The Knight. Part 29

"Chained me."

"That's right, the innkeeper's wife said you had a broken chain on your collar." I turned his spiked collar on his neck, and sure enough there were two or three links of chain hanging off it. There was no catch or anything, so I just undid the collar and threw it away. I think it may have been Aelf skin, but the spikes were shark teeth. After that I asked Gylf if he knew why Ga.r.s.ecg chained him up.

"Afraid of me."

"There it is again." I took a deep breath and let it out with a whoos.h.!.+ "Well, I've apologized, and maybe Ga.r.s.ecg will too, eventually. He let you go free, though, once he and I had separated. I'm glad of that."

"Broke it," Gylf said succinctly.

"And came to Forcetti to wait for me?"

Uri stepped from behind a tree; it was as if she had been waiting there since Mythgarthr was made. "He came to search for you, Lord. He came to this wood looking for you, and to a good many other places besides. Baki and I would catch glimpses of him now and again while we were watching you."

"I don't like your doing that," I told her, "but since you were doing it anyway, why didn't you tell me?"

"You did not ask. You scarcely spoke save to tell us to steal your weapons back."

I did not buy that. "I've never noticed that you and Baki were shy about forcing your talk on me." Uri bowed the woman way, spreading a skirt she did not have. "Because you are not sufficiently observant. We are diffident, Lord, whether you notice it or 270.

not."

"Then you must have a swell reason for elbowing in on me and Gylf."

"I do, Lord. Someone must explain to you that this is not the first time your dog has been in this wood. Far from it. You seem to think him newly come--"

"No!" Gylf said. It sounded a lot like he barked, but it was no.

"That he cannot wind this ogre you hunt because of the storm. The truth is that he has been here in many weathers. Have you ever winded him here, dog?" Gylf eyed her with disfavor but shook his head.

I asked, "Have you ever smelled him at all? Anywhere?"

"No."

"Maybe you really have." I was testing him. "Maybe you smelled a strange smell, and you didn't know what it was."

He shut his eyes.

"He feels it is useless to talk to you since you will not believe him," Uri explained. "Baki and I often feel the same way, so I recognize the symptoms." I stood up, swinging my arms to get warm. "Well, it's possible, isn't it?"

"It is not, Lord."

"How do you know?"

"Because he has said that he did not. I trust his word, and so should you. Perhaps this ogre is a ghost. I cannot say. I have never seen it, or smelled it either. But if it is a ghost it is not in this wood. I would know."

"What about Disiri? Is she here? I should've asked you before, and Gylf, too. Have either one of you seen her?"

Gylf rose, shaking his head. "Hungry?"

"No," Uri said. "I cannot declare she is not present, for her arts are greater than my own. But I would be as surprised if she were to step from behind a tree as you were when I did."

"Go home to Aelfrice," I told her. "Wait there until I call you." She nodded and walked away.

"When we find this ogre," I told Gylf, "I'm going to fight him by myself. I'd like any help you can give me finding him, but once the fight starts you leave him to me."

Gylf looked unhappy.

I've got to prove myself to myself, I said, and it was only when I was through 271.

that I realized I had not said it out loud. Did I really like Kulili? Kulili was just a bunch of worms, something worms made when they got together. Maybe I just told myself I did because I did not want to fight her. When I beat Sir Nytir, was that one of those crazy things that happen when a team down in the cellar beats the division leader? I knew I was no good with a lance. Was I good at all?

I did not know, and not knowing was so bad I was ready to risk just about anything to find out.

By then the rain had stopped. The sun came out, and it was not the enemy sun that had pounded down on Pouk and me earlier that day, but a beautiful sun of new gold. East, a rainbow leaped in glory, the bridge that the Giants of Winter and Old Night had built for the Overcyns so they could climb up to Skai.

"There's magic in this air," I told Gylf. "I love it!" He did not say anything, but I started whistling.

272.

CHAPTER 40.

A CITIZEN OF CELLARS.

S upper was fresh bread hot from the oven, with b.u.t.ter and big bowls of good vegetable soup. Nukara had cleaned out a spare room for me, put clean blankets on the bed, and so on. While we ate she told me how nice it was. I shook my head. "I've promised to get Master Agr's horses home tonight, and I know the duke wants me to spend every night at Sheerwall 'til he lets me go north. I thought the storm would give me a good excuse for staying here with you, but it's over. Pouk and I will have to say good-bye as soon as he gets our horses ready."

She stopped smiling; she had really wanted us to stay.

I said, "I think I may get a crack at your ghost just the same. If we're lucky, he may be gone forever by the time Pouk's finished loading our pack horse."

"So quick?" I could see she did not believe me.

I nodded and pa.s.sed some bread down to Gylf. "If you'll lend me Uns. Will you?"

She looked at Uns, and so did I, but he just looked down at his soup. "He's shy," she said.

273.

He still would not look up.

"You're not--will he get killed? Or hurt the way Duns was?" I shook my head. "I'm going to fight the ogre, if Uns and I can find him. Uns won't get hurt."

Pouk cleared his throat. "I'd main like to watch, sir. With your permission?" I was soaking bread in the soup for Gylf; it gave me an excuse to think things over before I answered. Finally I said, "You've got work to do. Uns and I will be going out into the fields to look for the ogre. Maybe into the woods. You'd probably get lost trying to find us. I think you'd better stay here." Duns said, "Be dark soon, Sar Able."

I told him I was pretty sure the ogre would not show himself by daylight, so we had plenty of time to sit and talk and blow our soup. "When it's over," I said, "Pouk and I can ride home by moonlight. There'll be a good big moon tonight, and when we get there the sentries will let down the bridge for us." I kept wai ting for Uns to say something, but he never did.

I left the house with Gylf trotting beside me and Uns lagging behind us. Knowing nothing better, I followed the narrow path that had taken me between fields and into the wood, the path Duns and Uns must have used when they cut firewood. When we came to the first trees, we stopped. I remember that the moon was just clearing the eastern peaks then. When Uns caught up, I told him, "I didn't come out here to hunt your ogre, and I know as well as you do that he's not here. I came so you and I could have a private talk." I waited for him to speak, but he did not.

"I'm pressed for time. You know about that. It'll save some if you tell me everything now. I don't want to hurt you and I'll take it as a favor." He opened his mouth, hesitated, and shut it. After a moment he shook his head.

"Whatever you want. After this, you're to ask nothing from me. I gave you fair warning, so you get no favors."

Gylf growled low in his throat.

"Before I came here," I said, "a couple of friends of mine came to wait for me. They call themselves my slaves, but they're really friends." With his crippled back, it was hard for Uns to look up, but easy for him to 274.

look down. He took the easy way now, staring at his muddy feet.

"Gylf couldn't find a trace of your ogre in these woods. Gylf's my hound. I think I told you. He has a fine nose."

Uns nodded.

"But there really is an ogre. Your brother wrestled it and was laid up for a year. I don't know if I believe in ghosts, but I sure don't believe in ghosts that act exactly like they were alive. I got one of my friends to watch in your house while I was away. Do I have to tell you what she saw? This is your last chance, Uns."

Uns turned and ran. I nodded to Gylf, and he brought him down before he had gone ten yards.

"She saw you go into the cellar and talk to the ogre," I said while Gylf crouched over Uns snarling. "That's where it hides, I guess. I suppose it steals food from your mother's kitchen. You wanted me to sleep there. Was it so your ogre could kill me while I was asleep? Or was it to stop it from stealing for one night?"

Uns said, "Git him off!"

"In a minute. It's a live ogre, it has to be, if it's an ogre at all. Is it?"

"I dunno. Guess sa."

That was the first time he had admitted anything, and I thought it would be better to pretend I had not noticed. I pulled my chin and asked what it said about that.

"Don't talk much."

"But it does talk?"

"A lil. I learnt him."

I smiled, although I certainly did not feel like it. "I guess you caught him young. What's his name?"

"Org. Git him off or I won't talk no more."

I told Gylf to let him go, and Gylf backed away, still growling. Uns waited a minute, not sure Gylf would not take off an arm if he got up. Finally he did. It was not easy for him, because his bad back made it hard to keep his weight over his feet.

I said, "Maybe I sound like I know everything. I don't. What's important to me is that I don't know if I could beat your ogre in a fair fight. You can't tell me 275.

that, even if you think you could. Did you catch him young?"

"Din't ketch him a-tall," Uns muttered. "Da ma was dead, layin' inna woods wid arrows all over in her 'n Org starvin'. I ought ta let him. I knew. On'y I'se a mop ta 'n wanted him 'n I tooked him hum."

"You hid him in your mother's cellar?"

"Yessar, dere's a ol' storeroom ma's forgot, 'n dat's Org's place."

"I see."

Uns craned his neck to look up, seeking understanding. "He stinks, he do, from sleepin' in his s.h.i.+t, 'n sumptimes I wants ta turn him out. On'y he'd git stock. Dat got his ma kilt. Sa I don'. On'y I want ta, 'n I will, ta, 'un day." I waited, pretty sure that he would keep talking if I gave him a chance to think about things.

"Learnt him ta talk a li'l, sar. Tried ta teach him ta say ogre 'cause he is. On'y he says org. Sa Org's wat I calls him, sar. He says yes 'n no 'n Uns. Li'l words like dat."

I nodded. "I suppose knowing you had him--a monster in the house that n.o.body knew about--made you feel like you were better than your brother. Maybe better than your mother, too."

"Made me good as dem, dat's aw, sar. Ma . . ."

"Go on."

"She's my ma, dat's aw, 'n sumptimes it's like I'se still a mop. 'N it's her farm, 'n she'll give it ta Duns when she pa.s.ses."

I nodded to myself.

"Sa Org means I count ta."

"Can you get him from the cellar and bring him here without being seen?" Uns hesitated, gnawing his lip. "Ya goin' ta kill him, Sar Able?"

"I'm going to wrestle him, if he'll wrestle me. Maybe he'll kill me, breaking my back or my neck. If he does--"

Gylf growled; you have heard the same noise, but you thought it was distant thunder.

"You and Gylf and Pouk will have to sort things out. Or I may kill Org, the same way. We'll see."

"Ya goin' ta wresde him fair, sar?"

"Yes. Without weapons, if that's what you mean. Can you bring him? Don't 276.

let anybody see you."

Uns bobbed his head. "Yessar. Outta da cellar door, sar. Dey won't know."

"Then bring him. Bring him now, and I'll do my best to see that no serious harm comes to him."

Gylf wanted to go with Uns, but I would not let him. When Uns had gone, I took off my boots and my sword belt and laid them aside, with Sword Breaker and my dagger still in their scabbards. After that, I took off my clothes. They were still pretty wet, but I found I was a lot colder without them than I had been with them on. I had put my sword belt on my boots to keep it off the wet ground, sticking Sword Breaker and my dagger into the boots. Now I piled my clothes on top of everything, trying not to get them any wetter than they were already.

When I had stripped, I stretched the way they teach you to in gym, leaning right and left as I touched my toes. The swing of the sea was strong in me, and I called upon it as I loosened up my muscles. I was a big man, thanks to Disiri, a head taller than almost everybody, with big shoulders and arms thicker than most men's legs. I knew I was going to need all that, and the sea-surge most of all. The big waves pound, and drain away. They are strong, not stiff, and they swallow everything you throw at them and throw it back at you harder. Gylf snarled, and from the sound of it I knew Org was coming. I took a good deep breath and let it trickle away.

Then I folded my arms and waited. This would be the test, and I had no idea how it would come out.

277.