The Knight

“I don’t believe you ever promised to work for me,” I told her, “or if you did, it was just a promise. You never swore or anything.”

“L-Lord,you are wrong. I swore it in my heart, where you could not hear me.”

After that I wanted to know about sailors, because I was still thinking about the bones I had found. I asked Garsecg if they saw the island the same way he and I had, and if they climbed way up here.

“This is the island they see.” He waved his hand to show me what he meant.

Without sitting up, the other Aelfmaiden said, “You d-did not see all when you were in A-Aelfrice, Lord.”

“Okay, not the top or the other side, but I’m not sure that makes a lot of difference. Do you Aelf leave bones when you die, the way we do?”

Both of them said no, and Garsecg wanted to know why I was asking about it.

“When I carried Disiri I thought she was just a regular human woman. Did I tell you about that?”

“No,” Garsecg said. “Nor did your dog, who confided that you had spoken often of your love for her when I was loath to come and heal you.”

“Did you think I’d be afraid of you?” I asked him.

“No, I feared you would attack us, as so many of your kind do.”

“Well, I didn’t. Anyway, I never had carried a woman before, and I thought she’d weigh a lot more than she did. She wasn’t much heavier than a little kid, even though she was ... You know.” I made curves with my hands.

Garsecg smiled. “You shape a viola d’amore of air.”

“If you say so. The thing is, I liked it and the real Disira wasn’t anywhere near as nice. I liked it a lot.”

“You were intended to.”

“I guess. Only just now I found bones over there where you sent me to get the cup, and I thought it must have been one of the sailors you’d talked about, because the Aelf are so light and change shape. But I wanted to make sure.”

Garsecg said, “I doubt it.”

“Well, if they’re human bones ...”

“They were the bones of a woman. Before you woke, I found the pelvis. The pelvis always settles that question.”

“I wouldn’t think you’d know about that.”

“Because we see no human bones? I wish that you were correct. Do you also suppose that though your men sometimes enjoy Aelfmaidens, we in Aelfrice are never favored by human women?”

Baki wanted water too, and I brought her some. Her hands shook too bad for her to drink until I held the cup for her. I was thinking about Garsecg and what he had said and how he had sounded while she was drinking, and when she was finished I said it was none of my business, but maybe he had known some human girls?

“Yes, and seen their bones.”

I said, “I’m sorry.” I did not know what else to say.

“So am I. You are still young, Sir Able. You’ll find that life is a cruel business.”

“Let’s not make it any worse. Were you wanting to go down to those armories now?”

Garsecg shook his head.

“That’s good, because I’m not going to leave them until they feel better.”

When I said that, Baki whispered, “I’ll go with you.”

“As far as the armories, maybe. I think that ought to be all right.”

“Wherever you go, Lord.” Baki’s voice was so weak I could hardly hear her.

A voice like that should not scare anybody, but it scared me. I said, “Are you talking about going to fight Kulili? That’s crazy.”

“Wherever you go ...”

Garsecg said, “Do not argue with her, Sir Able. You’ll tire her.”

“All right.” I had way too much to think about, but I was trying to think about it just the same. “You said I was still young, and you’re right. I’m younger than you probably think. I don’t know if I told you I’d been to Aelfrice twice before, only one time I don’t remember it. We’re going to have lots of time now, it seems like. So I’d like to tell you.”

“Then do so.”

“Like I said, I don’t remember it. It’s not like I lost track of the time, I lost track of everything. I don’t know who I talked to, or what I did. I told a lady named Parka about it when I got back. It seemed like she was one of the Overcyns or something. Do you know her?”

He shook his head.

“She said I was supposed to know about the wrongs of the Aelf so I’d tell people up here. Did you know me when I was in Aelfrice before?”

“No. Do you think the Aelf stole your memories?”

“I guess they must have.”

“I cannot be certain,” Garsecg said thoughtfully, “but it seems more probable this being you call Parka did it. Why should the Aelf complain to you and cause you to forget it?”

“I told her I didn’t like them. It didn’t make her mad or anything.”

His eyebrows went up. “Do you still feel that way?”

I shook my head.

“That is well. I was going to explain that it would be pointless of the Aelf to rob you of your memories when there was something they wished you to remember.”

“Can you do it? Take memories away?”

“I cannot. Some say I am wiser than any Aelf, but I do not know a way to do that. What memories would you like to discard?”

“About America. My real name, and living there.”

Uri said, “Is America your real name?”

“It’s a place where I used to live. That was before I went to Aelfrice the first time.”

Garsecg said, “A bad place, since you would forget it if you could.”