The Worm Ouroboros by Eric Rücker Eddison (english readers txt) 📕

O Zeldornius. And thereto I plight my troth. This besides, that

Jalcanaius Fostus was turned from battling with thee nine years ago

(as he himself bath told me, and made firm his saying with most

fearful oaths), by intelligence brought him that Helteranius was in

that hour minded to take him in the rear.”

“Ay,” said Spitfire, “and unto this day he marcheth on Helteranius’s

track as thou on his.”

With those words spoken was Zeldornius grown yellow as old parchment,

and his white moustachios bristled like a lion’s. He sat silent

awhile, then, resting upon Juss the cold and steady gaze of his blue

eyes, “The world comes back to me,” he said, “and this memory

therewith, that they of Demonland were truth-tellers whether to friend

or foe, and ever held it shame to cog and lie.” All they bowed gravely

and he said with a great lowe of anger in his eyes, “This Helteranius

deviseth against me, it well appeareth, the self-same treachery

whereof he was falsely accused to Jalcanaius Fostus. There were no

likelier place to crush him than here on Salapanta ridge. If I stand

here to abide his onset, the lie of the ground befriendeth me, and

Jalcanaius cometh at his heels to gather the broken meats after I have

made my feast.”

Brandoch Daha said in Juss’s ear, “Our peacemaking taketh a pretty

turn. Heels i’ the air: monstrous unladylike!”

But nought they could say would move Zeldornius. So in the end they

offered him their backing in this adventure. “And when the day is won,

then shalt thou lend us thy might in our enterprise, and aid us in our

wars with Witchland that be for to come.”

But Zeldornius said, “O Juss and ye lords of Demonland, I yield you

thanks; but ye shall not meddle in this battle. For we came three

captains with our hosts unto this land, and beheld the land, and laid

it under us. Ours it is, and if any meddle or make with us, were we

never so set at enmity one with another, we must join together in his

despite and bring him to bane. Be still then, and behold and see what

birth fate shall bring forth on Salapanta Hills. But if I live,

thereafter shall ye have my friendship and my help in all your

enterprises whatsoever.”

For awhile he sat without speech, his stark veined hands clenched on

the board before him; then rising, went without word to the door of

his pavilion to study the night. Then turned he back to Lord Juss, and

spake to him: “Know that when this moon now past was but three days

old I began to be troubled with a catarrh or rheum which yet troubleth

me; and well thou wottest that whoso falleth sick on the third day of

the moon’s age, he will die. Tonight also is a new moon, and of a

Saturday; and that betokeneth fighting and bloodshed. Also the wind

bloweth from the south; and he that beginneth that game with a south

wind shall have the victory. With such uncertain blackness and

brightness openeth the door of Fate before me.”

Juss bowed his head, and said, “O Zeldornius, thy speech is sooth.”

“I was ever a fighter,” said Zeldornius.

Far into the night sat they in the tent of renowned Zeldornius,

drinking and talking of life and destiny and old wars and the chances

of war and great adventure; and an hour after midnight they parted,

and Juss and Spitfire and Brandoch Daha betook them to their rest in

the watch-tower on the ridge of Salapanta.

On such wise passed three days by, Zeldornius waiting with his army on

the hill, and the Demons supping with him nightly. And on the third

day he drew out his army as for battle, expecting Helteranius. But

neither that day nor the next nor the next day following brought sight

nor tidings of Helteranius, and strange it seemed to them and hard to

guess what turn of fortune had delayed his coming. The sixth night was

overcast, and mirk darkness covered the earth. When supper was done,

as the Demons betook themselves to their sleeping place, they heard a

scuffle and the voice of Brandoch Daha, who went foremost of them,

crying, “Here have I caught a heath-dog’s whelp. Give me a light. What

shall I do with him?”

Men were roused and lights brought, and Brandoch Daha surveyed that

which he held pinioned by the arms, caught by the entrance to the

fortalice: one with scared wild-beast eyes in a swart face, golden

ear-rings in his ears, and a thick close-cropped beard interlaced with

gold wire twisted among its curls; bare-armed, with a tunic of otter-skin and wide hairy trousers cross-stitched with silver thread, a

circlet of gold on his head, and frizzed dark hair plaited in two

thick tails that hung forward over his shoulders. His lips were drawn

back, like a cross-grained dog’s snarling betwixt fear and fierceness,

and his white pointed teeth and the whites of his eyes flashed in the

torchlight.

So they had him with them into the tower, and set him before them, and

Juss said, “Fear not, but tell forth unto us thy name and lineage, and

what brings thee lurking in the night about our lodging. We mean thee

no hurt, so thou practise not against us and our safety. Art thou a

dweller in this Impland, or a wanderer, like as we be, from countries

beyond the seas? Hast thou companions, and if so, where be they, and

what, and how many?”

And the stranger gnashed upon them with his teeth, and said, “O devils

transmarine, mock not but slay.”

Juss entreated him kindly, giving him meat and drink, and in a while

made question of him once more, “What is thy name?”

Whereto he replied, “O devil transmarine, pity of thine ignorance sith

thou know’st not Mivarsh Faz.” And he fell into a great passion of

weeping, crying aloud, “Woe worth the woe that is fallen upon all the

land of Impland!”

“What’s the matter?” said Juss.

But Mivarsh ceased not to wail and to lament, saying, “Out harrow and

alas for Fax Fay Faz and Illarosh Faz and Lurmesh Faz and Gandassa Faz

and all the great ones in the land!” And when they would have

questioned him he cried again, “Curse ye bitterly Philpritz Faz, which

betrayed us into the hand of the devil ultramontane in the castle of

Orpish.”

“What devil is this thou speakest of?” asked Juss.

“He hath come,” he answered, “over the mountains out of the north

country, that alone was able to answer Fax Fay Faz. And the voice of

his speech is like unto the roaring of a bull.”

“Out of the north?” said Juss, giving him more wine, and exchanging

glances with Spitfire and Brandoch Daha. “I would hear more of this.”

Mivarsh drank, and said, “O devils transmarine, ye give me strong

waters which comfort my soul, and ye speak me soft words. But shall I

not fear soft words? Soft words were spoke by this devil ultramontane,

when he and cursed Philpritz spake soft words unto us in Orpish: unto

me, and unto Fax Fay Faz, and Gandassa, and Illarosh, and unto all of

us, after our overthrow in battle against him by the banks of Arlan.”

Juss asked, “Of what fashion is he to look on?”

“He bath a great yellow beard beflecked with gray,” said Mivarsh, “and

a bald shiny pate, and standeth big as a neat.”

Juss spake apart to Brandoch Daha, “There’s matter in it if this be

true.” And Brandoch Daha poured forth unto Mivarsh and bade him drink

again, saying, “O Mivarsh Faz, we be strangers and guests in wide-flung Impland. Be it known to thee that our power is beyond ken, and

our wealth transcendeth the imagination of man. Yet is our benevolence

of like measure with our power and riches, overflowing as honey from

our hearts unto such as receive us openly and tell us that which is.

Only be warned, that if any lie to us or assay craftily to delude us,

not the mantichores that lodge beyond the Moruna were more dreadful to

that man than we.”

Mivarsh quailed, but answered him, “Use me well, you were best, and

you shall hear from me nought but what is true. First with the sword

he vanquished us, and then with subtle words invited us to talk with

him in Orpish, pretending friendship. But they are all dead that

harkened to him. For when he held them closed up in the council room

in Orpish, himself went secretly forth, while his men laid hands on

Gandassa Faz and on Illarosh Faz, and on Fax Fay Faz that was greatest

amongst us, and on Lurmesh Faz, and cut off their heads and set them

up on poles without the gate. And our armies that waited without were

dismayed to see the heads of the Fazes of Impland so set on poles, and

the armies of the devils ultramontane still threatening us with death.

And this big bald bearded devil spake them of Impland fair, saying

these that he had slain were their oppressors and he would give them

their hearts’ desire if they would be his men, and he would make them

free, every man, and share out all Impland amongst them. So were the

common sort befooled and brought under by this bald devil from beyond

the mountains, and now none withstandeth him in all Impland. But I

that had held back from his council in Orpish, fearing his guile,

hardly escaped from my folk that rose against me. And I fled into the

woods and wildernesses.”

“Where last saw ye him?” asked Juss.

Mivarsh answered him, “A three days’ journey northwest of this, at

Tormerish in Achery.”

“What made he there?” asked Juss.

Mivarsh answered, “Still devising evil.”

“Against whom?” asked Juss.

Mivarsh answered, “Against Zeldornius, which is a devil transmarine.”

“Give me some more wine,” said Juss, “and fill again a beaker for

Mivarsh Faz. I do love nought so much as tale-telling anights. With

whom devised he against Zeldornius?”

Mivarsh answered, “With another devil from beyond seas; I have forgot

his name.”

“Drink and remember,” said Juss; “or if ‘tis gone from thee, paint me

his picture.”

“He bath about my bigness,” said Mivarsh, that was little of stature.

“His eyes be bright, and he somewhat favoureth this one,” pointing at

Spitfire, “though belike he bath not all so fierce a face. He is lean-faced and dark of skin. He goeth in black iron.”

“Is he Jalcanaius Fostus?” asked Juss.

And Mivarsh answered, “Ay.”

“There’s musk and amber in thy speech,” said Juss. “I must have more

of it. What mean they to do?”

“This,” said Mivarsh: “As I sat listening in the dark without their

tent, it was made absolute that this Jalcanaius had been deceived in

supposing that another devil transmanne, whom men call Helteranius,

had been minded to do treacherously against him; whereas, as the bald

devil made him believe, ‘twas no such thing. And so it was concluded

that Jalcanaius should send riders after Helteranius to make peace

between them, and that they two should forthwith join to kill

Zeldornius, one falling on him in the front and the other in the

rear.”

“So ‘tis come to this?” said Spitfire.

“And when they have Zeldornius slain,” said Mivarsh, “then must they

help this bald-pate in his undertakings.”

“And so pay him for his redes?” said Juss.

And Mivarsh answered, “Even so.”

“One thing