Relaxing, Eudoric allowed himself a small smile. "I have, my lord," he said, adding to Brulard: "Shall I repeat what I said this morning?" Receiving assent, he plunged into his sales pitch.
When he had finished, the King pursed his full lips and nodded. " 'Tis a plausible scheme, Sir Edric. We shall give it our accord—if and provided that you first do us a certain service."
"What are—what is that, my lord?"
"Know that we have an unwed sister, hight Yolanda. Woman though she be, she hath the mind of a man in matters of statecraft. Some months agone, we sent her with an escort westward, to King Gwennon of Armoria, with whom we have certain differences. These Yolanda sought to resolve. Although the maid was an ambassador of the greatest kingdom the world hath ever seen, we learn that the losel hath clapped her up in durance vile. Such an affront is not to be born!
"And so, Sir Doricus, your task lies plain before you. Get you to Armoria and return with our sister, and you shall have our permission to prolongate your coach line hither. If you do not, then your petition shall be rejected out of hand."
After an appalled hesitation, Eudoric said: "But, my lords! Why me? I know little enough of Franconia, let alone the lands along the Western Ocean. Why not one of your own warriors?"
"As the world's most chivalrous, mighty, and brave," said the King, "the gentlemen of our court are too far-famed."
"Or, perchance," interjected Brulard with a cynically raised eyebrow, "they are less fearless than they vaunt themselves to be,"
"Enough, Brulard!" said the King. "Mind thy place. To answer your question, Sir Eutheric, the presence of our renowned cavaliers would instant suspicion excite. So we must needs delegate the task to some auspicious foreigner, to wit: yourself."
Eudoric asked: "Would not the Armorians be even more suspicious of my appearance amongst them?"
"You can tell them you scout the land for a stagecoach route, as you do now in Franconia."
Eudoric looked narrowly at the King. "If, Your Majesty, your realm be the whole world's mightiest, why cannot you march your army into Armoria?"
Frowning, the King turned to his minister. "Explain it, Brulard."
"The difficulty, Sir Eudoric," said the Secretary, "is that, imprimis, King Gwennon hath a prow army of's own; he were no easy nut to crack. Secundus, he is in an alliance with the Empire of Celtica, which rules not only the Celtic isles beyond that strait we call the Sleeve, but also the lands along the ocean south of Armoria. Tertius, the demesne of the Duke of Dorelia lies athwart the path that our army should follow perforce.
"Relations with Dorelia have been uneasy of late. I'll not ensnare you in a net of details. Suffice it to say that we would fain not drive Dorelia to open rebellion—at least, not until our forces more assuredly overmatch his."
Duke Sigibert of Dorelia, Eudoric knew, was the most powerful noble in Franconia. While nominally subject to King Clothar, he was in fact an almost independent sovran, who kept his quasi-autonomy by playing off his powerful neighbors, the kings of Franconia, Celtica, and Armoria, one against the other.
"Besides the which," the King added, "Gwennon holds our sister hostage and might well slay her ere we could rescue her."
"Your Majesty," ventured Eudoric. "I must ask: What is—what are a—the difficulties betwixt Your Royal Highness and the King of Armoria? Why has he imprisoned your sister? I cannot do aught, going into this royal dispute in a blindfold."
The King sighed and looked appealingly at Brulard, who took up the discourse. "It began, Sir Eudoric, with a dispute over perry."
"Excuse, pray. What is perry?"
"A drink they make in Armoria; pear cider, in fact. Know ye what cider be?"
"Aye, sir. But wherefore ..."
"To replenish our coffers and quiet the plaints of our vintners, who claimed that imports of perry spoilt their trade in wine, we enacted a tariff on such imports and in so doing roused the wrath of King Gwennon. When we refused his insolent demand to abolish this just and reasonable tariff, Gwennon declared an embargo on importation of wine. So the Armorians, whose climate is too cold and wet to be suitable for the growing of grapes, are compelled to comfort themselves with beer and perry, which is fine for those who relish the stuff. Thereupon, naturally, we imposed an embargo upon all perry from Armoria."
"But what have—has that to do with His Majesty's sister?"
Brulard shrugged. "We know not the details. The princess was sent to sound out King Gwennon on a treaty concerning imports of wine and perry. In addition, Gwennon had previously invited Yolanda, who is something of a seer, to take a post as the King's occult adviser. Ere she departed on her mission, the princess averred that she would think deeply on that monarch's offer.
"We know not how things went awry with the mission. Thrice we have written Gwennon, demanding satisfaction; but no reply have we had—not even one from Gwennon's jester, who, 'tis said, doth truly rule the kingdom as Gwennon's minister. A valorous knight of our court, Sir Clivain, volunteered to go to her rescue; but he had scarce set foot in Armoria when the King's men seized him and offered him the choice of leaving the kingdom instanter or being hanged."
The last thing Eudoric wished to do was to set off on a wild-goose chase in pursuit of an unknown woman, when he should be promoting his proper business. Were it not better to slip away quietly back to his home and be satisfied with what he had? On the other hand ...
"Your Majesty," he inquired, "said you not that your sister was unwed?"
"Aye, Sir Ruderic."
"I pray, tell me about this lady. If I undertake quest, my lord, shall need all information I can get."
The king bit his lip in thought. "Our sister is three years our junior and a woman of eminent gifts and royal bearing. As for her person, behold!" He unbuttoned some of the silver buttons at his throat and displayed a miniature suspended on a golden chain. Hoisting the chain over his head, he passed the miniature to Eudoric.
The picture, set in an oval frame of gold and surrounded by sparkling diamonds, showed a beautiful, strong-featured, brown-haired woman; but Eudoric could not make out much detail from the miniature. Besides, he felt sure that the painter had depicted the lady, not necessarily as she was, but as she wished to appear.
Still for one who, like Eudoric, was actively seeking a wife, a chance to place a king's attractive sister under obligation was not to be scorned, although he thought a woman nearer his rank in the feudal hierarchy would prove a more suitable mate than a royal. While Eudoric hesitated, Brulard spoke:
"And by the bye, Sir Eudoric, think not that we make a leap in the dark by nominating you. We have investigated your history and know somewhat of your deeds of dought in distant lands. Ye are indeed the rational choice."
Eudoric sighed. He had the uneasy sense that events were rushing along too fast to control. So much for the name of a hero! It would do no good to protest that his repute was founded more on luck than on prowess. Although this was true, the Fran-conians would merely accuse him of false modesty. He said:
"Very well, my lords. I will undertake mission." Brulard looked at the King, saying: "Ere we strike hands upon the bargain, were it not prudent to have Tsudai inspect him for sincerity?"
Clothar sniffed. "That old he-witch! An unbelieving mountebank from some far, uncivilized land, where doubtless men have tails beneath their trews."
"Sire, remember the good advice he gave us in the matter of Dorelia's—"
"Oh, do as you list." To a guard, the King said: "See if Doctor Tsudai be in his cabinet. If so, bid him hither."
Awaiting the return of the guard, Eudoric said: "Your Majesty, if I take up quest, I shall need money."