Part 4 (1/2)
”And that's not the half of it,” Gwystyl choked. ”Some of the cantrev lords are rallying their battle hosts, and their war leaders hold council in Annuvin. The place is thick with warriors, inside, outside, wherever you look. I was even afraid they'd discover my tunnels and spy holes. These days, I'm the Fair Folk's only watcher close to Annuvin-more's the pity, for the work piles up so.
”Believe me,” Gwystyl hurried on, ”your friends are better off where they are. Much safer. No matter what's being done to them, it can't be worse than stumbling into that hornet's nest. If, by chance, you do see them again, give them all my fondest greetings. I'm sorry, terribly sorry I can't stay longer. I'm on my way to the realm of the Fair Folk; King Eiddileg should learn of these matters without delay.”
”If King Eiddileg learns you wouldn't help us,” Eilonwy indignantly burst out, ”you'll wish you'd never left your waypost.”
”It's a long, hard journey.” Gwystyl sighed and shook his cobwebby head, completely ignoring Eilonwy's remark. ”I shall have to go above ground every step. Eiddileg will want to know all that's stirring along the way. I'm not up to journeying, not in my condition, not in this weather, least of all. Summer would have been much more agreeable. But-there's nothing to be done about that. Good-bye, farewell. Always a pleasure.”
Gwystyl stooped to pick up a bundle almost as large as himself. Eilonwy clutched him by the arm.
”Oh, no you don't!” she cried. ”You'll warn King Eiddileg after we free our companions. Don't try to deceive me, Gwystyl of the Fair Folk. You're cleverer than you care to let on. But if you won't give us your help, I know how to get it. I'll squeeze it out of you!”
The girl made a movement to seize the creature about his neck. Gwystyl gave a heartrending sob and feebly endeavored to defend himself.
”No squeezing! No, please. I couldn't face up to it. Not now. Good-bye. Really, this is hardly the moment...”
Fflewddur, meanwhile, was staring curiously at the bundle. The large, lumpy pack had rolled near a bush when Eilonwy had first set upon Gwystyl and it lay partly undone on the ground.
”Great Belin,” murmured the bard, ”what a tangle of oddments. Worse than a snail with his household on his back.”
”It's nothing, nothing at all,” Gwystyl said hurriedly. ”A few little comforts to ease the journey.”
”We might do better squeezing this pack instead of Gwystyl's neck,” remarked Fflewddur, who had dropped to his knees and had begun to rummage through the bundle. ”There may be something here more useful than Gwystyl himself.”
”Take whatever you please,” Gwystyl urged, as Eilonwy turned the bauble's glow upon the heap. ”Have it all, if you like. It makes no difference. I shall manage without it. Painfully, but I shall manage.”
King Rhun knelt beside the bard, who thus far had pulled out a few mended sheepskin-lined jackets and several ragged cloaks. ”Amazing!” Rhun cried. ”Here's a bird's nest!”
”Yes,” Gwystyl sighed. ”Take it. It's something I've been saving; you never know when the need for one might arise. But it's yours now.”
”No thank you,” muttered the bard. ”I shouldn't want to deprive you.”
Their hasty search next revealed water flasks both empty and full, a walking staff in jointed sections allowing it to be folded up, a cus.h.i.+on with an extra bag of feathers, two lengths of rope, some fis.h.i.+ng lines and large hooks, two tents, a number of iron wedges and a crooked iron bar, a wide piece of soft leather which, as Gwystyl reluctantly explained, could be set about a willow frame to serve as a small boat; several large bunches of dried vegetables and herbs, and numerous bags of lichens in all colors.
”For my condition,” Gwystyl mumbled, indicating the latter. ”The dampness and clamminess around Annuvin is dreadful. These don't help at all, but they're better than nothing. However, you're welcome...”
The bard shook his head in despair. ”Useless rubbish. We might borrow the ropes and fish hooks. But, for whatever good they may do us...”
”Gwystyl,” Eilonwy cried angrily, ”all your tents and boats and walking staves won't answer! Oh, I could squeeze you anyway, for I'm out of patience with you. Begone! Yes, goodbye indeed!”
Gwystyl, heaving huge sighs of relief, rapidly began packing his bundle. As he hoisted it to his shoulder, from his cloak fell a small sack which he tried desperately to recover.
”I say, what's this?” asked Rhun, who had already gathered up the bag and was about to hand it to the agitated creature.
”Eggs,” mumbled Gwystyl.
”Lucky they weren't smashed when you took your tumble,” said Rhun cheerfully. ”Perhaps we'd better have a look,” he added, untying the string around the mouth of the bag.
”Eggs!” said Fflewddur, brightening somewhat. ”I shouldn't mind eating one or two of them. I've had no food since midday-those warriors kept me harping, but they took no pains to feed me. Come, old fellow, I'm starved enough to crack one now arld swallow it raw!”
”No, no!” squealed Gwystyl, s.n.a.t.c.hing for the bag. ”Don't do it! They're not eggs. Not eggs, at all!”
”I say, they surely look like it,” remarked Rhun, peering into the sack. ”If they aren't, then what are they?”
Gwystyl choked, then went into a fit of violent, coughing and sighing before he answered. ”Smoke,” he gasped.
CHAPTER 6.
A C CLUTCH OF E EGGS.
AMAZING!” CRIED KING RHUN . ”Smoke made of egg! Or is it egg made of smoke?”
”The smoke is inside,” Gwystyl muttered, drawing his shabby cloak about him. ”Good-bye. Crack the sh.e.l.l and the smoke comes out-in considerable quant.i.ty. Keep them. A gift. If you should ever see Lord Gwydion, warn him to shun Annuvin at all cost. For myself, I'm glad to leave the place behind me and hope never to return. Good-bye.”
”Gwystyl,” Eilonwy said sharply, gripping the melancholy creature's arm, ”something tells me there's more to that cloak of yours than meets the eye. What else have you hidden away? The truth, now. Or I promise you such squeezing...”
”Nothing!” Gwystyl choked. Despite the chill wind, he had begun perspiring heavily. His cobwebby hair hung limp and his brow dripped as if he had been caught in a downpour. ”Nothing, that is, but a few little personal things of my own. Odds and ends. If they interest you, by all means...”
Gwystyl raised his arms and spread his cloak on either side, a gesture which made him resemble a long-nosed and dismal bat. He sighed and groaned miserably while the companions stared in surprise.
”Odd indeed!” said Fflewddur. ”And, Great Belin, there's no end of them!”
Neatly attached within the folds of the cloak hung a dozen cloth sacks, mesh bags, and carefully wrapped packets. Most of them seemed to contain clutches of eggs of the sort Fflewddur had narrowly avoided eating. Gwystyl pulled off one of the mesh bags and handed it to Eilonwy.
”I say,” exclaimed Rhun. ”First eggs, now mushrooms!”
As far as the Princess could see, the mesh bag held nothing more than a few large, brown-speckled toadstools; but Gwystyl waved his arms desperately, and moaned.
”Beware, beware! Break them and they'll singe your hair off! They make a handsome puff of flame, if you should ever need such a thing. Take them all. I'm well pleased to be rid of them.”
”It is what we need!” Eilonwy cried. ”Gwystyl, forgive me for threatening to squeeze you.” She turned to the bard who was examining the sacks with an air of uneasiness. ”Yes! These will help us. Now, if we can find a way into the castle...”
”My dear Princess,” replied Fflewddur, ”a Fflam is dauntless, but I hardly think it practical, overcoming a stronghold with little more than eggs and mushrooms in our hands, even eggs and mushrooms of this particular sort. And yet...” He hesitated, then snapped his fingers. ”Great Belin, we might pull it off at that! Wait! I'm beginning to see the possibilities.”
Gwystyl, meantime, had unfastened the remaining packets from his voluminous, cloak. ”Here,” he sighed, ”since you have most of them, you might as well have the rest. All of it. Go on, it makes no difference to me now.”
The packets which Gwystyl held out in a trembling hand were filled with a quant.i.ty of what appeared to be dark, powdery earth. ”Put this on your feet, and no one can see your tracks-that is, if someone's looking for your tracks. That's really what it's for. But if you throw it into someone's eyes, the can't see anything at all-for a short while at least.”
”Better and better!” cried Fflewddur. ”We'll have our friends out of the spider's clutches in no time. A daring deed! Clouds of smoke! Billows of fire! Blinding powder! And a Fflam to the rescue! That will give the bards something to sing about. Ah-tell me, old fellow,” he added uneasily to Gwystyl, ”you're quite sure those mushrooms work?”
THE COMPANIONS HURRIEDLY returned to the cover of the thicket to set their plans. Gwystyl, after much coaxing and cajoling, as well as hints of further squeezing and suggestions of King Eiddileg's displeasure, at last agreed-with many a racking sigh and moan-to help in the rescue. The bard was eager to begin immediately.