Part 18 (1/2)

Pray don't feel glum

But simply write

Upon my tomb

Forget his career; but tell this to his credit

His name sounded best in the way that she said it!'

'Your songs are downright silly sometimes,' said Dido crossly. 'And how did you get here, anyway? You belong in c.u.mbria. And the frontier is closed, King Mabon said.'

'Smugglers, minstrels, and messengers travel where they choose,' Bran said. 'And a good storyteller is welcome anywhere. Shall I tell you a story, child? You appear somewhat despondent.'

'Despondent?' said Dido. 'D'you expect me to be as chirpy as a cricket? Cap'n Hughes is in jail, and Mr Holystone says he's Arthur come back, so so he's married to that hateful woman.' Her voice wavered. To cover this she added quickly. 'D'you reckon that's true?'

Despite his oddity, she felt sure that Bran would know, and give her a true answer. But instead of replying directly, he said, 'Once there was a wicked rich man who had gained all his riches by despoiling his neighbours. He had particularly abused a man called Abel, taking his land unlawfully, bearing false witness against him; in the end he had Abel turned out of his home. Abel, penniless, became a sailor, and was absent from his homeland for many years, and came back no richer than he had gone. But when he did come back, Cain, the rich man, was dying; all his ill-won riches could not protect him from death. And as he lay tossing and turning on his velvet couch, he was tormented by one desperate feverish craving. ”In all my life I have never heard the sound of the sea! Oh, if I could but hear the sound of the waves beating on the sh.o.r.e, I believe I might recover. Or at least I could die happy.” But the sea was many thousands of leagues away. Now, as you know, you can hear the sound of the sea if you hold a sh.e.l.l to your ear. There was only one man in the town who possessed a sh.e.l.l, and that was Abel. The sh.e.l.l, indeed, was his only possession. But when he heard of his enemy's wish, he carried the sh.e.l.l to Cain's house, and said, ”Here it is; listen to it by all means if you think it will ease you.” And Cain held the sh.e.l.l to his ear, and his face contorted with rage and envy. ” You have had this all these years, while I parched on the dry land?” he cried. ”But I will take it from you now!” And he crushed the sh.e.l.l between his hands, and, so doing, he died. But Abel said, ”I can still listen to the wind. Its voice is as sweet as the voice of the sea.” '

'Just the same,' said Dido indignantly, 'that rich man was a pig. A real pig! Did Abel get his things back after Cain died?'

'As to that,' Bran said, 'I can't tell you. But see, here we are, arriving in Wandesborough.'

The a.s.size town was very different from Bath Regis. It was laid out geometrically, a small walled town of neat thatched Roman villas, built strongly of clay and wattle, and all painted white. Mabon was staying in the Governor's house, which was simply a bigger villa, with a large square inner court containing the usual fountain and cactuses.

King Mabon instantly set his stewards to organising a feast in the main hall, and dispatched messengers to Lyonesse City to make arrangements for the return of Lake Arianrod.

'Fair's fair,' he said. 'Let no one claim I don't keep my word. I have my child, the old woman can have her pond. And furthermore, I'll send it back faster than I took it.' He chuckled. 'My Master of Irrigation has hatched up a plan to s.h.i.+p it back by a series of air-balloons, helped by the updraught over Mount Catelonde which will be a deal quicker and cheaper than all those llamas.'

'How did you manage to remove it without the Guardian's knowledge?' inquired Mr Windward.

'My spies picked a couple of nights when he was down in Bath reporting to the queen, which he does twice a month.'

What a deal of trouble would have been saved, Dido thought, if the spies had only found the princess. I'd have been home, by this time, and Cap'n Hughes wouldn't be in jail.

While the mutton was roasting for the feast they all lolled on warm earthenware couches shaped like the letter P laid on its side. The villa was centrally heated by underground ducts from Pampoyle and Catelonde. They reclined against wool-stuffed cus.h.i.+ons and drank mead, while Bran played his harp and sang. Elen and Mr Holystone sat side by side, apparently listening to the music, not talking to one another. Dido felt a painful tightness in her chest, either at the music or the sight of them, so she moved over and listened, instead, to King Mabon discussing with the English officers the state of affairs in New c.u.mbria.

'Bad as it can be, and no better in Hy Brasil,' Mabon was saying. 'Gwydion's foster-brother Ccaedmon -lucky the relations.h.i.+p is no closer, proper tyrant he is turned the whole country into a big-game preserve, evicted half his subjects from their homes. Cuts off the peasants' hands if they catch so much as a guinea-pig.'

'A guinea-pig, sir?'

'Indeed yes! Cui, they call them hereabouts because of the sound, you know-' King Mabon imitated a guinea-pig's squeak so realistically that the Governor's cat shot into the room and began searching suspiciously under the couches. 'Or,' the-king went on, 'some say it is short for cui-cui-modo. Guinea-pigs used to be the staple diet in Hy Brasil until Ccaedmon declared that they belonged to the Crown.' He glanced over at Holystone and his daughter. His brow clouded slightly. He called, 'Gwydion, my boy!'

Holystone rose a little reluctantly and came across the room.

'Sir?'

Dido caught a queer polite echo of Captain Hughes's steward.

'Now, now, boyo, it is I who should be calling you sir,' Mabon said, clapping him on the shoulder. 'Only it comes hard with a lad I taught to cast his first trout-fly. Queer it must be for you, indeed, and difficult to take it all in.'

'Oh, why,' burst out Holystone, looking hara.s.sed and miserable, 'why must this happen to me? Why should I, of all people, be brought back in this way? To what end?'

'As to why you, bless me if I know!' said King Mabon frankly. 'But it had to be someone, now, didn't it? And when you ask to what end haven't I just been saying? Gracious to goodness, why this whole region with the exception of Lyonesse, which, I pride myself, is as peaceful and prosperous a little country as you could hope to visit the whole of Roman America apart from that is in a disgraceful condition of tyranny, anarchy and misrule. Time it was the High King came back; someone who will be accepted by the people and set matters to rights. Are they still head-hunting in c.u.mbria?' he asked Windward.

'Indeed yes, sir; I gather it is a thriving practice.'

'And the things that go on in Biru you'd never believe brigandage cannibalism I believe they even sacrifice their grandmothers to Sul. Grandmothers! And in the streets of Manoa you daren't go out at night because robbers make off with the silver manhole-covers; you could fall straight into the sewers and get washed away. No, no, my dear Gwydion Artaius time it is you came back, not a moment too soon indeed. And then there's your good lady over in c.u.mbria time some of her habits were taken in hand.'

Holystone looked even more unhappy.

'Have you ever met her, sir?'

'Not I, my boy! Won't cross her frontiers; won't receive foreign rulers. But these gentlemen have met her, I believe.'

Multiple shook his head. Lieutenant Windward said, 'The young lady has talked to her more than I have.'

'Have you indeed, my dear? And lived to tell the tale? Uncommon, that is,' King Mabon said. 'Tell us what she is like, then, eh?'

How to describe someone who is both wicked and sentimental, self-centred, silly, and terrifyingly powerful? Dido's usual readiness of tongue deserted her; and besides, it was, after all, poor Mr Holystone's wife they were talking about; and he looked glum enough already.

After some thought, Dido muttered, 'She sure wants Mr Holy back. She don't think of much else. She wanted me to try and gull King Mabon into believing I was his daughter. So she'd get the lake back.'

She looked up into Mr Holystone's sad grey eyes.

'You have seen Guinevere?' he said slowly. 'Is she -is she much changed?'

'How'd I know?' Dido said crossly. 'I dunno what she was like afore, do I? All I know is, she's been waiting a plaguy long time and it's upset her. She'd be the better for not having that mess o' havey-cavey old witches round her, too Lady Ettarde, and Morgan, and the other one. Well, one of 'em's dead,' she added thoughtfully, remembering the scene at Elen's rescue.

'Which one?' inquired Bran, who had joined the group. His voice was sharp with interest. Dido glanced at him in surprise.

'I'd have thought that you'd know, mister! It's the one as called herself Mrs Vavasour.'

An odd look came into Bran's face sorrow, compounded with relief. He lifted his shoulders as if a weight had fallen from them. And his c.o.c.katoo flew across the room and perched on his wrist.

Dido wondered what Bran's connection had been with the witch-dressmaker. But Princess Elen had now followed Holystone, and sat down by her father, who tucked his arm round her affectionately. She said, 'Mrs Vavasour is dead? I am glad of that.' She s.h.i.+vered, and went on, 'She told me she had set a snake to watch me, outside the cave entrance, and that it would grow and double its size every day, and could see me through the crack and would bite me if I tried to get out. I I didn't really believe her, but I used to think I could hear it hissing.'

'Ugh! How could you bear it, Ma'am?' said Multiple with a shudder. 'I can't abide snakes.'