Stephen Lawhead - The Realms Thereunder

The Swindlestock Tavern 20th April, 1524

“And I say that you’re a fool, Addison Fletcher!” the brawny man declared, striking his ale mug against the bare wooden table for emphasis.

“God smite me where I sit if I tell a lie, Coll Dawson!” Addison protested, his eyes flicking heavenward for the briefest of moments.

“Ah, but- did you not say,” declared Coll, cocking an eyebrow and pointing a finger. “Did you not say that you got this account from another-”

“From Rob Fuller,” piped a voice from the end of the table.

“Aye, from Rob Fuller. And who’s to say that a tale told by Rob Fuller is true or false? Swearing oaths upon secondhand tales is not wise.”

“Then tell me, is it wisdom or foolishness to trust honourable men? I’ve known Rob this last twenty year and judge him to be a straight and honest man.”

“Even so,” continued Coll expansively. “An honest man may-”

“Enough!” came a shout from the table next to theirs. “You bicker like a pair of divinity scholars. I would hear the rest of the tale and judge for myself!”

“Aye, the tale!” came another shout from behind Addison, and the chorus was picked up by all of those in the tavern who were in earshot of the two men.

“Alright! Alright!” Addison banged his ale mug on the table.

When a reasonable silence fell on the room, he drew breath to speak. “Where had I gotten to?”

“ ‘The blacksmith was working late on a moonless night when a man walked in . . . ,’ ” a helpful listener prompted.

“Aye, aye, just so. And full old he was-with a beard, white as a cloud, down to his waist, and a red-”

“You described him already!” came a cry from another table.

“And a red robe!” Addison Fletcher shouted. “A red robe that was bordered with all manner of delicate and intricate designs!

Alright? ”

There was chuckling among the crowd.

“Anyhow,” Addison continued, quieter. “This old gent comes up to the blacksmith-Sam, the blacksmith’s name is-and bids him good evening. Sam bids him likewise and asks what service he can give the old man. The old man without saying a word hands him a bar of gold this big.” Addison held his hands apart.

“‘What’s this?’ asks Sam.

“‘I need you to make a shoe from this strip of gold that would fit a warhorse,’ says the stranger, and gives him the size, which is large enough for a destrier. The blacksmith sets to work and-it being no especially hard task to shape gold-he soon has the shoe made. He hands it over to the old man along with the parts of the gold bar that he hasn’t used. He does this thinking that he’ll get some of the gold in return and more of it if he’s honest. For in working with the stuff, he’s judged it to be proof pure.

“But the gent merely puts the gold scraps in a pouch he carries on his belt and asks the smith to pick up his shoeing tools and follow him.

“ ‘Where are we going?’ asks Sam, and the old man answers that the job isn’t finished until the horse itself is shod. With assurance that he’ll be compensated for his time, Sam falls in step alongside him.

“Well, to hear Sam tell of it, they walk out of the town proper- this was all happening in Reading, by the way-and along the river Kennet past the abandoned abbey grounds and into the forest. They go about a mile inwards, until they reach a cave in the side of a cliff. The old man ducks his head and walks in without pausing and Sam’s right behind him trying not to lose sight of him in the dark.

“It’s not too long before they come to a small room carved out in the rock in the corner of which is a large pile of jewels-rubies, emeralds, diamonds, garnets, sapphires, and the like. There are two grand archways in this small room leading to two large halls like feasting halls. In one of them he can see men, warriors, all done up head to foot in armour, and sleeping, each laid out on the floor shoulder to shoulder, toe to toe.

“In the other room are horses, massive warhorses, all of them likewise asleep but upright and covered in fine blankets under which they wear armour. And each one of them is shod with four golden horseshoes.

“The old man enters this second room, but Sam is told to stay where he is, and not to touch the pile of jewels. As he waits Sam takes in all he can about the place. He ends up by counting the horses and reckons there to be about seventy or so.

“Well, the old man reappears, leading a listing horse down the centre of the hall and into the smaller chamber.

“Sam is told by the old man to shoe the horse and so he does, all the while eyeing the pile of jewels and asking questions- questions about where he is, who the knights are, and how the horses have been kept-but the old man doesn’t say a word, as if he can’t hear Sam.

“Well, Sam eventually finishes his work and puts his tools away. The old man studies his work, praises his handicraft, and then hands Sam a leather pouch. Sam opens it and finds it empty.

He asks the old man what it is.

“‘You may fill this pouch with whatever gemstones you wish from the pile,’ the old man answers. ‘But do not put anything of value in your shirt, tool satchel, or anywhere on your person, else the knights will wake up and surely kill you. Fill it as much as you can but make sure that you are able to draw the strings shut, for if you leave with it open the knights will wake up and surely kill you and I won’t stop them.’

“So Sam goes over to the pile as the old man leads the horse away and he starts cramming the bag full of precious stones. He’s sufficiently scared of the old man’s tale about the knights killing him to not put anything on his person. But also he’s thinking that he’ll make a return trip here the next morning with the same pouch and carry even more away.

“Sam packs the pouch tight enough to just be able to pull the strings together, and the old man leads him out of the cave.

“Once outside the old man turns to him and says that he may return to his forge, but he is not to tell anyone of what he has done this evening. The old man then goes back into the cave and Sam walks home.

“Now anyone who knows Sam knows that it only takes a prod to start his tongue wagging and scarce has he crossed his own door’s threshold then he’s gabbing to his wife about all that’s just happened to him. She finds this all hard to believe-”

“She’s not the only one,” Coll Dawson said to the man sitting next to him.

“ But ,” continued Addison, “he’s got the bag full of gemstones that he carried out with him. He throws this on the table and says, ‘Here’s the proof.’

“The wife opens the bag and sticks her hand in and pulls out something small and hard and then lets go of both it and the bag. ‘What is this? A joke?’ she asks, angry.

“Sam goes over to the bag and tips out the contents onto the table. Instead of all his diamonds, rubies, and such, there’s just a pouchful of old dried-up horse droppings. Sam tries to tell the tale again, but his wife has lost patience with him and makes him sleep that night in the forge.”