Part 12 (1/2)
”Karma. I have no quarrel with thee. But would see thy lord.”
The black knight dismounted and drew his broadsword. His fellows caught up the reins of his steed and bore it away to give them s.p.a.ce.
”Thy quest endeth here. Engage.”
Gonji aimed a thin, desolate smile at Salguero and climbed down from Tora, handing Orozco the reins. He approached the knight, who now spoke in Spanish as he replaced his plumed helm.
”I am Sir Hugh, scion of Malaguer and firstborn son of Domingo Malaga y Colicos.”
”I am Sabatake Gonji-no-Sadowara,” the samurai replied as the Sagami snicked out of its scabbard, ”son of the most n.o.ble daimyo Sabatake Todohiro of Dai Nihon.”
”And so do I unhinge you, Man of the East-”
Sir Hugh disengaged from middle guard and lunged into an attack with his longer broadsword. Gonji skipped out of range and trapped the blade twice with his katana before it was out of range. His expression remained impa.s.sive, all thoughts dispersed before Zen oneness-with-arms.
The knights long heavy blade swept around for a high blow, which Gonji deflected overhead, only his wrists seeming to move. Again the broadsword circled, this time in a low, leg-severing arc. Gonji easily leapt over the blades course, stamped in close and whirled his katana into a belly-slash that raked off the knights magical armor ineffectually, with a metallic skreek.
The samurai skipped back with catlike grace, parried another blow, riposted with an overhead slash off an armored shoulder. Again-this time his counterattack delivered two sharp blows that would have unlimbed an ordinary opponent.
The knight came on with increased confidence. Their blades clashed and sang off each other, sparking the gloom with scintillas of hard-edged fury. Again and again the knights attacks were repulsed with speed and skill, the samurais fencing clearly overmatching the black knights, though no wound was opened.
Sir Hugh breathed heavily as he dropped back a step, relaxed and brought his blade into low engagement, inviting attack. The audience seemed widely divergent in its reaction to the duel. The Spanish lancers looked on apprehensively; apparently Gonjis efforts were futile. The mercenaries, on the other hand, joked and jostled one another in their saddles; theyd seen many an enemy fall before the black-armored elite knights of the warlock.
Gonji, too, now relaxed as he eyed the knight, his stance even more open than the others.
”Youre an arrogant sort,” Sir Hugh declared. ”Surely youve seen that your pathetic blade can do nothing to harm me. You fight well; but its only a matter of time before I wear you down and drive my steel through your bones.”
”Indeed?” Gonji replied. ”I thought I demonstrated when we last crossed that my magic is equal to your own. You bear my mark on your flesh. Youve worn your armor of valor too long. The true heart that once made it strong has given way to conceit. Your armor fails. So sorry, but Im trying my best not to injure you. I wont dishonor you by simply ignoring your empty attack and going round you. Why dont you see the wisdom of declaring it a draw and arranging for me an audience with your lord?”
Sir Hugh flushed and came at him with blind wrath. Gonji retreated and fended his blows with snaking circular parries that mocked his efforts, as he spoke to him all the while.
”You force my hand with your pig-headedness-”
The samurai turned a diagonal blow far aside. His wrist-snapping riposte relieved Sir Hughs helmet of its plumage.
”My heart is true in this business-my needs honorable-”
He evaded a decapitating arc of humming steel, spun and hacked open the knights leg harness. A thin trickle of blood appeared at the seam of the wound.
”You fight in empty anger-it erodes your armors magic valor-and your skills, I fear, need honing-”
Small tuffs of angry breath gasped out of the knights visor as he swung and swung at Gonji with unbalancing rage. The samurai retreated and advanced with taunting quickness and surety of foot. Sir Hugh lunged deeply, his blade lancing for Gonjis belly as he grunted with the desperate strength thrust into the movement.
Gonji slapped his point down into the snow, stamped the blade out of his hands with a sharp kick, spun, and drove the Sagami backward over his shoulder. The point barely touched the gorget at Sir Hughs throat. Gonjis exaggeratedly twisted stance oozed confidence and one-upmans.h.i.+p.
The black knight gave way to fear. He leaned back from the deadly sword point, and his legs suddenly went numb under him. He slumped back unceremoniously into the snow with a jangle of armor.
Gonji stood over him, sword pointing at his heart in a two-handed clench. Sir Hugh slowly removed his helm. His cheeks were ripe with exertion, and sweat trailed along his jawbones as he gulped for air.
”I spare you your life, Sir Knight. Now, let me see your father-”
A cackling laugh ushered from behind the whispering line of mercenaries to Gonjis left. Two of their mounts lurched aside as the somersaulting figure bounded between them, handspringing through the snow in a high double-flip, to land beside the samurai.
It was Moon. The minuscule acrobat slipped and fell at the end of his exercise, only to laugh all the harder. He extended a hand to Gonji, who drew him onto his feet.
”Senor-Domingo Malaga y Colicos?” Gonji inquired, smiling.
”Domingo, it is,” the Archmage responded, ”but as to senor-well, well see. I didnt suppose youd be fooled for long. Rise up and join us, Hugh. Hes quite the swordsman, eh?”
The downed knight stood and bowed to Gonji, who replied in kind. ”The best Ive ever seen, bar none.”
”Gracias,” Gonji replied warmly.
”You understand the power of my sons armor, then?” Domingo asked. ”These three are all my sons.”
”I have come to know the power that faith imparts to certain effects of sorcery.”
”Youre a bit of an adept yourself, then. And youve convinced me that youre no thief. So come, lets talk within the comfort of my castle. Do you think these soldiers with you can behave themselves?”
The Spanish lancers appeared hostile and wary of allowing themselves to be trapped in the warlocks stronghold.
After conferring with his men, Salguero came up and spoke to them. His eyes were spiked with hatred as he fixed them on the Archmage. He was deeply scarred by the ravages inflicted on his command. ”My men will not ride into that bastion of evil, Kyoos.h.i.+. Im for finis.h.i.+ng this fight now. I thought thats what this foray was about.”
Before Gonji could answer, Domingo crossed the captains harsh words with his own.
”Evil, you say? Youre a fine lot to condemn others of evil. You and your whole vicious Church. Its true Im no Christian, but Im not the one slaughtering my neighbors over forms and rites and blades-breadth differences over interpretation of holy writ. As for me, I dont fit your patterns of stringent morality. You could say that, as regards most of your system, Im amoral. A pagan, si. Existing outside your severe limitations. And I suppose that makes me evil enough, to your way of thinking. Foolish, grasping little folk. So sure of your crusade, so convinced of your rect.i.tude. So certain you have all the answers you need of life and death.
”Drive your brothers into the sea, then! But youll not drive Domingo Negro from this place. This is where my family has lived for longer than any of you could guess...in one sense or another. And this is where I make my stand. Oh, you have evil to fear, no doubt. Evil in more forms than you imagine. But none more evil than that which you exercise yourselves. There are powers arrayed against powers aligned against POWERS!-Its a complex cosmos. And the truly evil 'powers know your complacent stupidity and mock you for it.”
Gonji stepped between them before they could come to blows, as Salguero dismounted in outrage. After a heated discussion, the samurai convinced his old friend of the wisdom of at least hearing Domingo out. At last it was decided that Gonji, the captain, Sergeant Orozco, and Buey would join the Archmage for an airing-out of their grievances over dinner, though Salguero took a long time to win over.
The ten remaining troopers made camp outside the castle walls, and Domingo promised his protection. As a gesture of faith, the mercenary company was withdrawn to their barracks. Hot food was sent out to the lancers, which they first feared to eat, at last surrendering to the acute knowledge of their vulnerability: The warlock could kill them many ways, and poisoning seemed ill befitting his style.
Inside the walls the guests gave their mounts over to the care of Domingos ostlers, as Gonji probed the warlock.
”There are many questions I would ask you, Sir Magician,” he said, ”but what most bothers me is why did you go to so much trouble to extinguish us only to take us into your confidence now?”
”Self-preservation, of course. Ive been battling the good captains warriors for some time now, and you chose to ride at their head, though I did take a liking to you with your lone-wolf posturing and fearlessness at the Moonspinners lair. Now that was a tale to tell before some future campfire! But it was only when you showed my son Hugh mercy, though you were capable of defeating his armor, that I completely trusted you. Honesty, courage, and compa.s.sion are rare qualities these days. A warrior possessing them all should be heard out.”
”So then,” Gonji pressed, remembering, ”why did you at first help me against the great insect and then torch the windmill under my courageous a.s.s?”
Domingo laughed and cartwheeled through the archway that led into a groined vault which served as the foyer to the central keep. The keep teemed with activity, servants bustling through a variety of duties.
”Dont you know,” the warlock replied, shaking his head at the memory, ”that despite the superlative coordination of this fine body, I dropped the d.a.m.ned thing! An athlete and a juggler,” he chortled, ”and I dropped the torch!”
Gonji was unconvinced but replied nothing as his attention was drawn to a by now familiar wonder: They rounded a corner to enter what seemed a corridor that went on forever. Servants in the distance approached in their direction, smiling impishly to see the outsiders blinks when they closed the s.p.a.ce between them at supernatural speed, though their pace had not quickened in the least.