Gene Wolfe - The Knight

“Uh-huh.”

“That was his house?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You’ve got to speak clearly, and call me Sir Able. I don’t want you to duck my questions with uh-huh and huh-uh either, not any more, or even yes and no. You talk about every answer you give.” I wanted to say like in school, but I changed it quick to, “Or else you’ll get a broken arm.”

“I’ll try.” Toug swallowed audibly. “Sir Able.”

“Good. You were ready to kill me with that spear when I opened the door, but I’ll forget it, if you let me. There were two men with bills with you. Who were they?”

“Vali and my pa, Sir Able.”

“I see. I knocked your father down for laughing at me. I guess he resented it. His name is ... ?”

“He’s Toug too.” We were crossing a moonlit glade, and Toug eyed its shadows as if he expected a lion in every one of them.

“You told the truth. That’s good.” I stopped, making him stop too. “And who’s Vali?”

“A neighbor,” Toug muttered.

I shook him. “Is that how you talk to a knight?”

“Our neighbor, Sir Able. Right next door.”

“I expected you in the street. That was why I went out the back. How did foe outguess me?”

“Pa did, Sir Able. He said he thought you’d sneak out the back.”

“‘Sneak.’ Well, that’ll be a lesson to me. Suppose your father had been wrong?”

“Ma’d a’ told us, and we’d a’ gone ’round both sides a’ the house, so one got behind.”

“And put his bill into me?”

Toug nodded, and I shook him until he managed to say, “That’s it, Sir Able, or if we wasn’t in time we’d a’ waited where the path goes through the alders.”

“What about the other men in your village? There must be twenty or more. Wouldn’t they help?”

“Huh-uh, Sir Able. They—they was afraid the knight’d come back. The other knight.”

“Go on!”

“Only Vali and—And ...”

“And somebody else.” I let my voice drop to a whisper. “Who was it?” When Toug did not speak, I lifted his pinned arms.

“Ve, Sir Able! He’s a little ’un, Sir Able, younger’n me.”

“Is he Vali’s son? He sounds like it.”

“Uh-huh, Sir Able. Vali and Hulta only got the one, Sir Able, and he’s not old enough to plow. He had to help. His pa told him to.”

“Then I won’t be hard on him, if he comes my way. And I won’t be hard on you, because you were worried about him. I was younger than you are yesterday. That may be why it doesn’t feel like bullying to do this. But maybe it is.”

“You—you’re twice as big as Pa, Sir Able.”

“I didn’t see a little kid with you when I opened the door, Toug. Where was he?”

“He run off into the woods, Sir Able.”

“When I opened the back door? You were scared and ran yourself, but I saw you. Why didn’t I see Ve?”

“He run ‘fore I did, Sir Able.”

I let go of his arms and caught him by the neck. “Have you ever been hit with a bow, Toug?”

“Uh-huh, Sir Able. I—I had this bow myself, and—and ...”

“Your dad beat you with it. No, because you wouldn’t mind telling me that. Your sister did it. Ulfa.” I felt Toug nod, and shook him.

“That’s the truth. Ulfa beat me with it.”

“You deserved it, that’s for sure. She beat you black and blue, I hope.”

“Oh, yes, Sir Able. Real bad.”

“So bad you couldn’t stand afterward?”

“Uh—no, Sir Able. Not as bad as that.”

“You’re nearly as big as she is. You must have gotten even some way. What’d you do?”

“N-nothing. Pa wouldn’t let me.”

“We’re going to walk again,” I told him, “and I’m going to turn you loose. You keep in front of me so I can see you if you try to clear out. I’ll catch you if you do, and when I catch you I’ll beat you with this bow ’til you can’t stand up.” I let him go and gave him a push, and when he stopped walking I pushed him again. “What are you so afraid of? Bears? They’ll eat you first, and maybe you’ll fill them up so they won’t eat me. What do you think?”

“N-nothing.”

“I know. But you think you do, and that’s sad. Toug, you’d better tell the truth, or I’ll beat you this minute—beat you ’til you crawl. So tell the truth or get ready. You’re afraid of something up ahead. What is it?”

“The Free Companies, Sir Able.”

“The outlaws? Go on.”

“He—Ve run to fetch ’em. His pa made him, Sir Able. Only—only ...”

“Yes? Only what?”

“We wanted to tell Ulfa not to sew so fast, so they’d come ‘fore you left. Only we couldn’t.”

“She knew what you planned?”

Toug said nothing, and I rapped his ear. “Out with it!”

“I dunno, Sir Able. Really I don’t.”

“She knew something was up, but she sewed very fast, and kept this shirt and my trousers as simple as she could. I thought it was because she was afraid of me. Maybe she was afraid for me. I hope so. But you’ve got nothing to be afraid of up there, Toug. If the outlaws were hiding in those shadows, we’d be full of arrows by this time. They could see us in this moonlight.”

“They got spears ‘n axes, mostly,” Toug muttered.

I hardly heard him, because I was listening so hard to something else.

Where are we?” Toug stared about him as he spoke, seeing (as I did) ancient trees thicker through than his father’s house and lofty as clouds, and a forest floor decked with flowers and ferns, and laced with crystal rills. The soft gray light by which we grasped the nobility and heartrending beauty of all these seemed to proceed from the air itself.

I said, “In the world underneath, I think. In Aelfrice, where the Aelf come from. Now keep your voice down. It must have been your talk that betrayed us.”

“This is Aelfrice?”

“I think I said that.” I was not sure, but tried to sound sure, and angry, too. “It isn’t real!”

I put my finger to my lips.

“I’m sorry, Sir Able.” Toug was near to choking on his curiosity. “Do you think they followed us?”

“I doubt it, but they might have. Besides, if you make noise here you might wake something worse.”

“Such as I, Able?” The voice was Disiri’s, filled with mirth, mockery, and music, sourceless as the light. I knew it at once. “Disiri, I—”

“Would fawn upon me, if I allowed it.”

“Y-yes.” I fell to my knees, somehow feeling it might keep me from stammering. “I would, beautiful queen. Have pity and show yourself.” She stepped from behind a tree, no taller than Toug, slender as the naked sword she held, and green. He knelt too, I suppose because I had. “Is this your slave, Able? Tell him to get up.”

I made an urgent gesture and Toug rose.

“I let you pay me homage, as a very great favor. It extends no further than yourself.”

I said, “Thank you. Thanks very much. I understand.”

“Now you ought to stand, too. In the future, you are to send him away when you wish to adore me. It is not fitting that my consort kneels while his slave lounges.”

Toug retreated.

“Disiri, could we—” I was still on my knees.

“Take ourselves to some private place? I think not. Your slave might get into mischief.”

“Then may I kill him?”

Toug gasped, “Sir Able!”

Disiri laughed. “Look at him! He thinks you mean it!”

“I do,” I said.

“He wants to talk, see how his mouth moves.” Delighted, Disiri pointed with the slender blade she bore. “Speak, boy. I will not let him strangle you — at least, not yet.”

“My sister ...”

“What of her?”