feel it.”

If I had been awake, I would have questioned her about it and about Morcaine—about Morcaine particularly. As it was, I told her to leave so I could sleep.

In reading over this long letter, Ben, I see I have left out lots of things. One is how I have written it. I will not say much about that now, except that I have lots of free time (more than I want, because Disiri is gone so much), and that sometimes I walk all morning beside the sea, thinking about the facts I am going to write down, what other people said and what I said. Mani’s voice, purring one minute and mewing loudly the next, Garsecg’s glance, the soft warmth of Gylf’s ears, and the deep love Cloud gave me. I would stroke her once I had unsaddled her in some lonely camp, and tell her that her horn was sprouting and that we must find a frontal with a hole for it, so that others would believe it to be an ornament. This we did when we reached Kingsdoom—but I am getting ahead of my story.

It had snowed a hand’s breadth during the night, and there was grumbling among my men-at-arms and archers when I turned them out. I told them we had slept outdoors in worse weather in Jotunland, and when Wistan joined us he related his experiences. I had him shoot with the archers afterward, knowing he would talk of our fights with the Angrborn.

I myself endeavored to teach the men-at-arms the lance. The older ones I found proficient already, having been well schooled by Sir Ravd. The younger scarcely knew how a lance should be held, and though they knew the helm and chest were the best targets, they were more likely to stick the horse.

Jousting had to be given up in favor of the dangling ring; when every one of them had ridden at it twice (and missed it in most cases) I called Wistan, and with Cloud’s consent mounted him on her, and had him ride at the ring. The wind came no swifter than Cloud with Wistan on her back, yet his lance took the ring both times. I was loud in my praise.

The light had begun to fade; but we made the most of it, finishing with practice swords in the snow and calling no halt until peeled wood could no longer be seen. We ate then, not they in their place and I in mine, but together in the wide hall, I at the head of the table with Wistan on my right. Pouk and Uns sat at its foot but were waited on by the servants just as my fighting men were. There was ale, bread, and meat in plenty, and cheeses, apples, and nuts afterward. While we cracked nuts, Wistan asked whether we would bring men to Thortower. I said we would not (which proved a mistake) for we came without hostile intent, and the road, which had proved safe for the three of them, would surely be safe for a knight, his squire, and two manservants.

It was not until I made ready for bed that I recalled the whisper of the night before. Then I unpacked the loads and looked at every object with care. Eterne was just such an object, to be sure; and yet Eterne seemed but a lovely blade until she cleared the scabbard.