Arthur Rex (62 page)

“Well,” said Sir Gawaine, “is that a good reason why I should not fight him? And if he kill me then he hath the blood of us all on his hands!”

And said King Arthur, “It is true that to Launcelot that would be the worst revenge, for he doth not value his life at all. But does that justify the commission of the mortal sin of suicide?”

“Nay, Uncle, pray do not misunderstand me,” cried Sir Gawaine. “I do not go to die. Launcelot hath not taken the field in years. Surely his great prowess hath not gone unaffected by the sloth in which he hath lived. I have some merit with lance and sword, and I have kept fit. But beyond all of that I fight in a righteous fury, and what moral mettle be left to him
now?”

“Yet,” said King Arthur, “it is written that he can not be overcome—”

“Where?” said Sir Gawaine. “And by whom? Some lily-livered scribe who hath never held a sword? Some romancer who would confine us to a myth? I defy such augury! And now I have asked too many questions. I go to provide an answer.”

And Sir Gawaine thereupon caparisoned himself for to go and besiege Joyous Garde singlehanded. But in love for him, and great concern for his life (and not to take Guinevere and Launcelot for a condemnation of death), King Arthur called in all of his knights who had not gone to help Launcelot, and he marched on the castle which Launcelot held against him.

N
OW ALL OF THIS
trouble had happened before Sir Percival had come to the castle of Pelles the maimed king and had healed him inadvertently by asking the right question, the which had been much too simple for any other visitor to think of in fifty years, but Percival was too naive to do the expected.

And King Pelles knew of the tragic matter amongst the knights of the Round Table, for it was the worst thing that had ever happened in all the world, and the fall of Rome to the heathen was as nothing to it, for this was the only time that a king had set out to rule on principles of absolute virtue, and to fight evil and to champion the good, and though it was not the first time that a king fell out with his followers, it was unique in happening not by wicked design but rather by the helpless accidents of fine men who meant well and who loved one another dearly.

And there were many who did blame the woman, for without her King Arthur and Sir Launcelot would still have been friends, and some of these persons who blamed Guinevere were themselves women and their motive was envy, for they would have liked themselves to have brought down a rule of men. But most of her accusers were men, and for many their motive was lust, and they would have liked a beautiful woman for themselves, so that they might betray their best friend for her, but not having one they spitefully wished that the queen would be burned for adultery.

And everybody everywhere in the world knew of this sad matter, and all disputed over it and took one side or the other, except for the wicked, derisive persons (who abound in all eras) who believed it laughable that the greatest king of all time should realize the great dread of all husbands, which is to say, to wear the horns of the cuckold. (And in France the malicious wits did jest as follows: that when Guinevere was taken and burned, Launcelot’s grief would be the worse, and to console him King Arthur would say, “Dry thy tears, my friend! I shall soon marry again.”)

And Princess Elaine, the mother of Galahad, had known of Launcelot’s sinful love since the time when she had cured him of his illness, but never had she told anyone about it but her handmaiden Brisen, by means of whose magic potion she had taken him into her bed, and she did not meanly exult now that it had become a scandal. For she knew that Launcelot could love none other than Guinevere, as she Elaine could love no one but him, and she believed that no great love could be enjoyed unconditionally and forever. Therefore she believed herself fortunate to have spent one night with Launcelot, and she was the only woman aside from Guinevere to have had that much of him, and it was even so much more than the queen had got, for Elaine had borne his only child.

And now this son would leave home and become a knight of the Round Table when that table had broken into two parts! But Elaine his mother could not find it in her heart to tell Galahad what had happened, and neither could his grandfather King Pelles, who was no longer maimed but whole.

And therefore she kissed Galahad and wished him to go with God, and she bade Sir Percival farewell, that good knight who was armed with his ignorance, and they left the castle of King Pelles.

And the king accompanied them to the gate, and he was so pleased with his newfound ability to use his legs after fifty years that he did not walk slowly but rather scampered ahead like a young varlet, and he confessed to being quite giddy over having the opportunity to ride again and to do all the things a king should do but which he had not done for five decades. And he could not thank Sir Percival enough for having asked the proper question.

But he did not say that now he had been cured of his wound, he did not regret having swyved that little maiden before her husband had got to her (though he was sorry for having slain him subsequently), for she had the sweetest flesh he had ever enjoyed, and King Pelles was of the old school of monarchs, of before the coming of Arthur, and who knows if he were not the better for it, for he loved the life God had given him and he had paid for at least one of his sins while he lived.

Then Sir Percival and Galahad traveled to Camelot, but when they got there they found it a deserted place, for King Arthur and all his knights were at Joyous Garde, outside it with the besiegers or within amongst the besieged. But Sir Percival, who knew nothing, did not know this, but he believed that if King Arthur and his knights were away, then it was as it should be, and therefore he saw no reason for worry.

And he took young Galahad into the castle and he showed him all that was there to be seen, and the youth marveled, and finally they went into the great hall where the Round Table was kept. And Galahad felt faint (for he was dying, which no one but he and his mother knew), and he must needs to sit down and to rest, and therefore he drew a chair to him, and he sat down upon it.

And letters in fire appeared across its back, and they spelled the name

Now Sir Percival spake wonderingly. “’Tis the Siege Perilous, Galahad, my friend! Thou art the one who would come, and for thee this seat hath been kept empty for all the years.”

And Galahad smiled to hear this, but he was not well, and he said, “I wonder where King Arthur hath gone, and my father, and all the other knights of the noble company, for I would fain see them soon.”

“I expect,” said Sir Percival, “that they have all gone out to look for the Holy Grail, for that hath been the principal quest of the Round Table for a long time.”

“Alas then!” said Galahad. “We have missed them in both places. But it is a wonder that we did not meet them upon the road as they went towards the castle of my grandfather and we came to Camelot.”

“And why, pray,” asked Percival, “should they go to Pelles (until lately the maimed king, now whole owing to the question which I asked naïvely)?”

“Because,” said Galahad, who was feeling some better now owing to the strength he drew from the Siege Perilous, “that is where the Grail is kept, as everyone knoweth.”

“Then my dream of seeing it was not a dream but reality?” asked Sir Percival.

“I expect it was, if you have seen it,” said Galahad. “Was it carried by a maiden dressed in white samite?”

“And she had golden hair,” said Percival agreeing.

“Well, surely that was the Sangreal,” said young Galahad, “for there is only one golden-haired maiden there and she never carries any vessel but it, for the reason that she is the Grail Maiden.”

“Well,” said Sir Percival, “is it not amazing then that all the knights of the Round Table have looked for this for years, when it was only a few score of leagues away from Camelot? And I myself have gone in search of it to the ends of the earth, but then I am the most ignorant of knights and have been thought by many to be purely a fool.”

And Galahad smiled. “But if you had known where it was immediately, would you have had so many interesting adventures?”

And Percival thought about this, and he said, “I think I was happy in not finding it straightway. For all I ever wanted was to be a knight and to have adventures and not to stay effeminately in the garden with my mother and my sister.”

But Percival marveled to himself that this most sacred of objects should be kept at the castle of King Pelles, who was maimed through concupiscence, but he said nothing of this to young Galahad for fear of offending him. And then, for he was naïve but not stupid, he came to understand that King Pelles was an appropriate host for the Grail Maiden, for owing to his wound he had not been able to mishandle her.

And having understood this Percival was no longer so naïve as he had been, and now he believed that it was very queer that Sir Launcelot had never come back to see his son Galahad, for Pelles’ castle was not so far from Camelot and it was well known that Launcelot had not gone questing for many a year, and therefore what had he done instead?

Then when Galahad had rested they left the hall of the Round Table and they went to the throne room, and there, on a cushion of red velvet, on the golden throne of Britain, sat a man wearing a robe of ermine and a crown! But it was not Arthur but rather a man whose skin was so white that it looked almost blue in the crepuscular light of the chamber, for the curtains were drawn and only a few tapers did burn, and his hair and eyes were black as midnight at the dark of the moon.

And Sir Percival clasped the handle of his sword, and Galahad did so as well.

But seeing them the man on the throne did cry, “Hold, brave knights! Do not commit a treasonous display of arms against your sovereign!”

And Percival and Galahad were amazed to hear this. And Sir Percival said, “Is this not Arthur’s throne?”

“It was so formerly,” said the crowned man. “But my father is no longer amongst the quick. King Arthur is dead. Long live King Mordred! Vassals, to your knees!”

But they remained standing, and Sir Percival said, “I am the most ignorant of knights and I do not understand many things, but with all respect I find it difficult to believe that King Arthur hath died so quietly that we never heard of it.”

“Well,” said Mordred, “did ye not know that he went to besiege Sir Launcelot at the castle of Joyous Garde?”

And young Galahad did gasp at these news, and Sir Percival said, “Sir, I would that you say no more. I shall go to Joyous Garde, and if what you have told me be true, then you shall receive my obeisance.”

“Nay, good sir,” said Mordred, and he rose from the throne, “prithee linger here awhile. Thou canst not aid Arthur now, who is beyond human help. And as it happens, I have found the Holy Grail and brought it here to Camelot. Can this have been done by any but the rightful king and heir?”

And Mordred clasped his hands and there entered into the chamber a beautiful lady, and she wore no clothes at all, and she carried between her naked breasts a cup encrusted with countless gems of rare brilliance but none was so scintillating as her ruby-red paps.

And Galahad threw his arm across his eyes and he turned away in shame.

And Sir Percival cried, “Felon! Liar! Impostor!” And he drew his sword and he would have slain Mordred had not that false knight quickly disappeared behind an arras, and when Percival cut it to ribbons and then looked behind it, no one was there. And the lady vanished as well (and she was Morgan la Fey).

“Galahad,” said Sir Percival then, “we must with all speed to Joyous Garde. Surely this wicked knight hath not told the truth as to King Arthur and thy father Launcelot, than whom there were never greater friends. But methinks that if both are absent from Camelot, and all the other knights as well, and even unto the queen, some great emprise hath that castle as its locus.”

Therefore Sir Percival and Galahad set out for the castle of Joyous Garde.

And when they were gone Sir Mordred came out from hiding, along with his evil aunt Morgan la Fey, and she was no longer beautiful but rather an hag again.

And Morgan la Fey said to him, “Mordred, I shall help thee no more, for thy schemes are no better than mine have been. If I know Arthur he will make his peace with Launcelot and even with Guinevere, for to be a cuckold is no great shame for him, and to hold his kingdom together means more than anything else.”

“Nay, Aunt,” said Mordred. “His kingdom no longer exists. The crown is mine and I shall reign in Britain henceforth.”

“Well,” said Morgan la Fey, “this is but the play-acting of the child thou art yet, and I shall perform no further in it. When Arthur returns thou shalt be but the same little bastard thou hast ever been.”

“Nay,” cried Mordred, “I shall kill him and marry Guinevere.”

“Guinevere!” cried Morgan la Fey, and she laughed in derision. “She be too much woman for thee!” And so saying she went out of Camelot, and she soon changed her witch’s clothing for the habit of a nun, and she entered herself into the Convent of the Little Sisters of Poverty and Pain, for after a long career in the service of evil she had come to believe that corruption were sooner brought amongst humankind by the forces of virtue, and from this moment on she was notable for her piety.

But Sir Mordred was not in the least discouraged by her defection, for she was but a female, and whilst he hated all men, he despised women, and even Guinevere was to him only a royal piece of furniture like unto the crown and the scepter, to possess which was the king’s right. However, he did suspect that he might need more power than he yet had to keep the throne of Britain, for Sir Percival had shown no fear of him, nor did he like the look of the pale youth who accompanied him, who he could see was dying, for Mordred had a great fear of death like all vicious persons who had no claim to Heaven, and he knew that a dying man could not be threatened with worse than he already had.