Geoffrey's head snapped up. "Aye, thou hast the right of it!"
"And thou children art like to be caught in the warring," Puck said. "I like it not."
"Yet we are like to be caught in such warring in any case." Cordelia spread her hands. "Would not we be marked, Puck?"
The elf was silent for a moment. Then, slowly, he nodded. "I had not thought to set spies to watch thy house."
"Thought!" Kelly scoffed. "Wherefore would ye need to think? If there be great lumbering fools sitting out in the forest watching the High Warlock's house, how could elves fail to notice them?"
"There's truth in that," Puck agreed, and turned to the children. "Yet these enemies of thy father's have spells we wot not of, with which they can watch."
The children were quiet. Then Cordelia said, in a very small voice, "Dost thou say we ought not to go home?"
"I misdoubt me of it," Puck said grimly, "yet I'll set elves to watching for watchers."
"Then where can we hide?" Gregory asked.
"In any place," Puck answered, "yet never for more than one night."
"Then Count Glynn's castle is as good as any other," Geoffrey insisted. "We have but to defeat one giant, to hide there."
"How shalt thou?" a huge voice roared, and a net of thick ropes dropped down over them.
Kelly howled, darted through the mesh, and ran. Puck disappeared. The unicorn tossed her head, knocking the net aside, and bolted, with Gregory and Cordelia on her back— but Groghat swung his stick like a baseball bat, knocking the two children off. They slammed to the ground. Pain stabbed through their sides, from head to hip, and the world seemed to swim about them. They heard Groghat's hoarse bellow and Fess's screaming whinny of rage, abruptly cut off with a huge crash.
"Thou hast hurted him!" Geoffrey cried, thrashing against the mesh. "Fiend! Thou hast broke our father's horse!"
"I'll break more, ere I'm done," Groghat bellowed. He scooped up Cordelia and Gregory with one huge hand, tossed
them into the net with their brothers, and yanked on a draw string. The whole net shut up like a bag. Groghat threw it over his shoulder with a roar of laughter and strode off over the fields, chanting a victory song.
Jumbled in together, jouncing with every step, the children held a conference that the giant couldn't hear.
He is large, Geoffrey admitted, yet there is but the one of him.
And he hath but four limbs, Magnus agreed.
And but one brain, Gregory pointed out. Gently, 'Delia!
Big Sister had him bundled against her tummy for cushioning, to protect him from the jouncing. As gently as I can, babe. Hold tightly to me.
Nay, siblings, Magnus thought. We have slain a vile sorcerer, and restored him to life again…
More's the pity, Geoffrey added.
And from him, Gregory continued, we have learned a spell for causing great pain.
Never shall we use it! Magnus thought instantly. Then he reconsidered. Mayhap—for Groghat…
He is ours, not we his, Geoffrey said, with finality. He looked around, frowning through the mesh. Puck did but now say we would not lack for guards—yet I see him not, nor Kelly neither.
Thou wouldst not, Magnus reasoned, yet be certain—an we cannot finish what we begin, they will.
Cordelia's thoughts were tinged with blood. An he hath broke our Fess…
I misdoubt me of that, Magnus thought back at her. Fess hath been in many battles, and hath scarcely lost horsehair. Yet he will need one to turn him on again.
Aye. Geoffrey glowered. Naetheless, I am not therefore minded to spare this foul giant. What say you, brothers and sister? Shall we slay him now, or later?
They were quiet for a moment.
Nay! Geoffrey protested. Surely thou dost not truly think to let him live!
For a while, at least, Cordelia thought.
Aye, Magnus agreed. We did wish to go to Castle Glynn, did we not? Wherefore ought we not let him take us there?
Then, too, Gregory added, I have never seen a real giant before.
Yet it was not Castle Glynn that Groghat brought them to, but a craggy old ruin deep in the forest.
He stamped into the great hall, halted before a fireplace where a huge fire roared, loosed the drawstring, and upended the bag. The children squawked as they hit the floor, and Groghat crowed, "Now, then! I've new toys to play with!"
The children picked themselves up, and there was murder in Geoffrey's eye. Magnus laid a restraining hand on his arm and said, "Hast thou never had playmates, then?"
For a moment, there was a lost, frozen look in Groghat's eyes. Then it thawed into a grin, and Magnus noticed that the giant's eyeteeth were longer than any of his other teeth. "Thou art the toys, not the players," Groghat growled.
"Indeed." Geoffrey cocked his head to the side with the dangerous glint still in his eye. "What game wilt thou play? Ninepins?"
"Jackstraws, more likely," Groghat grunted. "What, child! Dost not realize thou art in danger of thy life?"
Geoffrey simply stared at him.
Magnus said quickly, "There are many things we do not realize. We are, after all, but innocents in a rough world. Wilt thou not explain to us?"
For a moment, Groghat seemed baffled. Then he looked suspicious. "What manner of things?"
"Why, many things." Magnus was all innocence.
Groghat sat on a bench slowly, leaning back on a table with one elbow, eyeing them warily.
"Poor giant." Cordelia fairly oozed sympathy. "Thou hast had little of gaming in thy life, hast thou not?"
"What need have I of games?" Groghat rumbled.
"But who hath not?" Magnus spread his hands. "I'll wager thou hast never even played at riddles!"
"Riddles?" Groghat frowned. "What game is this?"
"Why, 'tis simply done." Cordelia beamed. "One of us will tell a riddle, and if thou canst not puzzle it out, thou must needs answer any question we ask."
"Thus will we gain knowledge," Magnus said brightly, "and thou wilt gain amusement."
Groghat sat there gazing at them for a long moment, and Magnus began to think they might have stretched their luck too far. Then the giant rumbled, "It may prove amusing, in truth. Well, then, as thou wilt. What is thy riddle?"
They all heaved a sigh of relief. Then Magnus recited,
"Arthur O'Bower has broken his band; He comes roaring up the land. The King of Scots, with all his power, Cannot turn Arthur O'Bower."
"Aye!" Cordelia cried, glints dancing in her eyes. "Say to us, then—what is this Arthur O'Bower?"
Groghat's brow knotted in consternation, and the children waited in suspenseful silence while the giant gazed into the fire. Finally he turned to Magnus with a look of impatience. " 'Tis nonsense! No one man could stand against all the might of a King, especially an he hath broken with his band of men!"
"Nay, certes 'tis nonsense," Magnus agreed. '"'Tis all for fun."
"Aye, it is that," Groghat agreed reluctantly. "Tell me, then—what is Arthur O'Bower?"
"Why, the wind!"
"Wind…" Groghat stared at them for a moment.
Then he threw back his head, roaring a laugh. "Nay, of course! Now I see, now I know how this game is played! Nay, then, let me ask thee one!"
"Nay!" Magnus held up a palm. "First, our question! One question that thou wilt answer, ere we ask another riddle!"
"Dost thou not remember?" Cordelia urged.