Then the strange man came to where I was standing, braced gainst the wall to keep me from falling, and he said merrily:
“Well, Cecil, my good fellow and rare sib, how goes the evening?”
“Pleasant enough,” I replied; “first with one divertissement and then another. In fact, it has been a most profitable time for me.”
“Lad,” he said kindly, gripping me by the shoulder, and in that grip was the warmth of human comradeship, “you showed rare discernment in releasing me from that bottle. Of course, I could have broken it, but there was something about your face that pleasured me and I wanted to test you. You also had been in Araby, in the East, and when I asked for help, you gave it. These toad-men have worried me for years. I have tried to destroy them, for they hurt my cause, but never till tonight, and then only by guessing better than they did, could I gather them together in one room. I warrant the Abbe was surprized. He had experimented and killed many a real toad and, of course, he thought that if I was in the guise of a toad, he could kill me; but, of course, I was not a toad, but just in the appearance of one for the time being. Well, that is over with and I can go back to better and happier occupations. But — you really did let me out, and, perhaps, the magic of that cork was stronger than I thought, so I will give you three requests, my dear sib — ask for anything you desire.”
My heart was in my mouth, but, none-the-less, I spoke up bravely:
“Give me power to conquer all giants, robbers, knaves, salamanders, ogres, serpents, dragons and all evil things, male and female, on, beneath, and above the earth, wherever and whenever I come into conflict with them.”
“That is a lot of power, but I will grant it.”
“Then I want a nice castle, with all the furnishings, and, above all, a good library. Long ago there was a book by a woman, called Elephantis. I should like to have that book in the library.”
The man laughed.
“I heard the Abbe tell you about that book. Do you know that I was well acquainted with that girl? In fact, I put some of the idea about that book into her head. Well, I will fix up this castle in the way you want it. And, now, what next? Do you desire no temporal power?”
“Certainly,” I said, in almost a grandiose manner: “ I want to rule in Cornwall.”
“That is easy, a mere bagatelle. I think they call such a person the Overlord. Well, I must be going. I wish you a long life and a merry one.”
He vanished amid the hooting of owls. All around me stirred new life in stone and plaster, and the reassembling of things that were dust a thousand years. Slowly I walked through the long halls, and here and there a menial bowed low in humble obeisance. On and on I walked, and, finally, into the great hall, and there men-at-arms waited my command, and little pages ran to ask my desires.
Still slowly, and as though in a dream, I mounted the winding stairway and climbed up to the top of the tower. It was a beautiful night, starlighted and with a full moon. There I stood beside a sturdy warrior, standing watch over the safety of the castle.
Far down the winding road came the sound of trumpets and the pleasant music of horses’ feet on the hard clay and the sounding clash of sword, falling against armor at each step of the charger. There came the noise of many men and here and there a peal of woman’s laughter.
“What means this cavalcade advancing toward my domain?” I gruffly asked the aged warrior, who smiled in the moonlight as he replied:
“These be the great men of Cornwall, with their ladies and knights and all of their men-at-arms, who wend their way through the night to bid you welcome to Cornwall, and humbly acknowledge you as their Overlord.”
“That is as it should be,” I made reply. “Go and command that all be prepared against their arrival. And when they come, bid the nobles come to me; they will find me — in the library.”
The Tailed Man of Cornwall
[Weird Tales 1929-11]
For several days I was more than busy receiving the great men of Cornwall who thronged to my castle, driven by some mysterious urge, which no one fully comprehended but myself, to acknowledge me as their Overlord. The statements that they made to me concerning my fitness for this position were most flattering, and at the same time, as I heard their petitions to have this and that giant killed and one enemy or another of the land driven out or destroyed, I felt that there was certainly a great deal of work connected with the responsibility. Still, I told them, one and all, that, just as soon as I could, I would attend to all these minor adventures, because if I was going to be Overlord of a country, I wanted that land to be peaceful, quiet and safe. They were delighted with my promises, and departed, thoroughly convinced of my power to do all that would be asked of me. Of course, there was not much doubt in my mind as to my ability to perform any great act of chivalry that fell to my lot. I am sure that I was clever enough to conquer anything, even without help, but, of course, it was far more pleasant to know that I had the assistance of the Demon whom I had rescued from the glass bottle on the occasion of the Battle of the Toads.
Finally, but one of the great lords remained. He was a rather pleasing personality but of a dour humor, for during all the days that he had eaten my meat he had never smiled. He remained behind, and I suspected rightly that the reason for his doing so was a desire to talk over some matters with me which could not be discussed in the presence of the other knights. I heard, indirectly, that he had some ambitions to become Over-lord of Cornwall himself; naturally, those ambitions were blighted by my very astonishing assumption of authority. I thought for a while that he might have a desire to slip a dagger into me, but found, in a short time, that I was completely misjudging the poor fellow. He was not worrying about his loss of power, but of something far more precious to him, the loss of his fair lady love.
The unhappy young man told me the sad tale the first evening we were alone. I had purposely taken him into my new library, as I found that he was fond of the finer things in life, and it was my belief that in the quiet peace of that room, in front of the fire, he would feel more confidential and less embarrassed in the telling of his story than he would otherwise. This was a correct supposition. In no time at all he unburdened himself and told me of his great sorrow.
“I am a man of Cornwall,” he said. “My family have always lived in Cornwall. Perhaps I would have been wiser had I always remained here, but, like many young knights, I had to go adventuring. Fate took me to Ireland, and Boy Cupid introduced me to Queen Broda. When we met, doves flew over us and a sparrow lighted on her golden chariot. It was love at first sight, but the sad hap was that she did not know I was from Cornwall. She ruled mightily over a large part of the island, and there her word was law. She loved me, and the fact that I was poor made mighty little difference in the sweetness of her kisses. We were ready to marry, but when she found out that I was from Cornwall, she simply told me that she could never marry me. Then I came home and since then it has made little difference to me whether I was ever Overlord or whether I was even dead or alive. For, to live happy, I must have Broda for wife, and for her to be happy she must have me for her lover, and, yet, she says that it can never be, simply because I am a Cornishman.”
“This a sad tale,” I agreed, “and I suppose you want my help?”
“That is why I lingered.”