The Knight

“He isn’t.” Mani jumped to the top of a boulder. “He was with Idnn when she waved, but that other knight came running, and I thought the least I could do was come down here to meet you. She didn’t want me around right then anyway.”

Uri said, “I am surprised you knew it.”

“Meaning I’m intruding on a tete-a-tete between you and my own dear much admired master, the renowned knight Sir Able of the High Heart. He has only to ask me to leave, and I’ll vanish in a flash of black far lovelier than your own dingy whatever-it-is color. Master?”

“You may remain if you choose.”

“A lawful decision.” It was Mani’s turn to grin. “The law being that the cat may do whatever he wants. You are his slave, young woman? I believe I overheard you say that.”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’m his cat, a much higher post.”

I motioned to Uri. “Uns is coming around that last bend, so unless you really don’t care if he sees you—”

She slipped off the stallion and stood under its head. “Baki is returning our tools, and I came to tell you your dog is free.”

“Is he coming back here?”

“No thanks for a hard task well done? I told her you’d be ungrateful.”

“I’m grateful. Very grateful. But I’d hoped to thank you both together, and we haven’t much time.”

“I’ll run down and see to it that Uns falls over me,” Mani suggested.

Uri sneered. “He cannot see two strides ahead. Just look at him.”

I did, and he was bent nearly to the ground. “I’ll put the saddle back on the horse when he gets here.”

“He is a true man, at least, just as I am a true Aelf.”

Mani made a cat-noise of contempt.

“But your dog is something more, Lord, and this cat is less natural than I.”

“The Bodachan gave Gylf to me,” I said, “he says they raised him from a puppy.”

“But was he theirs to give? They fear cold iron.”

A hundred steep strides down the War Way Uns called, “Master! Sar Able! Wait up!”

Chapter 60. What Did You See?

He had sounded out of breath, and it occurred to me that he might have been calling like that without my hearing him for an hour or more. “I’m waiting,” I yelled, “and we’ll put that saddle back on him when you get here.” I looked around for Uri.

“She skedaddled,” Mani told me, “though I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s hanging around to spy on us.”

“I wanted to ask her whether Gylf was coming back,” I explained. “As a matter of fact, I did ask her. She just didn’t answer.”

“I can,” Mani declared. “Ask me.”

“You can’t possibly—” I looked down the road again, but saw only Uns. “All right, I will. Is Gylf coming back here?”

“Of course not. I know you won’t take my information seriously, but no, he isn’t.”

I just stared at him.

“You want to know how I know,” Mani continued. “Well, I know the same way you ought to yourself. I know because I know your dog. Better than you do, obviously. You sent him to find this Pouk?”

“Yes. You were there.”

“So was Sir Garvaon, so you two didn’t talk. But if you sent that dog to hunt Pouk, he’ll hunt Pouk ’til you tell him not to. Or until he loses the trail completely and has to slink back and report his failure.”

Uns caught up with us soon after that; and I took the saddle from him, put it on the lame stallion, and mounted. Mani had jumped onto the saddlebow while I was tightening the cinch.

“You need a rest,” I told Uns. “I’m going to join Lord Beel and his daughter, and Sir Garvaon, in the pass. After that, we’ll come back down. I want you to wait for us right here.”

Uns shook his head stubbornly. “My place’s wid you, Sar Able. Be long quick’s I kin.”

“As you like,” I told him, and touched my heels to the stallion’s sides.

He made off at a limping trot; and when Uns was no longer in sight, I said, “I suppose you think I’m mean.”

“Well, he is crippled,” Mani conceded, “but I have a firm policy. Never feel sorry for birds, mice, or squirrels. Or for men, women, or children save for a few close friends.”

“It’s because he’s crippled that I treat him as harshly as I do,” I explained. “He could have gone on living with his mother, and done little or no work, and his brother would have continued to take care of him when she was gone. That was why he left.”

“I know the feeling,” Mani said. “Every so often you want to get outside and hunt for yourself.”

“Exactly.” We were nearly at the pass, and I slowed the stallion to a walk. “He wants to be useful—to do real work, and sweat and strain and share his master’s fortunes.”

Mani remained silent.

“I’ve made myself a knight. That’s high up for a poor kid that lost his folks early. Uns is scared he may never have a spot at all. I’m trying to show him that he’s got one—that somebody wants him around for what he can do, and not just because they feel sorry for him.”

“Over here, Sir Able!” It was Beel’s servingman. “His Lordship is waiting for you.”

I neck-reined the limping white stallion, who picked his way reluctandy among the rocks.

“Were you speaking to me before I hailed you, Sir Able? If so, I couldn’t hear you. I apologize for it most humbly, Sir Able.”