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

shown thyself still our noble enemy; and so shall we account thee

still.’

“Therewith my Lord commanded bring King Laxus down to the sea, and

ship him aboard of a boat, for Corinius still held off the land with

his ships, waiting no doubt to see if he or any other of his folk

could yet be saved.

“But as King Laxus was upon parting, my Lord Brandoch Daha, speaking

with great show of carelessness as of some trifling matter a had by

chance called to mind, ‘My lord,’ saith he, ‘I ne’er ask favour of any

man. Only in a manner of return of courtesies, methought thou mightest

be willing to bear my salutations to Corinius, sith I’ve no other

messenger.’

“Laxus answereth he would freely do it. Then saith his highness, ‘Say

to him I will not blame him that he abode us not i’ the field after

the battle was lost, for that had been a simple part, flatly ‘gainst

all maxims of right soldiership, and but to cast his life away. But

freakish Fortune I blame, that twined us one from the other when we

should have dealt together this day. He hath borne him in my halls, I

am let to know, more i’ the fashion of a swine or a beastly ape than a

man. Pray him come ashore ere you sail home, that I and he, with no

man else to make betwixt us, may cast up our account. We swear him

peace and grith and a safe conduct back to’s ships if he prevail

against me or if I so use him that he cry for mercy. If he’ll not take

this offer, then is he a dastard; and the whole world shall so acclaim

him.’

“‘Sir,’ saith Laxus, ‘I’ll punctually discharge thy message.’

“Whether he did so or no, father, I know not. But if he did, it

seemeth it was little to Corinius’s liking. For no sooner had his ship

ta’en Laxus aboard, than she hoised sail and put out into the deep,

and so good-bye.”

The young man ceased, and they were all three silent awhile. A faint

breeze rippled the foliage of the oakwoods of Tivarandardale. The sun

was down behind the stately Thornbacks, and the whole sky from bourne

to bourne was alight with the sunset glory. Dappled clouds, with sky

showing here and there between, covered the heavens, save in the west

where a great archway of clear air opened between clouds and earth:

air of an azure that seemed to burn, so pure it was, so deep, so

charged with warmth: not the harsh blue of noon-day nor the sumptuous

deep eastern blue of approaching night, but a bright heavenly blue

bordering on green, deep, tender, and delicate as the spirit of

evening. Athwart the midst of that window of the west a blade of

cloud, hardedged and jagged with teeth coloured as of live coals and

dead, fiery and iron-dark in turn, stretched like a battered sword.

The clouds above the arch were pale rose: the zenith like black opal,

dark blue and thunderous gray dappled with fire.

How the Lord Juss, not to be persuaded from his

set purpose, found, where least it was to be looked

for, upholding in that resolve; and of the sailing

of the armament to Muelva by way of the Straits

of Melikaphkhaz.

THAT was the last ember of red summer burning when they cut them that

harvest on Krothering Side. Autumn came, and winter months, and the

lengthening days of the returning year. And with the first breath of

spring were the harbours filled with ships of war, so many as had

never in former days been seen in the land, and in every countryside

from the western Isles to Byland, from Shalgreth and Kelialand to the

headlands under Rimon Armon, were soldiers gathered with their horses

and all instruments of war.

Lord Brandoch Daha rode from the west, the day the Pasque flowers

first opened on the bluffs below Erngate End and primroses made sweet

the birch-forests in Gashterndale. He set forth betimes, and hard he

rode, and he rode into Galing by the Lion Gate about the hour of noon.

There was Lord Juss in his private chamber, and greeted him with great

joy and love. So Brandoch Daha asked, “What speed?” And Juss answered,

“Thirty ships and five afloat in Lookinghaven, whereof all save four

be dragons of war. Zigg I expect tomorrow with the Kelialand levies;

Spitfire lieth at Owlswick with fifteen hundred men from the

southlands; Volle came in but three hours since with four hundred

more. In sum, I’ll have four thousand, reckoning ships’ companies and

our own bodyguards.”

“Eight ships of war have I,” said Lord Brandoch Daha, “in Stropardon

Firth, all busked and boun. Five more at Aurwath, five at Lornagay in

Morvey, and three on the Mealand coast at Stackray Oyce, besides four

more in the Isles. And I have sixteen hundred spearmen and six hundred

horse. All these shall come together to join with thine in

Lookinghaven at the snapping of my fingers, give me but seven days’

notice.”

Juss gripped him by the hand. “Bare were my back without thee,” he

said.

“In Krothering I’ve shifted not a stone nor swept not a chamber

clean,” said Brandoch Daha. “‘Tis a muck-pit. Every man’s hand I might

command I set only to this. And now ‘tis ready.” He turned sharp

toward Juss and looked at him a minute in silence. Then with a gravity

that sat not often on his lips he said, “Let me be urgent with thee

once more: strike and delay not. Do him not again that kindness we did

him aforetime, fribbling our strength away on the cursed shores of

Impland, and by the charmed waters of Ravary, so as he might as secure

as sleep send Corsus hither and Corinius to work havoc i’ the land;

and so put on us the greatest shame was ever laid on mortal men, and

we not bred up to suffer shame.”

“Thou saidst seven days,” said Juss. “Snap thy fingers and call up thy

armies. I’ll delay thee not an hour.”

“Ay, but I mean to Carcë,” said he.

“To Carcë, whither else?” said Juss. “But I’ll take my brother Goldry

with us.”

“But I mean first to Carcë,” said Brandoch Daha. “Let my opinion sway

thee once. Why, a schoolboy should tell thee, clear thy flank and rear

ere thou go forward.”

Juss smiled. “I love this new garb of caution, cousin,” said he; “it

doth most prettily become thee. I question though whether this be not

the true cause: that Corinius took not up thy challenge last summer,

but let it lie, and that hath left thee hungry still.”

Brandoch Daha looked him sidelong in the eye, and laughed. “O Juss,”

he said, “thou hast touched me near. But ‘tis not that. That was in

the weird that bright lady laid on me, in the sparrowhawk castle in

Impland forlorn: that he I held most in hate should ruin my fair

lordship, and that to my hand should vengeance be denied. That I e’en

must brook. O no. Think only, delays are dangerous. Come, be advised.

Be not mulish.”

But the Lord Juss’s face was grave. “Urge me no more, dear friend,”

said he. “Thou sleep’st soft. But to me, when I am cast in my first

sleep, cometh many a time the likeness of Goldry Bluszco, held by a

maleficial charm on the mountain top of Zora Rach, that standeth

apart, out of the sunlight, out of all sound or warmth of life. Long

ago I made vow to turn neither to the right nor to the left, until I

set him free.”

“He is thy brother,” said Lord Brandoch Daha. “Also is he mine own

familiar friend, whom I love scarce less than thee. But when thou

speakest of oaths, remember there’s La Fireez too. What shall he think

on us after our oaths to him three years ago, that night in Carcë? Yet

this one blow should right him too.”

“He will understand,” said Juss.

“He is to come with Gaslark, and thou told’st me thou dost e’en now

expect them,” said Brandoch Daha. “I’ll leave you. I cannot for shame

say to him, ‘Patience, friend, truly ‘tis not to-day convenient. Thou

shalt be paid in time.’ By heavens, I’d scorn to entreat my mantle-maker so. And this our friend that lost all and languisheth in exile

because he saved our lives.”

So saying, he stood up in great discontent and ire as if to leave the

chamber. But Juss caught him by the wrist. “Thou dost upbraid me most

unjustly, and well thou knowest it in thy heart, and ‘tis that makes

thee so angry. Hark, the horn soundeth at the gate, and ‘tis for

Gaslark. I’ll not let thee go.”

“Well,” said Lord Brandoch Daha, “have thy will. Only ask not me to

plead thy rotten case to them. If I speak it shall be to shame thee.

Now thou’rt warned.”

Now went they into the high presence chamber, where were bright ladies

not a few, and captains and noble persons from up and down the land,

and stood on the dais. Gaslark the king walked up the shining floor,

and behind him his captains and councillors of Goblinland walked two

by two. The Prince La Fireez strode at his elbow, proud as a lion.

Blithely they greeted those lords of Demonland that rose up to greet

them beneath the starry canopy, and the Lady Mevrian that stood

betwixt her brother and Lord Juss so as ‘twere hard to say which of

the three was fairest to look on, so much they differed in their

beauty’s glory. Gro, standing near, said in himself, “I know a fourth.

And were she but joined with these, then were the crown of the whole

earth’s loveliness fitted in this one chamber: in a right casket

surely. And the Gods in heaven (if there be Gods indeed) should go

pale for envy, having in their starry gallery no fair to match with

these; not Phoebus Apollo, not the chaste Huntress, nor the foam-born

Queen herself.”

But Gaslark, when his eye lighted on the long black beard, the lean

figure slightly stooping, the pallid brow, the curls smoothed with

perfumed unguents, the sickle-like nose, the great liquid eyes, the

lily hand; he, beholding and knowing these of old, waxed in a moment

dark as thunder with the blood-rush beneath his sunbrowned skin, and

with a great sweep snatched out his sword, as if without gare or

beware to thrust him through. Gro stepped hastily back. But the Lord

Juss came between them.

“Let alone, Juss,” cried Gaslark. “Know’st not this fellow, what a

vile enemy and viper we have here? A pretty perfumed villain! who for

so many years did spin me a thread of many seditions and troubles,

while his smooth tongue gat money from me still. Blessed occasion! Now

will I let his soul out.”

But the Lord Juss laid his hand on Gaslark’s sword-arm. “Gaslark,”

said he, “leave off thy rages, and put up thy sword. A year ago

thou’dst done me no wrong. But to-day thou’dst have slain me a man of

mine own men, and a lord of Demonland.”

Now when they had done their greetings, they washed their hands and

sate at dinner and were nobly served and feasted. And the Lord Juss

made peace betwixt Gro and Gaslark, albeit ‘twas no light task to

prevail upon Gaslark to forgive him. Thereafter they retired them with

Gaslark and La Fireez into