An extremely good-looking woman, in a long dark dress with a bright scarlet sash round her waist. And not a drop of water on her anywhere. She smiled brilliantly about her, stepped forward, and set an elegant bare foot on the rim of the well. She reached out a hand to me, so I could help her step down. I took her hand automatically and was quietly surprised at how normal and human her hand felt in mine.
She was human, and she was beautiful, but she was also so very much more than that. She was Gaea. All the world in a woman. You only had to be in her company to know it.
She had a classic face with a strong bone structure, a great mane of night-dark hair, warm blue eyes, and a really nice mouth. She smiled at me, and I realised I was still holding her hand. I dropped it like it was red-hot, and she smiled again, understanding. And then I made the mistake of looking her in the eye. Her eyes were old, ancient, far older than any living thing had a right to be. I felt small, and insignificant, next to her, like I was shrinking away to nothing. She looked away, and the moment was broken, and I could breathe again. I swallowed hard and took control of myself. I have known gods and monsters in the Nightside, but never anything like her.
She felt ... like the mother I’d never known and always wanted. The mother I dreamed of. And a part of me wondered if Gaea, old as she was, might have known my mother, Lilith. I was tempted to raise my Sight, sweep aside the illusion, and see Gaea for who and what she really was; but I had more sense. Some things in this world shouldn’t be seen too clearly. We are not worthy.
The knights bowed to Gaea, and she smiled on them.
“Hello, boys. What’s up?”
“Lady Gaea,” said Sir Percifal. “You must forgive us on not preparing for your arrival, but ...”
“Call me Gayle,” she said, in a perfectly ordinary, perfectly wonderful voice. “You know very well I haven’t used the old name for ages. And I know you boys get off on all these formalities; but really, life’s too short. Let’s get to it.” She shot me an amused glance. “So, John, not quite what you were expecting?”
“Damned if I know,” I said, and she laughed. Sir Percifal was trying to say something formal, but she was still looking at me, so I talked right over him. “Are you really the personification of the whole world?”
“I used to be,” said Gayle. “But it all got a bit much once Humanity arrived, so I abdicated. In order to understand you, I had to become one of you and live amongst you. So I left much of me sleeping, and became Gayle.”
“So,” I said. “This ... understanding Humanity. How’s it going?”
“Still working on it,” said Gayle.
“Lady ... Gayle,” said Sir Roland, as impatiently as his respect would allow, “why has Excalibur reappeared after all this time? Why weren’t we told in advance? And why to him?”
“I have returned the sword to Humanity because it has a duty to perform,” said Gayle. “And I have bestowed it on John Taylor because his involvement is necessary. I sent it to the Nightside through the offices of the elf Puck. That one has long owed me a favour, and there aren’t many who can say that. Because he usually kills them rather than remain obligated. I’d been holding on to that favour for centuries, not quite knowing why ... and a good thing I did.
“Only the Puck could smuggle Excalibur into the Nightside, to my chosen bearer, past so many watchful eyes. Too many enemies just now, too many ready to seize the sword for themselves, for good reasons and bad. Too many ready to destroy the sword, for reasons good and bad. And far too many waiting for a chance to take it for themselves, even though it would inevitably destroy them, as not worthy.” She looked at me. “I have granted you a special dispensation for this one time only.”
“I thought as much,” I said. “I keep telling people I’m not worthy, and I should know.”
Actually, I felt rather relieved. I’d had a hard time believing I could be so wrong about myself.
“Puck served me well, at least partly because it appealed to his warped sense of humour,” said Gayle. She sat down elegantly on the stone rim of the well, crossing her long legs neatly and resting her joined hands on the knees. “No-one can better an elf when it comes to sneaking things round. While you were helping smuggle him through the Nightside, John Taylor, he wasn’t only providing a diversion for the elf Peace Treaty. He was also keeping all eyes focused on him because with so much excitement going on, who would notice one small package moving through the mail?”
“Why didn’t he just give it to me?” I said.
“Probably because messing with your head was so much more fun,” said Gayle.
“But why give the sword to Taylor in the first place?” Sir Roland said stubbornly. “Why a man like him? Why not one of us? Any one of us would be happy to bear the burden of Excalibur. We would all die for you, Lady!”
“Exactly,” said Gayle. “I wanted a man who’d live for me. And, to answer your previous question, I couldn’t send the sword here. You’re being watched. You must have noticed.”
The knights looked at each other. Sir Percifal seized his chance to rejoin the conversation. “We knew. Of course we knew. Our security is second to none. Yes. But for all our skills, and all our sources, I have to say ... We are currently unable to ascertain who it is that’s watching us. Yes.”
“We’ve leaned on all the usual unusual suspects,” said Sir Gareth. “And it isn’t any of them.”
“And given how powerful our resources are,” Sir Percifal said doggedly, “it would have to be somebody powerful. Yes. Extremely powerful. And that ... is a very short list. Oh yes.”
“Quite,” said Gayle. “Anyway, John Taylor is my choice to bear Excalibur, and no, you don’t get to bitch about it. He has a destiny to fulfil.”
“Oh bloody hell,” I said loudly. “Not another one. I had a hard enough time getting rid of the last one. What have I got to do now?”
“You will give Excalibur to King Arthur. After you have helped bring him back.”
There was a long silence. The knights all looked at Gayle, then at me. Sir Percifal looked ecstatic. Sir Roland looked like he might have a stroke. Sir Gareth looked ... thoughtful. Gayle smiled enchantingly on one and all. I didn’t say a word. I hadn’t a clue what to say. Sir Roland finally broke the silence, looking like he would explode if he didn’t, but his voice was still barely under control.
“Arthur is coming back? King Arthur? Our long-lost King is finally returning, in our lifetime? You never said anything about this before! What are our regular consultations for if you’re not going to share important information like this? Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Somebody is shouting,” said Gayle, to no-one in particular. “And he’d better knock it off if he doesn’t want me to slap him with an earthquake.”
“Beg pardon, Lady,” said Sir Roland. “I fear I am ... overexcited.”
“Better,” said Gayle. “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d all act like a bunch of schoolgirls when you found out you couldn’t be a part of this. You’re too close, too involved. You can’t do what’s necessary.”
“Who has a better right to be involved,” said Sir Percifal, “than those who have spent centuries preserving Arthur’s legacy, ready for his return? Hmm?”
“It has to be Taylor,” said Gayle, not unkindly. “He’s the only one who can do this. Get used to the idea, boys. And no, I can’t tell you why. Not yet. There are ... complications. Sometimes, things have to sort themselves out. So make John Taylor welcome amongst you, in my name. Or do my wishes mean nothing to you any more?”
“You are our Lady,” said Sir Percifal. “Our lives are yours. Yes.”