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

since there’s no reason for’t.”

“Lord,” said Gro, “in all argument and wise prevision you have quite

o’erset me. Yet my heart misgives me. You would ride to Galing. You

have ta’en an horse therefor with never a star in’s forehead. Instead,

I see there is a cloud in’s face; and such prove commonly furious,

dogged, full of mischief and misfortune.”

They came down now upon the Way of Kings. Westward before them lay the

marshes, with the great bulk of Carcë eight or ten miles distant their

chiefest landmark, and the towers of Tenemos breaking the level

horizon line beyond it. The King, after a long silence, looked down on

Gro. His lean rugged countenance was outlined darkly against the sky,

terrible and proud. “Thou too,” said he, “shalt be in this faring to

Demonland. Laxus shall have sway afloat, since that is his element of

water. Gallandus shall be secretary to Corsus, and thou shalt be with

them in their counsels. But the main command, as I have decreed, lieth

in Corsus. I’ll not crop his authority, no, not by an hair’s breadth.

Sith Juss hath called the main, I will go hazard with Corsus. If I

throw out with him, Hell rot him for a false die. But ‘tis not such a

cast shall cast away all my fortune. I have a langret in my purse

shall cross-bite for me i’ the end and win me all, howsoe’er the

Demons cog against me.”

So ended that day’s sporting. And that day, and the next, and near a

month thereafter was the Duke Corsus busied up and down the land

preparing his great armament. And on the fifteenth day of July was the

fleet busked and boun in Tenemos Roads, and that great army of five

thousand men-at-arms, with horses and all instruments of war, marched

from their camp without Carcë down to the sea.

First of them went Laxus with his guard of mariners, he wearing the

crown of Pixyland and they loudly acclaiming him as king and Gorice of

Witchland as his overlord. A gallant man he seemed, ready-looking and

hard, well-armed, with open countenance and bright seaman’s eyes, and

brown, crisp, curly beard and hair. Next came the main foot army

heavy-armed with axe and spear and the short Witchland hanger, yeomen

and farmers from the low lands about Carcë or from the southern

vineyards or the hill country against Pixyland: burly swashing

fellows, rough as bears, hardy as wild oxen, agile as an ape; four

thousand fighting men chose out by Corsus up and down the land as best

for this great conquest. The sons of Corsus, Dekalajus and Gorius,

rode abreast before them with twenty pipers piping a battle song.

Surely the tramp of that great army on the paven way was like the

tramp of Fate moving from the east. Gorice the King, sitting in state

on the battlements above the water-gate, sniffed with his nostrils as

a lion at the scent of blood. It was early morn, and the wind hung

southerly, and the great banners, blue and green and purple and gold,

each with an iron crab displayed above it, flaunted in the sun.

Now came four or five companies of horse, four hundred or more in all,

with brazen armour and bucklers and glancing spears; and last of all,

Corsus himself with his picked legion of five hundred veterans to

bring up the rear, fierce soldiers of the coastlands that followed him

of old to the eastern main and Goblinland, and had stood beside him in

the great days when he smote the Ghouls in Witchland. On Corsus’s left

and right, a little behind him, rode Gro and Gallandus. Ruddy of

countenance was Gallandus, gay of carriage and likely-looking, long of

limb, with long brown moustachios and large kind eyes like a dog.

Prezmyra stood beside the King, and with her the ladies Zenambria and

Sriva, watching the long column marching toward the sea. Heming the

son of Corund leaned on the battlements. Behind him stood Corinius,

scornful-lipped, with folded arms, most glorious in holiday attire, a

wreath of dwale about his brows, and wearing on his mighty breast the

gold badge of the King’s captain general in Carcë.

Corsus, as he rode by beneath them, planted on the point of his sword

his great helm of bronze plumed with green-dyed estridge-plumes and

raised it high above his head in homage to the King. The sparse gray

locks of his hair lifted in the breeze, and pride flamed on the heavy

face of him like a November sunset. He rode a dark bay, heavily built

like a bear, that stepped ponderously as weighed down by his rider’s

bulk and the great weight of gear and battle-harness. His veterans

marching at his heel lifted their helms on spear and sword and bill,

singing their old marching song in time to the clank of their mailed

feet marching down the Way of Kings:

When Corsus dwelt at Tenemos.

Beside the sea in Tenemos.

Tirra lirra lay,

The Gowles came downe to Tenemos.

They brent his house in Tenemos.

Downe derie downe day.

But Corsus carved the Gowls

The coarsest meat

They ere did ete.

He made him garters with their bowels.

When hee came home to Tenemos.

Came home agayn to Tenemos.

With a roundelaye.

The King held aloft his staff-royal, returning Corsus his salute, and

all Carcë shouted from the walls.

In such wise rode the Lord Corsus down to the ships with his great

army that should bring bale and woe to Demonland.

THE MURTHER OF GALLANDUS BY CORSUS

Of the uprising of the wars of King Gorice XII.

in Demonland; wherein is seen how in an old

man of war stiffneckedness and tyranny may

overlive good generalship, and how a great king’s

displeasure dureth only so long as it agreeth with

his policy.

NOUGHT befell to tell of after the sailing of the fleet from Tenemos

till August was nigh spent. Then came a ship of Witchiand from the

west and sailed up the river to Carcë and moored by the water-gate.

Her skipper went straight aland and up into the royal palace in Carcë

and the new banquet hall, whereas was King Gorice XII. eating and

drinking with his folk. And the skipper gave letters into the hand of

the King.

By then was night fallen, and all the bright lights kindled in the

hall. The feast was three parts done, and thralls poured forth unto

the King and unto them that sat at meat with him dark wines that crown

the banquet. And they set before the feasters sweetmeats wondrous

fair: bulls and pigs and gryphons and other, made all of sugar paste,

some wines and spigots in their bellies to taste of, every one with

his silver fork. Mirth and pleasure was that night in the great hall

in Carce; but now were all fallen silent, looking on the King’s

countenance while he read his letters. But none might read the

countenance of the King, that was inscrutable as the high blind walls

of Carcë brooding on the fen. So in that waiting silence, sitting in

his great high seat, he read his letters, which were sent by Corsus,

and writ in manner following:

“Renouned Kinge and moste highe Prince and Lorde, Goreiyse Twelft of

Wychlonde and of Daemounlonde and of all kingdomes the sonne dothe

spread his bemes over, Corsus your servaunte dothe prosterate miself

befoare your Greateness, evene befoare the face of the erthe The

Goddes graunte unto you moste nowble Lorde helthe and continewance and

saffetie meny yeres. After that I hadde receaved my dispache and leave

fram your Majestie wherby you did of your Royall goodnes geave and

graunt unto mee to be cheefe commaundere of al the warlyke foarces

furneshed and sent by you into Daemonlond, hit may please your

Majestie I did with haiste carry mine armie and all wepons municions

vittualls and othere provicions accordingly toward those partes of

Daemonlonde that lye coasted against the estern seas. Here with xxvii

schyppes and the moare partt of my peopell I sayling upp ynto the

Frith Micklefrith did fynde x or xi Daemouns schyppes asayling whereof

had Vol the commaundemente withowt the herborough of Lookingehaven,

and by and by did mak syncke all schyppes of the sayd Voll withowt

excepcioun and did sleay the maist paart of them that were with hym

and hys ashipboard.

“Nowe I lette you onderstande O my Lorde the Kyng that or ever wee

made the landfalle I severinge my armye ynto ij trowpes had dispatched

Gallandus with xiii schyppes north-abowt to lande with xv honderede

menne at Eccanois, with commande that hee shoulde thenceawaye fare upp

ynto the hylles thorow Celyalonde and soe sease the passe calld the

Style because none schoulde cum overe fram the west; for that is a

gode fyghtynge stede as a man myghte verry convenably hould ageynst

gret nomberes yf he bee nat an asse.

“So havinge ridd me wel of Vol, and by my hoep and secreat

intilligence these were thayr entire flete that was nowe al sonken and

putt to distruccioun by mee, and trewly hit was a paltry werk and

light, so few they were agaynst my foarce agaynst them, I dyd comme

alande att the place hyghte Grunda by the northe perte of the frith

wher the watere owt of Breakingdal falleth into the se. Here I made

make my campe with the rampyres thereof reachynge to the schore of the

salt se baithe befoare and behynde of me, and drew in supplies and

brent and slawe and sent forth hoarsmen to bryng mee in intelligence.

And on the iv daie hadd notise of a gret powre and strengtht cumming

at me from sowth out of Owleswyke to assaille mee in Grunda. And dyd

fyghte agaynst them and dyd flinge them backe beinge iv or v thowsand

souldiers. Who returning nexte daie towarde Owlswyke I dyd followe

aftir, and so toke them facynge me in a plaise cauled Crosbie Owtsykes

where they did make shifte to kepe the phords and passages of Ethrey

river very stronge. Heare was bifaln an horable great murtheringe

battell where Thy Servaunte dyd oppresse and over-throwe with mitch

dexteritee those Daemons, makynge of them so bluddie and creuell a

slawghter as hathe not been sene afore not once nor twice in mans

memorye, and blythely I tel you of Vizze theyr cheefe capitaine kild

and ded of strips taken at Crosby felde.

“Soe have I nowe in the holow of my hand by thys victorie the conquest

and possession of al thys lande of Daemonlande, and doe nowe purpose

to dele with thayr castels villages riches cattell howssys and poepell

in my waye on al thys estren seaborde within L miells compas with

rapes and murtheres and burnyngs and all harsche dyscypline according

to your Majesties wille. And do stande with mine armie befoare

Owleswyke, bluddie Spitfyer’s notable great castel and forteres that

alone yet liveth in this lande of your daungerous grivious and

malitious arche enymies, and the same Spitfire being att my cominge

fledde into the mowntaynes all do submytt and become your Majesties

vassalls. But I wyll nat conclud nor determyn of peace no not with man

weoman nor chyld of them but kyll them al, havinge always befoare my

minde the satisfactioun of your Princely Pleasure.

“Lest I be too large I leve here to tel you of many rare and

remarcable occurants and observacions whych never the less I laye by

in my mynde to aquent you with agaynst my coming home or by further

writinge. Laxus bearing a kings name do puffe himself up alledging