Elder Isles - Madouc Part 25

"Hm," said Madouc. "I thought that magic was magic, and that was all there was to it!"

"Not so. Sometimes simple magic seems hard and hard magic seems simple. It is all very complicated. For instance-by your feet I see three dandelions. Pluck their pretty little blossoms."

Madouc bent and picked the three yellow blooms.

"Hold them between your two hands," said s.h.i.+mrod. "Now, bring your hands to your face and kiss both thumbs together."

Madouc raised her hands to her face and kissed her thumbs. Instantly the soft blossoms became hard and heavy inside her hands. "Oh! They have changed! May I look?"

"You may look."

Madouc, opening her hands, discovered three heavy gold coins in place of the dandelion blossoms. "That is a fine trick! Can I do it myself?"

s.h.i.+mrod shook his head. "Not now. It is not so easy as it seems. But you may keep the gold."

"Thank you," said Madouc. She inspected the coins some what dubiously. "If I should try to spend the coins, would they become flowers again?"

"If the magic had been done by fairies: perhaps, perhaps not. By sandestin magic, your coins are gold and will remain gold. In fact, the sandestin may well have purloined them from King Casmir's strongbox, to save himself effort."

Madouc smiled. "More than ever I am anxious to learn some of these skills. It is useless asking my mother; she lacks all patience. I inquired about my father, but she claimed to remember nothing, not even his name."

"You mother seems a trifle airy, or even absent-minded."

Madouc gave a regretful sigh. "Absent-minded or worse, and I still can show no pedigree, either long or short."

"Fairies are often careless in their connections," murmured s.h.i.+mrod. "It is a sad case."

"Just so. My maidens-in-attendance call me 'b.a.s.t.a.r.d'," said Madouc ruefully. "I can only laugh at their ignorance, since they are referring to the wrong father."

"That is coa.r.s.e conduct," said s.h.i.+mrod. "I should think that Queen Sollace would disapprove."

Madouc shrugged. "In these cases I dispense my own justice. Tonight, Chiodys and Devonet will find toads and turtles in their beds."

"The penalty is just, and would seem persuasive."

"Their minds are weak," said Madouc. "They refuse to learn, and tomorrow I will hear it all over again. At first opportunity I intend to search out my pedigree, no matter where it lies hidden."

Dhrun asked: "Where will you search? The evidence would seem to be scant, even non-existent."

"I have not thought the matter through," said Madouc. "Probably I will apply again to my mother and hope to stimulate her memory. If all else fails-" Madouc stopped short. "Chlodys has seen me! Look how she scampers off with the news!"

Dhrun frowned. "Your present company is not necessarily a scandal."

"No matter! They want me to beguile Prince Bittern, or perhaps Prince Garcelin, who sits yonder gnawing a pig's foot."

"The remedy is simple," said s.h.i.+mrod. "Let us sit at a table and gnaw pigs' feet of our own. They will hesitate to alter such definite arrangements."

"It is worth a trial," said Madouc. "However, I will gnaw no pig's foot. I much prefer a roast pheasant well-basted with b.u.t.ter."

"So do I," said Dhrun. "A few leeks to the side and some bread will suit me nicely."

"Well then: let us dine," said s.h.i.+mrod.

The three seated themselves at a table in the shade of the oak, and were served from great silver salvers by the stewards.

Lady Desdea meanwhile had gone to take instruction from Queen Sollace. The two engaged in a hurried conference, after which Lady Desdea marched purposefully across the lawn to the table where Madouc sat with Dhrun and s.h.i.+mrod. She stopped beside Madouc and spoke in a voice carefully controlled: "Your Highness, I must inform you that Prince Bittern has urgently begged that you do him the honour of dining in his company. The queen desires that you accede to his request, and at once."

"You must be mistaken," said Madouc. "Prince Bittern is absolutely fascinated by that tall lady with the long nose."

"That is the distinguished d.u.c.h.ess Clavessa Montfoy. However, please take note: Prince Ca.s.sander has persuaded her to take a turn on the river before proceeding with the banquet. Prince Bittern now sits alone."

Madouc turned to look; indeed, Prince Ca.s.sander and the d.u.c.h.ess Clavessa were strolling off toward the dock, where three punts floated in the shade of a weeping willow. The d.u.c.h.ess Clavessa, although perplexed by Prince Ca.s.sander's proposal, continued to exercise her usual effervescence, and chattered away at a great rate. Prince Ca.s.sander was less effusive; he conducted himself with urbane politeness but no great zest. As for Prince Bittern, he sat looking after the d.u.c.h.ess Clavessa, slack-jawed and glum.

Lady Desdea told Madouc: "As you see, Prince Bittern is anxiously awaiting your presence."

"Not so! You misread his posture. He is anxious to join Ca.s.sander and d.u.c.h.ess Clavessa on the river."

Lady Desdea's eyes glittered. "You must obey the queen! She feels that your place is properly with Prince Bittern."

Dhrun spoke in cold tones: "You would seem to imply that the princess now sits in unsuitable or demeaning company. If this discourtesy is carried any farther, I will instantly protest to King Casmir, and ask him to deal with what would seem a gross breach of etiquette."

Lady Desdea blinked and drew back. She performed a stiff bow. "Naturally I intended no discourtesy. I am only an instrument of the queen's wishes."

"The queen, then, must be at some misapprehension. The princess does not wish to deprive us of her company, and she seems quite at her ease; why create a fiasco?"

Lady Desdea could proceed no farther. She curtseyed and departed.

With a drooping mouth Madouc watched her go. "She will take vengeance-needlework and more needlework for hours on end."

Madouc turned a thoughtful glance upon s.h.i.+mrod. "Can you teach me to transform Lady Desdea into an owl, if only for a day or so?"

"Transformations are complicated," said s.h.i.+mrod. "Each step is critical; if a single syllable went awry, Lady Desdea might become a harpy or an orc, with the whole countryside at peril. You must delay transformations until you are more experienced."

"I am apt at magic, according to my mother. She taught me the 'Tinkle-toe Imp-spring', that I might fend off bandits or louts."

"I don't know that particular effect," said s.h.i.+mrod. "At least, not by that name."

"It is simple enough." Madouc looked here and there, around the lawn and down the slope toward the river. Near the dock she took note of Prince Ca.s.sander, who was politely seating d.u.c.h.ess Clavessa in a punt, while at the same time making a gallant remark. Madouc arranged thumb and finger, muttered: "Fwip!" and jerked her chin. Prince Ca.s.sander gave a startled outcry and jumped into the river.

"That was the low strength or low virtue method," said Madouc. "The other two virtues are more notable. I saw Zocco the wefkin jump a good six feet into the air."

"That is a fine technique," said s.h.i.+mrod. "It is neat, quick and of nice effect. Evidently you have not used the 'Tinkle-toe' in any of its virtues upon Lady Desdea?"

"No. It seems a bit extreme, and I would not want her to jump past her ordinary ability."

"Let me think," said s.h.i.+mrod. "There is a lesser effect known as the 'Sissle-way', which also comes in three gradations: the 'Subsurrus', the 'Sissle-way Ordinary', and the 'Chatter-fang'."

"I would like to learn this effect."

"The sleight is definite but subtle. You must whisper the activator-schkt-then point your little finger, thus and so, and then you must hiss softly-like this."