Part 17 (2/2)

But even this promise failed to arouse any enthusiasm in Dido. She said, 'Thanks, Mr Mully,' in a flat little voice, and continued to gaze glumly at her saddle-bow, or, sometimes, ahead, to where Mr Holystone and Princess Elen rode in silence side by side.

It is a considerable shock when somebody you have known (you thought) very well indeed, and have been fond of, proves to be not only a completely different person from the one you believed to be your friend, but also not to remember you at all. If, on top of that, he turns out to be a king, reborn after thirteen hundred years, the shock is greater still. And if, into the bargain, he is married to one of the wickedest and most horrible people you have ever met, you can hardly help feeling very unhappy about it. Especially if he seems to be showing rather too much interest in a princess who certainly isn't his wife.

Not that Mr Holystone talked much to the princess; but all the way, on the journey, whether in motion or resting, they kept near to each other, and there seemed to be a kind of wordless communication going on between them.

What the d.i.c.kens does it matter to me? Dido said to herself crossly. If he rides beside her and helps her on and off her moke? I ain't in charge of 'em.

But she couldn't help thinking how very much Queen Ginevra would dislike it, if she knew that her newly recovered Rex Quondam, instead of making all possible speed back to Bath Regis, to greet his long-lost queen, was riding in precisely the opposite direction, by the side of a much younger, and very beautiful, princess.

The queen'll never let Cap'n Hughes out of prison at this rate, Dido thought gloomily. And we can't go off and leave poor old Cap hobbled up in c.u.mbria. And it's bezants to breadcrumbs she'll grab the lot of us if we go back have our heads shrunk, or our tongues cut out, or drop us in the river for those pesky fish to guzzle.

Dido's thoughts were far from cheerful.

However when they were about five miles from Wandesborough, they saw a mounted party approaching them at full gallop, accompanied by waving banners and the sound of bocinas; and the little brown-faced, roly-poly man on a fiery mountain pony in the lead proved to be none other than King Mabon himself, impatient for reunion with his daughter. He flung himself off his mount and ran to embrace her, then turned to address her rescuers in a flood of joyful Latin. As this was received by all except Mr Windward and Mr Holystone with blank faces, he switched to English.

'Heroes you are indeed, everyone of you! My grat.i.tude to the end of your days you will be having. Anything in Lyonesse is yours for the asking Well, well, now, what a big bonny girl you have grown, cariad! I can see Miss Castlereagh fed you all those years on milk and honey, even if you are a bit skinny just now, with you,' he added, giving Elen another hug. 'And plenty of learning to go with the bonny looks, I am hoping?'

'Oh yes, Papa, I can speak seven languages, and Professor Crumhorn gave me AA for Disputation, and I have reached the second part of the Calculus.'

'There, now! A bluestocking I have got myself! But as for that Ginevra,' said King Mabon, suddenly becoming formidable, 'as for that fiend in human form, boiling in oil would be too good for her. She should be -'

'But, Dadda -'

'Well, what?'

'Gwydion is married to her!'

'What?'

'They say that Cousin Gwydion is Queen Ginevra's Rex Quondam.'

'Who says?'

'Caradog, the old Guardian and Gwydion himself says it -'

The Guardian, however, had prudently seen fit to make himself scarce and disappear during the bustle of departure from the Pa.s.s of Nimue.

King Mabon said to Mr Holystone, 'Is this so, my boy? Are you Mercurius Artaius? Are you the Pendragon?'

'Yes; it is true,' said Mr Holystone, who still looked very tired.

'Then I salute you, my liege lord, and offer you fealty,' said King Mabon, going down without more ado on one k.n.o.bbly knee. This was not comfortable for him, since he wore a toga and short tunic, and the ground was stony; he kissed Holystone's hand, then briskly stood up again. 'But, my boy, how is it you never knew that before? All those years, when you used to visit us as a child, and play with Elen and her brothers -'

'His time had not yet come,' interposed Bran, who now, greatly to Dido's astonishment, limped out from among King Mabon's escorting troop. I suppose it was him as pa.s.sed word that Elen was up there in the stable, Dido thought. Bran wore a white tunic and purple toga. A page-boy carried his c.o.c.katoo. He went on, 'No use to ask the chrysalis why it is not a b.u.t.terfly. The hour had not yet struck nor the hilt of Caliburn come to his hand.'

'But bless me this puts an entirely new complexion on the matter -' King Mabon ran a hand through his dark hair, which was cut short, Roman fas.h.i.+on. 'Married to Ginevra, you are? Shocking pity that is, indeed! I don't mind telling you, some nasty rumours have been coming through about her, these twenty years and more. Still,' he added, not very hopefully, 'maybe now you are returned to her she will be a bit more neighbourly. Closed her frontier, she did, years back, and the tales that trickle out from c.u.mbria I would sooner not be believing.'

'I reckon they're all true, mister king,' said Dido, who saw no reason why she should not take part in this discussion.

'And who might you be, my dear?' King Mabon turned his intense, dark, very intelligent eyes on her.

'Why this is Dido, Papa, who rescued me; she helped me out of the cave.'

'Then it's welcome you are as lambs in spring,' said King Mabon. 'But why are we all standing like this in the fosseway? Let us go back directly to Wandesborough so that the feasting may commence.'

They remounted, the troop of legionaries riding ahead, the frontier patrol behind, and King Mabon and his daughter's rescuers in the middle.

King Mabon talked hard all the way.

'Now you are back, my boy and delighted I am, though I won't say it wasn't a surprise -'

Wonder what Cap'n Hughes'll say when he finds his steward's a king, Dido thought.

' -Unification of the three kingdoms need for a strong, guiding hand,' King Mabon was continuing. 'Danger from Biru, from Patagonia, and the Southern Incas -'

Mr Holystone seemed to have little to say. He remained silent and listened.

Bran, who, despite his wooden leg, appeared able to ride a mule without any difficulty, came alongside Dido. Noticing her despondent looks, he broke into one of his little songs, sung very softly for her alone: 'I like the way

You say my name

None other says it

Quite the same

The syllables sing like the notes of a song

When you say it, I wish it were five times as long!

So when I die

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