"That should be no problem! Many would gladly take over his post."
"Those are precisely the ones he would not trust!"
Audry shrugged and drank wine. "I did not ask to be born king, or—for that matter—to be born at all. Still, I am king, and I might as well enjoy my luck to the hilt. Your Aillas, on the other hand, seems victimized by guilt."
"I hardly think so."
Audry filled his own and Sir Tristano's goblets. "Let me send back with you a message for King Aillas."
"I listen, sir, with both ears."
Audry leaned forward and spoke in sententious tones: "It is time that Aillas should marry! What better match could be made than that between Aillas and my eldest daughter Thaubin, thus uniting two great houses? Look, see her yonder where she watches the game!"
Sir Tristano followed the direction of Audry's gesture. "The comely lass in white beside the plain little creature so uncomfortably pregnant? She is indeed charming!"
Audry spoke with dignity. "The maiden wearing white is Thaubin's friend Netta. Thaubin stands beside her."
"I see... . Well, I doubt if Aillas plans an early marriage. He might well be surprised if I were to affiance him to the Princess Thaubin."
"In that case—"
"One more matter before I depart. May I speak with candor?"
Audry grumbled: "You have done little else! Speak!"
"I must warn you that traitors report your every act to King Casmir. You are surrounded by spies; they masquerade as your intimates; they might include one or more of the gentlemen who just now sat here with you."
Audry stared at Sir Tristano, then threw back his head and laughed hugely. He turned and called to his friends: "Sir Huynemer! Sir Rudo! Sir Swanish! Join us, if you will!"
The three gentlemen, somewhat puzzled and resentful, returned to the table.
King Audry, among chuckles, told them: "Sir Tristano insists that traitors are rife at Falu Ffail; indeed he suspects that one among you spies for King Casmir!"
The courtiers jumped to their feet, roaring in anger. "This fellow insults us!"
"Give us leave to show our steel; we will teach him the etiquette he has failed to learn elsewhere!"
"Poppycock and hysteria! The gabble of geese and old women!"
Sir Tristano smilingly sat back in his chair. "It appears that I have touched a sore nerve! Well, I will say no more."
"It is all absurdity!" declared King Audry. "What are my secrets that spies should seek them out? I have none! The worst is known!"
Sir Tristano rose to his feet. "Your Majesty, I have brought you my messages; give me leave to depart."
King Audry waved his fingers. "You may go." Sir Tristano bowed, turned away and departed Falu Ffail.
III
SIR TRISTANO. RETURNING TO DOMREIS, went directly to Miraldra, a dour old castle of fourteen towers overlooking the harbor. Aillas greeted his cousin with affection. The resemblance between them, as they faced each other, was noticeable. Where Tristano was tall and loosely muscular, Aillas, less tall by an inch, seemed spare and taut. Their hair alike was light golden brown and cut square at ear-level; Tristano's features were blunt where those of Aillas were crisp. Standing together and smiling in the pleasure of each other's company, they seemed like boys.
At Aillas' suggestion they seated themselves on a couch. Aillas said: "Before all else, let me mention that I am on my way to Watershade; why not join me?"
"I will be happy to do so."
"We shall leave in two hours. Have you had your breakfast?"
"Only a dish of bread and curds."
"We shall repair that." Aillas called the footman and presently they were served a pan of fried hake, with new loaves and butter, stewed cherries and bitter ale. Meanwhile Aillas had asked: "How went your expedition?"
"Certainly it has included interesting episodes," said Sir Tristano. "I debarked from the ship at Dun Cruighre, and rode to Cluggach where I was granted an audience with King Dartweg. Dartweg is a Celt, true, but not all Celts are red-faced louts smelling of cheese. Dartweg, for instance, smells of ale, mead, and bacon. I learned nothing of profit from King Dartweg; the Celts think only of drinking mead and stealing each other's cattle: this is the basis of their economy. I firmly believe that they place higher value upon a brindle cow with large udders than upon an equally buxom woman. Still, I cannot fault King Dartweg's hospitality; in fact, you can insult a Celt only by calling him mean. They are too excitable to make truly good warriors, and, while obstreperous, they are as unpredictable as virgins. At a moot-place near Cluggach I saw fifty men at loggerheads, shouting each other down, and often laying hands to their swords. I thought that they must be debating between peace and war, but, so I found, the dispute concerned the largest salmon caught during a season three years back, and Dartweg was in the midst, bawling the loudest of all. Then a druid appeared in a brown robe with a sprig of mistletoe pinned to his hood. He uttered a single word; all fell silent, then slunk away and hid in the shadows.
"Later I spoke of the incident to Dartweg and commended the druid's counsel of moderation. Dartweg told me that the druid cared not a fig for moderation, and objected only because the noise offended a flock of sacred crows in a nearby grove.
"Despite the Christian churches which are now appearing everywhere, the druids still hold power."
"Very well!" said Aillas. "You have told me enough of Godelia. To gain influence I must either ride down from the sky on a white bull holding the disk of Lug, or catch the largest salmon of the season. What next?"
"I crossed the Skyre by ferry and entered Xounges. This is the only access, since the Ska control the approaches by land. Gax lives in a monstrous stone palace named Jehaundel, under ceilings lost in the high shadows. The halls are like caverns, and afford little comfort to visitors, courtiers or Gax himself."
"But you were able to meet with Gax?"
"Only with difficulty. Gax is now something of an invalid, and his nephew, a certain Sir Kreim, apparently tries to insulate Gax from visitors, claiming that Gax's health can not suffer excitement. I paid a gold crown to ensure that Gax knew of my presence, and was called to an audience despite the disapproval of Sir Kreim.
"Gax in his prime must have been a most impressive man. Even now he overlooks me by two inches. He is lean and spare, and talks in a voice like the north wind. His sons and daughters are dead; he does not know his own age but reckons it to exceed seventy years. No one brings him news; he thought that Oriante still reigned in South Ulfland. I assured him that Aillas, the new king of South Ulfland, was a sworn enemy of the Ska, and already had sunk their ships and barred them from South Ulfland.
"At this news King Gax clapped his hands in joy. Sir Kreim, who stood at Gax's elbow, declared that Aillas' rule was transitory, and why? The reason, according to Sir Kreim, was well-known: Aillas' sexual perversions had made him sickly and limp. This caused Gax to spit on the floor. I declared this ‘well-known fact' to be a slanderous lie, untrue in every detail. I stated that whoever had imparted such news to Sir Kreim was a debased and dastardly liar, and I advised Kreim never to repeat the allegation lest he be accused of perpetuating the lie.