Mairelon the Magician

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Mairelon the Magician Page 10

by Patricia C. Wrede


  81

  "Blast'" Mairelon said softly as the carnage lurched on by

  "Can you keep up with it, KmP"

  "I don't know about that coach, but 1 can keep up with you

  right enough," Kim answered "But shouldn't we go back and

  tell Hunch where we're gom'5"

  "If we do that, we'll lose it," Mairelon said, ducking under a

  low-hanging branch "You're right, though, Hunch should

  know Why don't you—"

  "1 ain't goin' back now," Kim interrupted in as firm a tone as

  she could manage while trying to follow Mairelon's erratic

  path among the trees

  "All right," Mairelon said to her surprise "But when Hunch

  finds out—look, they're turning off!"

  The coach was indeed easing its way off of the lane and

  into the woods From where Kim stood, it looked almost as if

  the coach were trying to force its way through the trees, but

  when she and Mairelon reached the spot a moment later,

  they found another lane leading into the woods

  "That driver is good," Mairelon commented, eyeing the

  trail "This is hardly more than a deer path "

  "You goin' to stand there jawing or get on after that coacrp"

  Kim asked pointedly "it's gettm' dark "

  "So it is," Mairelon said "Come along "

  The trail wound through the trees almost as erratically as

  Mairelon had, and the curves hid the coach from sight For-

  tunately the imprint of the wheels in the soft ground was easy

  to follow, and they made better time now that they did not

  have to worry about being seen Even so, walking became

  more difficult as the light faded Kim was about to suggest

  that they turn back before they lost their way completely

  when Mairelon stopped

  "Look there!" he said in a low voice, pointing

  Kim, who had been concentrating on following the coach

  tracks through the deepening gloom, looked up Light

  82

  danced among the trees "Some cull's lit a fire on the hill,

  looks like "

  "It does indeed," Mairelon said "And I'll lay you odds that's

  where our coach is headed "

  "Doesn't look tike it to me," Kim said, though without a

  great deal of conviction The trail they followed did not, at

  the moment, appear to head in the direction of the bonfire,

  but that did not mean it would not shift its beanng on the far

  side of the next bend

  "Let's find out, shall we''" Mairelon said with his most

  charming smile, and, turning, he headed for the bonfire

  After a moment's hesitation, Kim followed Sticking with

  Mairelon was certainly safer than trying to continue after the

  coach atone and in the dark, and she was decidedly unin-

  terested in going back to the camp and explaining all this to

  Hunch without Mairelon's support Besides, she was at least

  as curious about the bonfire as she was about the coach and

  Mairelon's interest in it

  "The fire was farther away than it looked, it took ten min-

  utes of brisk walking to reach the foot of the short, steep hill

  with the fire on top Kim was a little surprised at the way the

  hill poked up out of the flat ground, but she supposed that

  things were different in the country than in London The hill

  was bare of trees except for a single large trunk at the top,

  clearly visible in the firelight, and the grassy slope had been

  recently scythed

  Several young men stood around the fire in the positions of

  people waiting for something and rather bored with doing so

  One was staring down the far side of the hill, three others

  squatted over a game of dice, while two more watched and

  contributed unrequested advice, another drank surreptitiously

  from a pocket flask Their voices earned clearly to the edge

  of the forest

  "Meredith's late again," the man with the flask commented

  83

  "So's Robert," one of the others said "Maybe they've got

  better things to do on a cold, damp night like this "

  "What, in the country''" said the man next to him

  "No main," said one of the dicers "Throw again "

  "It's Robert's turn to bring the girls," a fifth man spoke up

  "He'll probably come along with them "

  "1 told you he had something better to do'"

  "Eight for a main," announced the second of the gamblers

  "Shoot again "

  "Robert's coach is just turning in at the lodge," said the

  man who was watching the far side of the hill "He'll be here

  in a minute or two I hope he has sense enough to leave the

  rest of his party there We don't need any bits of muslin

  giggling over the ceremony "

  "Good, that's everyone but Meredith," said the man with

  the flask "We can start without him "

  "Not tonight," the watcher said without turning

  "Burn it, jon, are you going to make us stand here all

  night?" the man with the flask expostulated "Meredith may

  not even come' He's missed meetings before "

  'Two guineas on the fader's point," said one of the dicers

  coolly

  "If you don't like it, Austen, finish your flask and go," the

  watcher said "But remember that you swore an oath—"

  "I didn't know it was going to mean standing out in a cold

  wind in the middle of the night, scorching my boots at a

  great stupid fire while you prose on at me!" Austen said in

  tones of deep indignation

  "If your boots are scorching, you've only yourself to

  blame," said a cheerful voice, and a new figure climbed over

  the far edge of the hill and into the firelight His arms were

  full of something that strongly resembled a very large bundle

  of laundry "You don't see anyone else standing close enough

  to the fire for ashes to fall on his coat, do you?"

  84

  "Ashes!" Austen leaped backward, brushing at his cloak He

  peered closely at his garments, then gave the newcomer a

  reproachful look "Burn it, Robert, if that's your idea of a

  joke—"

  "Don't get in a stew about it," Robert advised him "Here,

  take your robe before I drop the lot of them in the mud "

  This thinly veiled warning caught the attention of the rest

  of the group, and for the next few minutes they crowded

  around the newcomer, laughing and shoving and tugging at

  the bundle in his arms Kim glanced at Mairelon, to see

  whether he had had his fill of watching this strange gather-

  ing By now it was too dark to make out much of his expres-

  sion, but he seemed to be concentrating closely on the hilltop

  group

  "Who are those coves?" Kim whispered

  Mairelon glanced down as if he had just remembered her

  presence "A pack of imbeciles," he answered "And if I'm not

  mistaken—ah, yes See for yourself "

  Kim looked back at the hilltop About half of the men

  were pulling long, baggy, light-colored robes over their

  heads "They look like Bedlamites to me," Kim muttered

  "Who—"

  "Sshi" Mairelon said as the man called Jon said something

  to Robert that Kim did not catch

  "No, I didn't," Robert said, evidently answering Jon's ques-
>
  tion "The girls and the robes were almost more than I could

  manage as it was I left it with Meredith after the last meet-

  ing "

  "And Meredith's still not here " Jon's voice sounded gnm

  "If he doesn't come, you're for it, Robert"

  "How much longer are you planning to wait, Jon?" one of

  the white-robed men asked "Have we got time for a few

  more throws?"

  "Can't you think of anything but your dice?" Jon snarled

  85

  The man gave a cheerful, unrepentant shrug "Well, there's

  the doxies at the lodge, but I have the feeling you wouldn't

  like that much of a delay "

  Some of the others laughed Jon looked as if he were about

  to explode, but before he could deliver whatever rebuke he

  had in mind, Austen said, "There! Isn't that him?"

  Heads turned, and someone said, "That's Freddy, all right

  Nobody else sits a horse that badly, you can spot him even in

  the dark "

  "Hurry it up, Meredith'" Austen shouted

  "Quiet, you foot'" Jon said, rounding on him "Do you

  want to be heard from here to the village? Do you want peo-

  ple to come spying on our Sacred Rites'?"

  "Oh, really, Jon, don't get carried away," Robert said

  "There's a dozen light-skirts in the lodge who can see us from

  the windows if they want to bother"

  "They are here by our permission," Jon said loftily

  His dignified effect was spoiled by someone at the back of

  the group, who snickered and said audibly, "I should hope

  so'"

  Jon glared around him, but could not locate the speaker

  He turned away, and a moment later another figure came

  panting over the crest of the hill Robert handed him the

  last of the robes, and he struggled into it hastily while the

  others pointed out the difficulties his tardiness had caused

  them

  "Didn't mean to be so late," said the newcomer in a muffled

  voice from halfway inside his robe "i had to make a stop

  on the way here "

  "There will be time to hear your explanations later, Mer-

  edith," Jon said "Now we must begin To your places, gen-

  tlemen'"

  The white-robed figures spread out in a circle around the

  fire and drew the hoods of their robes up over their heads It

  86

  made them look suddenly eerie, almost terrifying, and Kirn

  shivered slightly One of the anonymous figures raised his

  arms above his head, and Jon's voice cried loudly, "By the

  Sacred Oak, and Ash, and Thorn' By the Three Wise Birds

  and the Three Generous Kings' By the Ineffable Name Itself'

  The rites of the Sons of the New Dawn are now begun'"

  87

  NINE

  '^•w-^' •-I— he white-robed figures lowered their

  JS^L^^ 1 heads and began a strange, droning chant.

  f ' Kim shuddered again as sonorous phrases

  drifted down the hill, and she jumped when Mairelon

  touched her arm.

  "I'm going to see if 1 can get a little closer," Mairelon said,

  looking at her quizzically. "You can wait here, if you're feel-

  ing jumpy."

  "Wait here, with them frog-makers up there mumblin'

  spells?" Kim whispered indignantly- "What do you take me

  for?"

  Mairelon snorted. "Spells? Don't be ridiculous. That's the

  most preposterous rigmarole I've ever had the misfortune to

  have to listen to Don't let it worry you."

  "Why not?"

  "Because they're mixing magic at random, from the sound

  of it Half of it's Welsh, half of it's Scottish, and half of it's

  cribbed from someone's classical education, with a few things

  that are entirely out of someone's imagination thrown in for

  88

  good measure- They'll never get anywhere if that's the tack

  they're taking "

  "That's too many halves," Kim said, frowning- "And what-

  ever it is, it sounds pretty impressive to me." The words

  didn't have the crystalline quality of Mairelon's magic, but

  they had a portentous power of their own that was just as

  striking.

  "That's because you've never read Homer in the original

  Creek," Mairelon said. His attention had returned to the hill-

  top, where the white robes were now marching solemnly

  around the fire. Kim reached for his arm, anticipating his next

  move, but she was an instant too late, Mairelon slipped out of

  the trees and started up the hill, crouching low to avoid the

  firelight. With a sigh and a string of mental curses, Kim fol-

  lowed-

  To her relief, Mairelon did not try to sneak all the way up

  to the edge of the hilltop. He stopped about halfway up the

  slope, near enough to hear every word clearly but still well

  below the level where a casual glance might see a careless

  silhouette. Kim stopped beside him and flattened herself

  against the ground. Mairelon looked at her, then, with visible

  reluctance, did the same-

  The cold and damp seemed to penetrate Kirn's clothes al-

  most instantly. She ignored the discomfort as best she could,

  knowing from years of Mother Tibb's somewhat irregular

  training that an unnecessary movement was likely to attract

  unwanted attention. Beside her, Mairelon lay Just as mo-

  tionless, and Kim tried to distract herself by wondering where

  he had learned the trick. Had someone told him about it

  when he went off to spy on the French, or had he figured it

  out for himself the hard way?

  The chanting stopped at last, and Kim heard Jen's voice

  89

  announce, "So is the beginning ended, and the Central Mys-

  teries begun "

  A murmur of agreement rose from the assembled figures As

  the muttering died, Jon went on in a much brisker tone,

  'Tonight we are to dedicate the Sacred Dish, the first of the

  Four Holy Things Austen, you're the Bearer; George, you

  and Quembly-Stark can do the Escorts, and Robert can act

  as—"

  "Uh, Jonathan, I'm afraid there's a bit of a problem," some-

  one put in tentatively

  "You forgot to bring the dish, didn't you?" Jon snapped

  "Well, I'm not putting off the ceremony again just because

  you have a bad memory, Meredith This time you can just

  nde home and bring it back "

  "That'll take hours'" someone else objected "Especially

  if he came on that broken-down nag of his; the creature

  can't move above a trot even with a good nder in the

  saddle "

  "As long as we can wait down at the lodge instead of

  up here in the wind, who cares?" another of the men re-

  torted

  "No reason to wait at all," Meredith said. Cautiously Kirn

  raised her head As she had expected, all eyes were on the

  bland and rather foolish-looking Meredith "I can't get the

  thing, you see," Meredith explained "So there's no point in

  my going back, and no reason to wait "

  "Can't get it?" Jon's voice rose He put back his hood

  and glared at Meredith "What do you mean, you can't

  get it?"

  "I just can't," Meredith answered with dogged stub-

  bornness
"That's all, and there it is No use going on at me

  about it, might as well finish up and go on down to the

  lodge"

  "Explain this this recalcitrancel" Jon commanded

  90

  "Yes, Freddy, just why is it that you can't bring the dish out

  tonight?" Robert asked

  "If you must know, I haven't got it any more," Meredith

  said "Now can we go down to the lodge and eat?"

  Jon goggled at him, all but speechless with rage. "You

  haven't got it?"

  "Got a problem with your ears, Jon?" Meredith asked with

  interest "M'grandfather's been having a bit of trouble that

  way, but you expect it in a man his age "

  "What have you done with the Sacred Disb?" Jon grated

  "Lost it in a card game," Meredith said "Debt of honor,

  pay or play, you know So it's gone "

  "How dared you'" Jon shouted, waving his arms for empha-

  s'ls "That dish was ours, the property of the entire Order'

  How dared you even think to appropriate it for your own

  uses'"

  "Actually it wasn't," Meredith said almost apologetically

  "Wasn't what, Freddy?" Robert asked

  "Wasn't the property of the Order Bought it myself, never

  been paid Logically the thing was mine All quite in order "

 

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