Merlin

The raven-haired woman approached and held the broken blade to me. 'Save us, Merlin,' she whispered, her voice raw with sorrow. 'Heal us.'

I reached for the sword, but she let it fall from her hands and it clattered on the tiles. I saw in its pommel the Imperial jewel – the eagle-carved amethyst of Magnus Maximus.

The awen passed. I felt a touch on my arm and found that I could move once more. I turned. Pelleas was staring at me, his brow wrinkled in concern. 'Lord Myrddin?'

I passed a hand before my eyes. 'What is it, Pelleas?'

'Are you well? I said mat I think there will be a riot here soon.'

'Nothing we do will prevent that,' I said, glancing quickly around. The mob still stood before us and their shouts were growing louder and more angry. 'I think that if we hope to find Aurelius, we must search elsewhere.'

'If not the palace,' Dafyd said, 'then the church.'

'Let us go there in any case,' Gwythelyn urged. The monks with us voiced their approval. Although they were holy men, most were trained warriors and could handle themselves in a fight if it came to that. Naturally, they preferred to avoid confrontation hi any but the most needful circumstance, hence they were eager to leave the governor's palace for the quiet of the church.

'Very well,' I agreed. 'If he is not there, at least we may have some word of him."

The church was not far from the palace as it turned out, but we had to ask several passers-by where it was before we found it, for no one seemed to know. It was not a large structure, but large enough to serve, and surrounded by a goodly-sized plot of ground which was planted with trees – plum and apple, mostly, and a few pear. The mud-and-timber building was washed white with lime, so that it fairly sparkled in the sun. An inviting place, but much at odds with its surroundings, which crowded in as if lusting after its comely green plot. The church appeared distinctly out of place.

As much out of place were the ranks of horses, and the warriors lolling beneath the fruit trees. They jumped to their feet as we rode up; someone sang out as if in warning, 'Lord Myrddin is here! Lord Emrys!'

Clearly, our arrival was anticipated. Several warriors came running up; we left the horses in their care and gladly dropped from the saddle. Dafyd and Gwythelyn started at once for the church, Pelleas and I following, the monks staying behind to speak to the soldiers, some of whom, I gathered, were kinsmen.

The interior of the church was larger than it appeared from outside, owing to the fact that its floor had been excavated and lowered. We walked down several stone steps to the richly tessellated floor. There were candles burning on candle trees all round the large, dark room – a cool place of refuge from the hot, bright day. Yet it had something of the feel of a tomb.

We were met by Urbanus himself, who was obviously expecting us. He made a quick bow to Dafyd, and the two bishops greeted one another with a holy kiss and exchanged brief words about the journey, while Pelleas and I looked on. But as soon as the pleasantries of protocol were finished, Urbanus turned to me and gripped me by the hands.

He was a man above medium height with a scholar's oblong head – high-domed and covered with dark hair growing thin on top. His skin was sallow, as marks a man who spends his days away from the sun. His long fingers were smudged with ink.

'Lord Merlinus,' he said, affecting the Latin form of my name. 'I am indeed happy you have come.' He did not appear especially happy; he appeared relieved. 'Aurelianus will be most pleased to see you.'

'Is the High King here?'

'No, not at present. But he hopes to return soon. If you will await him here -' the churchman faltered.

'Yes?'

'He has asked me to make you comfortable until he returns.'

'Where is Aurelius? What is wrong?'

Urbanus glanced at Dafyd, as if hoping his spiritual superior would answer for him. But Dafyd only gazed benignly back. 'I hardly know where to begin,' Urbanus sighed.

Obviously, he had little experience with trouble; merely speaking about it fairly undid him. I did not choose to make it easier for him. 'Tell us at once.'

'I do not understand all of it,' he admitted to his credit, 'and no doubt the warriors outside can tell you more, but evidently some problem has arisen with Aurelianus' – ah, coronation. He went to the governor, you understand, and was received with all cordiality, I believe. He stayed in the palace a day and a night and then rode out of the city once more to make provision for his troops. When he returned, and his kings with him, the governor would not see him.'

'Aurelius turned away?' wondered Dafyd.

'Why?' echoed Gwythelyn.

Urbanus shook his head in bewilderment. 'I cannot say. I do not know if Aurelianus can say. He came here in a rage, livid. Uther was with him, they talked to one another in my cell – the men with him waited outside. When they came out Uther asked if he might leave some of their men here. Of course, I had no objection. Aurelianus told me that, should you come while he was away, I was to ask you to await him here and that he would return soon – as I have told you.'

'When did this take place?' I asked.

The day before yesterday,' Urbanus replied, and added, 'I do not know what has happened, but the mood of the city has grown ugly since he arrived.'

'We have seen the mob at the governor's palace,' Gwythelyn said. He went on to describe what we had seen, and he and Dafyd and Urbanus fell to discussing it.

Pelleas turned to me. 'I do not like the sound of this. What does it mean?'

'Between the time Aurelius left the city and the time he returned, something happened to poison the governor's favour against him. I do not know what it was, but likely that does not matter overmuch. Aurelius has gone to gather his kings, I think, and will return with a show of power.'

'Will there be a fight?'

'Unless we can prevent it,' I told him. 'I think it will not serve to have our High King begin his reign with the slaughter of the citizens of Londinium.'

EIGHT

Among the warriors lolling outside, we found one who had spoken to Uther just before he and Aurelius had departed. 'Where has Lord Aurelius gone?' I asked, as I came to stand over him. The soldier, pointed out by one of his comrades, jumped to his feet and removed the blade of grass from between his teeth.

'Lord Emrys,' he said quickly, 'I was just -'

I saved him his explanation. 'No matter. Where is Aurelius?'

'He has left the city.'

'That much is obvious.'

'My Lord the Duke said to wait here for them to return. If there was to be trouble he wanted men inside the walls. That is what he said. We were to wait here, and -'

I was rapidly losing patience. 'Where was he going?'

'He did not say, my lord.'

'Perhaps not. But you have an opinion, do you not? Think! It is important.'

'Well,' he replied slowly, 'it was in my mind that they were riding back to the camp – we camped the war host half-a-day from Londinium, as the king did not wish to overwhelm the city.'

'Yes, and he met with the governor. What happened?'

'Nothing that I could tell. We stayed in the palace for a day and then returned to camp.'

'Was all well in camp?'

'Not as well as may be,' the soldier allowed. 'Several of the lords had gone and taken their warbands with them.'

'And in the city? What happened on Aurelius' return?'

The warrior shrugged. 'Nothing that I know of.'

'Nothing – and yet the governor's temper turned against Aurelius.'

'It did, Lord Emrys. For a fact it did.' At last, I began to understand what had happened: Aurelius, exuberant and fresh from the saving of the realm, nevertheless refrains from marching into Londinium in triumph. Adopting a humbler demeanour, he arrives in the city and presents himself to the governor in order to determine how he will be received in the city. Reassured, he returns to his lords, thinking perhaps to enter in force with the governor's blessing. However, things begin to go wrong. He arrives in camp to find that several lords have deserted him – that's how he would see it, whether they intended a slight or not.