Part 22 (1/2)

”Good, then it's settled. Leave tomorrow and take the girls with you. Now let's return to the hunting party.”

”Will the duke approve your grant?”

”That is a very good question., I don't know.”

I had taken first blood on the expedition, which was apparently some sort of honor even though Sir Vladimir had actually killed the bison. All told, the knights took four bison and six wild pigs.

The meal that night was braised pork-sort of a s.h.i.+sh kebob-and bison stew. Because of the first- blood thing, I was seated at the high table between Lambert and the duke. I was the only mere knight up there. All the rest were at least barons. Baron Jaraslav sat to the duke's left.

The high table was just that. It was a third of a yard higher than the rest of the collapsible trestle tables in the hall. We had a correspondingly higher bench to sit on.

Krystyana and company did the serving. Once the meal was well under way, Lambert announced that he was minded to grant me a fief but that it required the duke's consent to be binding. While Lambert spoke, Sir Stefan was in the crowd, talking angrily to the knights at either side. Apparently, he had again found a subst.i.tute for guard duty. Then Baron Jaraslav began muttering in the duke's ear.

Lambert outlined the proposed boundaries of the fief. As he finished, Stefan struck his stein on the table so hard that it shattered, spraying beer over a dozen knights.

”You'd grant that black warlock lands adjoining ours? d.a.m.n you!” he shouted.

The room was suddenly totally quiet.

Lambert turned and struck Stefan with an icy stare. I'd seen many facets to Lambert's personality, but never before that of a cold, deadly killer. ”You would raise your voice to your father's liege lord?” Lambert asked in the silence. There were swords in his voice.

”I--I spoke rashly, my lord.”

”Yes, you did.”

”I ... apologize, my lord.” Stefan knew he was in trouble. He came from his bench and walked stiffly to the front of Lambert's table. He went to his knees and made a full Slavic bow, with forehead touching the rushes on the floor. ”I regret my words and beg forgiveness, my lord.”

”Sir Stefan, this is the second time your temper has offended me. A true knight knows his place and his duty at all times. He does not give way to fits of temper. You need some cooling down.

Perhaps some additional meditation in the evening air will help. I extend your tour of guard duty by an additional three months, from now until Michaelmas. On the night s.h.i.+ft!” ”Go now and stand your post.”

Sir Stefan rose stiffly. ”Yes, my lord.” He left without a word. The room was silent after he left.

”Well,” the duke said after a bit. ”Returning to the matter of my consent of this grant, I must think on it. The thing is perhaps being pushed too quickly, but you will have my answer before morning. For now, Lambert, can you provide music?”

The peasant band had been waiting in the kitchen and was soon performing. The music didn't help me a bit. I've never been much good at waiting. I couldn't help overhearing Baron Jaraslav's advice and comments to the duke. ”To allow evil into our own ranks ... foreigners taking the lands of our fathers ... worse than the Duke of Mazovia inviting in the Knights of the Cross...” The duke's replies were inaudible, but my stomach tightened and I wasn't able to eat much. I drank more than I should have, but I stayed on beer so as not to get too drunk, When the meal ended and the tables were being taken down, Baron Jaraslav and the duke went to the duke's chambers.

”I think it doesn't look good,” Lambert said to me. ”Perchance I erred in punis.h.i.+ng Sir Stefan, but, d.a.m.n, a lord has to maintain discipline.” ”I appreciate your aid, my lord. If this doesn't work out, perhaps we'll think of something else.”

”I've thought on simply having you develop that mine on my own lands, just as you are building the mills. We could work out some informal arrangement. But it would border on my deliberately circ.u.mventing the wishes of my liege lord.” The knights who had been on guard duty at Okoitz had learned the waltz and polka and were demonstrating them, with the ladies' help, to our guests. They called me to join them, but I was too tight. It almost hurt to smile. During a lull in the music a page summoned me to the duke's chambers. With a profoundly acid stomach and no Alka-Seltzer due for seven hundred years, I followed him up the steps.

On entering, I bowed low.

”Sit down, boy. I have things to ask you. First, I want to know more about this guise. Whom did you make this vow to and where can I find him?” ”He is Father Ignacy Sierpinski, at the Franciscan monastery in Cracow, my lord.”

”I will talk to this Father Ignacy. My second question is, Why do you want this land? From what I've heard, you know as little of farming as you do of hunting.” ”I want the land so I can build an industrial base.”

”A what?”

”Hear me out, my lord. You have asked me why I wasn't building weapons. I intend to build them. I can make armor that no arrow can possibly penetrate. I can make swords as good as the one I carry. Have you seen what it can do?” ”I've heard stories. Go on.”

”I can build weapons that roar like thunder, strike like lightning, and kill your enemies half a mile away.”

”And I intend to make these arms and armor by the thousands. By the hundreds of thousands if I can.”

”A hundred thousand suits of armor? Why, I doubt if there are fifty thousand knights in all of Poland.”

”Not the knights, my lord, the peasants.”

”And just how do you suppose that a peasant could afford armor?”

”Obviously they can't, my lord. The arms will have to be supplied to them.”

”Do you expect me to pay for this?”