Part 88 (2/2)

”I will not obey him, that would be folly.”

”There is no more to the colloquy, and my father does not want to embarra.s.s King Audry by staying over. He wants to leave as soon as possible, perhaps within the hour, to catch the ebb tide.”

”I will need only a few minutes, to change from these pretty clothes, and bundle up a few other things.”

”Come, I will take you to your chambers.”

Dhrun escorted Madouc to the east wing and to her door. ”I will be back in ten minutes. Remember: allow no one to enter, except your maid.”

Ten minutes later, when Dhrun returned to Madouc's chambers, the maid reported that Madouc was gone, having departed only minutes before accompanied by three men-at-arms of Lyonesse.

Dhrun groaned. ”I told her to keep her door locked and to admit no one!”

”She followed your instructions, but they came from the chambers next door into the parlour! The Damsel Kylas opened the door to them!”

Dhrun ran back to the reception hail. King Casmir was no longer present, nor was King Audry, nor yet Aillas.

Dhrun made urgent inquiries and at last discovered Aillas in a small chamber to the side of the reception hall, in conversation with Audry.

Dhrun burst in upon them. ”Casmir has taken Madouc away by force! She was to ride with us, but now she is gone!”

Aillas jumped to his feet, face taut with fury. ”Casmir went off five minutes ago! We must catch them before they cross the river! Audry, allow me eight fast horses at this very instant!”

”You shall have them, at best speed!”

Aillas sent messengers to the knights of his company, ordering their immediate presence at the front of the palace.

The horses were brought from the stables; Aillas, Dhrun and the six Troice knights of their escort mounted, wheeled and galloped off at a rush, south along the road to the Cambermouth ferry. Far ahead, the troop from Lyonesse could be seen, also riding at a pounding gallop.

Dhrun called over his shoulder to Aillas: ”We will never catch them! They will be aboard the ferry and gone!”

”How many ride in their company?”

”I cannot make it out. They are too far!”

”It looks to be a troop about like our own. Casmir will not choose to stand and fight.”

”Why should he fight when he can escape us on the ferry?”

”True.”

Dhrun cried out in fury: ”He will torment her, and take his revenge in some horrid fas.h.i.+on!”

Aillas gave a curt nod, but made no comment.

Far ahead, Casmir's party mounted the bluff which bordered the river, pa.s.sed over the crest and was lost to view.

Five minutes later the Troice company rode to the edge of the scarp, where they could overlook the river. A hempen hawser led from a nearby stone b.u.t.tress at a slant across the river to a similar b.u.t.tress at Cogstone Head. The ferry, attached to the hawser by a bridle and a sheave rolling along the hawser, was propelled by reason of the slant of the hawser. When the tide ebbed, the ferry was taken south; when the tide was at flood, the ferry was driven north across the river. A half-mile to the west, another hawser slanted in the opposite direction, so that with each change of the tide, the ferries crossed the Camber-mouth in opposite directions.

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