The Knight

“I see. Well, I’ve told Papounce and Garvaon that I would do this, so I suppose I’ll have to go through with it. Try to restrain yourself.”

“I will, My Lord.”

Beel gnawed his lips while I finished a piece of smoked sturgeon. When I wiped my mouth, he said, “You may depart, Sir Able, if you’ve had enough to eat.”

I shook my head. “You didn’t send Lady Idnn away so we could talk about shooting at a mark, My Lord. What is it?”

Beel hesitated. “I nearly raised this topic when we first met. When Crol brought you in. You remember that day, I’m sure.”

“Sure.”

Beel sighed. “I spoke of Svon then. He is a distant cousin of mine, as I said.” I nodded, wondering what was coming.

“He seeks to become a knight. No higher distinction lies open to him.” Beel left his seat to go to the doorway of his pavilion and look out at the rocks and snow-mantled peaks. He was still holding that roll of parchment. When he turned back, I said, “I have never stood in his way, My Lord.”

“He quarreled with your servant. He told me so. Your servant beat him and drove him off. Did I tell you that?”

“I knew it, Your Lordship. I don’t believe I learned it from you.”

“Perhaps you learned it from Svon himself?”

I shook my head.

“You learned of it from another traveler, then.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“This is awkward, and I am by no means certain I can do justice to it. You have seen my daughter Idnn.”

“Yes, Your Lordship. A beautiful young lady.”

“Precisely. She is very young, and delicate of form as of feature. Could your servant beat her? If he chose?”

I had to think about that one—not about the answer, but about where he was going with it. Finally I said, “I hope he would never do such a thing, My

Lord. I know Pouk well and he’s got his faults, but he’s not cruel or brutal.”

“He could do it if he chose?”

“Of course, My Lord, if I were not there to prevent him. Pouk is twenty or so, and strong and active.”

“Just so. Let us suppose it has occurred. My daughter would feel deeply shamed at having been beaten by a churl. But she would feel no shame at all because the churl had been able to defeat her. No sensible person would suppose that a delicate girl like Idnn could enter the lists with an active man of twenty.”

I nodded.

“When Svon was a boy of ten, he might have felt the same way and been justified in his feelings. What troubles me ... One thing that troubles me is that

Svon appeared to feel so now. He would be a knight. If Duke Marder were to offer him the accolade, the golden spurs and the rest of it, he would accept at once. How would you feel if this servant of yours were to beat you?” I tried to talk. It seemed like I was choking.

“Exactly. I am no warlike man, Sir Able. While you were learning the craft of knighthood, I was learning to read and to write, history, languages, and the rest of it. If Sir Garvaon, let us say, and I were to come to blows, I should feel no shame about being beaten. But a servant? I would whet my sword and seek a second encounter.”

“I’m glad Svon didn’t, My Lord.”

“Are you? For Svon’s sake?”

“You shame me, My Lord. He was—he is—my squire. I’ve got a duty to him.” Beel nodded, making a steeple of his fingers. “I have told you this because I feel you are a man of honor. It may be that Svon will return to you. If so, you may be able to do something. I hope so.”

“I’ll try, My Lord. Just how it might be done ... Well, I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.” I got up.

Beel indicated the folding chair. “Since you chose to remain, we have other matters to discuss. I will try not to keep you from your bed too long.” I sat down again.

“Svon told me that you had set a demon on his track. Are you surprised?”

“I am, My Lord. I—I believe I know what he means by that, but I did no such thing. May I explain?”

“I invite it.”

“I have another servant, My Lord. His name is Org. He is no demon.” The thin smile returned. “One meets neither demons nor dragons in the worlds above Aelfrice, Sir Able. That’s one of the things I learned while you were being taught to manage a shield. I did not say Svon was pursued here by a demon, only that he had said he was, and said you had done it.”

“I didn’t, My Lord. But I have reason to believe that when Svon left, Org went with him. He might be an unpleasant traveling companion, My Lord.”

“Is this Org a large, strong man? Big shoulders?”

I sort of picked my way among words. “He’s big and very strong, My Lord.

He’s bigger than I am and his shoulders are wider than mine.”

“You did not set him on Svon?”

“No, My Lord. I wasn’t there when Svon and Pouk fought and separated.

May I try to guess?”

“Please do.”

“Maybe Org is afraid Svon will try to hurt me somehow, and he’s following him to stop him.”

Beel nodded. “That seems likely enough. Svon was going back to Sheerwall, so he told me. He dined with us, bought a mount, and stayed the night. It would have been a fortnight ago. Something like that.”

I nodded.