Warlock’s Last Ride

by Christopher Stasheff

  "Ever concerned for the honor of the family," Rod sighed. "Fess, this is Alea, Magnus's companion."

  "I am honored to meet you, Damsel Alea. I have heard of you from Gregory's reports."

  "Well, I'm here to set the record straight." Alea managed a smile. "This kind gentleman tells me you were Gar's tutor—excuse me, I mean 'Magnus.' Gar is the alias he assumes when he lands on a planet to start another revolution."

  "A wise precaution, and one that preserves the family's reputation," Fess agreed. "I was indeed Magnus's tutor and found him an excellent student."

  "But as naughty as any little boy?"

  "Rarely," Fess said. "He was aware that he had to set an example for his younger brothers and sister. In fact, one might say he seemed to feel responsible for their behavior."

  Alea frowned. "I'll have to make sure he doesn't feel that way any more."

  Rod smiled. "Good luck. Habits of thought that start that early are awfully hard to shake."

  "Surely he realizes they're grown now!"

  "Yes, but I do not think he acknowledges that they have become capable of assuming responsibility for their own lives," Fess told her, "especially since, when he left Gramarye, they were all still adolescents."

  "He wasn't much more than that himself." Rod shook his head. "How could I ever have let him go?"

  "Did you have a choice?" Alea covered a laugh. "I can imagine anyone trying to keep Gar from doing what he thought right!"

  "It would have been counterproductive," the horse agreed. "You speak as one who knows."

  "Oh, I've never known him to do anything he knew was wrong," Alea said. "Foolish, perhaps, but not wrong."

  "And you attempted to stop him?"

  Alea remembered Gar's exasperated search for a government on a planet where there seemed to be none. "No. But I did try to explain why it wouldn't do any good."

  "Did he listen?"

  "Of course not! But he found the facts for himself."

  The horse nodded. "He is still Magnus, under the layers of experience he has accreted."

  That, Alea was glad not to dispute—but the more they talked, the more she learned about the child who had been Magnus, and how much of that little boy was still there, carefully hidden and protected, inside the giant she knew.

  As they discussed Fess's memories, though, Rod began to look nostalgic, then sad. Realizing that immersion in the past might not be the best thing for him at the moment, Alea ended the conversation and left the stable, telling Rod of her first meeting with Magnus. He was fascinated, so she went on to detail their wanderings on her home world of Midgard—and realized that it wasn't the wonders of the giants and dwarves that interested Rod, but the deeds of the boy who had grown into a very effective social engineer.

  OVER THE NEXT few days, she had a chance for a conversation with each of Magnus's siblings and their spouses—though she kept avoiding Allouette. Rod strolled about the castle with a distant gaze and a soft smile; she came across him several times and, not liking his look of not being quite there, engaged him in conversation to bring him back to the here and now. Rod always proved capable of drawing laughter from her, and she returned the favor.

  On the third evening, when the others had gone up to bed, she and Magnus sat by the fire talking a little longer— or rather, Alea talked, trying to draw Magnus out of brooding. Finally, exasperated, she said, "You're really not the most cheerful companion right now, Magnus. What's wrong?"

  "I'm worried about him," Magnus told her, "about Papa."

  "Yes, I know what you mean." Alea frowned. "He doesn't seem to be quite here all the time, does he?"

  "No—and he's far too happy being wherever he is."

  "You're worried that he might decide to stay there?" Alea shook her head. "He has children here, Magnus. Each of you gives him a stake in the real world. But he does have to work his way through his grief."

  "Yes, if it doesn't unhinge him," Magnus said. "I hadn't thought to mention it, but he hasn't always been of excellent mental health."

  "You mean he's had bouts of insanity?" Alea stared. "Surely not!"

  "His psyche has taken a real battering over the years." Magnus's gaze strayed to the fire. "The worst was when his enemies managed to feed him a chestnut made of witch-moss."

  Alea froze in horror.

  "We all ate them," Magnus said, "but a quarter of Mama's genes were made of witch-moss anyway, and ours were an eighth, so it did us no harm. With Papa, however, it sent him into delusions, and it took Mama a while to figure out how to cure him."

  "He … he wasn't dangerous, was he?"

  "He could have been, I suppose," Magnus said, "but we had elves watching him wherever he went, and I was old enough to shadow him and come running when I was needed. Mama restored him to his senses—she was always a very stabilizing influence."

  "And she's not here any more," Alea whispered.

  "No. I'm not sure Papa realizes that." Magnus held up a palm. "Oh, I'm sure he won't become a danger to anyone— but I don't think it's good for him to be lost in the past."

  "Give him time," Alea counseled. "Give him time."

  THE NEXT MORNING, a mental clamor awakened Alea. She sat bolt-upright in bed, hearing Magnus and his siblings exchanging emergency cries: He has saddled Fess! He rides toward the gatehouse! Stop him!

  Alea scrambled to pull on a dress, rammed her feet into her boots, and ran down the stairs.

  She came out into the courtyard in time to see Magnus dashing to the gatehouse tunnel just in time to cut off Fess. The great black horse drew to a halt.

  Alea ran to join him. Cordelia and Quicksilver beat her to it, but not by much. Alain, Geoffrey, and Gregory came up right behind her with Allouette behind them.

  "You've come out to see me off!" Rod smiled around at his children and in-laws. "That's awfully good of you."

  "Not at all, Dad," Magnus panted. "Planning to … be gone long?"

  "As long as it takes." Rod reached behind and slapped a bulging saddlebag. "Don't worry, I've packed the necessities."

  "Yes, and you're quite adept at hunting and camping, I know." Magnus glanced at his brothers and sister, all trying to hide their alarm. He glanced back at Rod. "So if you've packed that much, you must be planning a long trip."

  Rod shrugged and said again, "As long as it takes."

  "May I… ask your destination?"

  "Tir Nan Og."

  The siblings froze and Alea shared their horror. Tir Nan Og may have been the Celtic Land of Eternal Youth—but it was also the Land of the Dead.

  Rod saw their fear for him and leaned down with a gentle smile. "She's out there somewhere, children. She's gone to Tir Nan Og, and someone somewhere among the living will know where it lies."

  Cordelia's thought fairly shrieked: Denial!

  Magnus was very still for a moment. Then he said, "Of course."

  Cordelia whirled to glare at him in disbelief. Quicksilver looked to be on the verge of rage, and the brothers stared at Magnus as though he'd taken leave of his senses—but the alarm faded from Alain's face. He lifted his head slowly, then nodded.

  Magnus darted a look of appeal to them all that clearly said, Trust me, then turned back to his father. "Yes, of course, you have to go search for her. It's fitting, after all."

  Rod frowned. "Fitting?"

  "Of course," Magnus said, "You spent the first thirty years of your life looking for her. It's appropriate that you spend the last in the same search."

  Rod nodded, pleased. "I'm glad you understand."

  "It does give your life a certain symmetry," Magnus said. "You will—write home often?"

  "Oh, of course." Rod frowned, concerned, and leaned down to rest a hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't for a moment think that I'm leaving you." He turned to his other children. "You know I love you all very much, and if you have the slightest need of me, I'll be back in a second—but I have to do this."

  Allouette stifled a sob, and Cordelia swallowed tears, but they
both nodded.

  "How shall we reach you if we need you?" Quicksilver asked.

  "By telepathy, of course," Rod said, "and you can always ask the elves where I am. I'm not foolish enough to think that I can go wandering through Gramarye without a pixie having an eye on me every step of the way."

  "The Wee Folk have always been your allies," Magnus agreed, and stepped aside, reaching up to clasp his father's hand. "Go well, Dad."

  "Stay well, son." But Rod held his hand fast, anxiety creasing his face. "You'll take care of them for me, won't you? The people of Gramarye, I mean."

  Magnus froze. His siblings' heads whipped about to stare at him in shock.

  "I won't try to foist off a democratic government on them," Magnus warned.

  Rod nodded complacently. "That's all right, son. I only ask that you protect them from any other agents who are trying to steer them into governments that are wrong for them—particularly the anarchists and totalitarians."

  "Well, of course," Magnus said. "I mean, if I want to protect them from democracy if it's wrong for them, of course I'll protect them from anything else that's wrong, too."

  "Why Magnus, Papa?" Cordelia demanded. "Why give him the job?"

  "Because he's had more than ten years' practice overhauling governments." Rod touched her hand. "I know you have every concern for the people's welfare, darling, and Geoffrey, you'll protect them from any kind of armed invasion …"

  Geoffrey nodded stiffly.

  "… and Gregory, that you'll figure out how to fend off any magical attacks—but governments are Magnus's specialty now."

  "I hadn't thought of it that way, Dad," Magnus said slowly.

  "I was a bit late acknowledging my own abilities, too," Rod told him, then leaned down to kiss Cordelia and straightened up to clasp Geoffrey's hand, then Gregory's. "You know I'll be thinking about you constantly. If you need me, just spare me a thought."

  "We will, Papa," Cordelia said, voice thick with tears.

  Rod nodded, satisfied. "I'll be home for Christmas, if I haven't found her by then. Take care of each other, children."

  "We will, Papa," Gregory assured him.

  Rod gave them all a radiant smile, then turned his head forward and kicked his heels into Fess's sides. The great black horse stepped forward, saying, "Excuse me, Magnus."

  "Yes, of course." Magnus stepped aside. "Godspeed, Dad."

  "Godspeed," everyone called.

  Rod waved and rode into the gatehouse tunnel.

  Cordelia whirled to a nearby guard, snatched his spear, leaped astride it and rose circling toward the battlements.

  Alea stared; she had never seen such a sight.

  Gregory threw his arm around Alouette's waist; Geoffrey caught up with Quicksilver. With twin claps of thunder, they disappeared.

  Alea stared. "What happened to them?"

  "They've teleported up to the battlements," Magnus told her. "Would you like to ride the way Quicksilver did, or would you prefer to run?"

  "I'll go the slow way, if you don't mind," Alea said, "but don't let me keep you."

  "Thank you," Magnus said, and disappeared in a minor explosion of his own, Alea darted for the stairs to the battlements and ran up. She came out, gasping for breath, to see the brothers, sister, and spouses lined up by the battlements. She managed one more sprint to Magnus's side and watched the lone figure riding toward the woods. Dimly, she heard the sound of plucked strings.

  "He's still not much of a musician," Geoffrey said.

  Magnus smiled. "Your talent, brother, not ours."

  "He has slipped into delusions again, of course," Cordelia said.

  Magnus nodded. "There's no reason to think he'll be dangerous, though—neither to anyone else nor to himself."

  "I think not," Geoffrey said, frowning. "After all, he's quite sane—except for this delusion that he can find Mama somewhere out there."

  "The wandering will do him no harm," Gregory said, "and if this is his way of working through his grief, all well and good."

  "It's really none of our business," Magnus said.

  "Everything having to do with him is our business," Cordelia corrected him, "but it's not our place to tell him what he can and can't do."

  "No," Magnus agreed. "He is a grown man, after all, and in good health—almost."

  The tiny figure turned back to wave just before the road went into the forest and the leaves swallowed him up. The whole party on the wall waved back until their arms drooped in dejection. Then Geoffrey turned to Magnus, jaw jutting in defiance. "And will you seek to rule us now?"

  "Of course not," Magnus said. "After all, I haven't had much luck with that since you turned twelve."

  Geoffrey stared at him, then slowly smiled. "Not that it kept you from trying."

  "Give me credit for having gained some maturity in my travels, brother." Magnus returned the smile. "Besides, I'm quite well aware that I am, shall we say, rather behind in recent history as it has happened in Gramarye. You surely know your own tasks better than I."

  Gregory frowned and said to Geoffrey, "He says it too easily."

  "Dad only told me to fend off foreign agents who might try to subvert Gramarye into following their own forms of government," Magnus reminded him. "He didn't say a single word about giving you orders."

  "I'm glad you see that." But Cordelia frowned, searching his face, then turned to Alea in exasperation. "Does he mean it?"

  "I can't honestly say that I've ever seen him do much in the way of giving orders," Alea said slowly. "Suggestions, yes, and he can be very persuasive—but outright orders, no."

  Gregory and Geoffrey looked somewhat reassured, but Cordelia didn't look at all convinced—nor did Quicksilver, and Allouette seemed doubtful.

  Magnus turned from face to face, then settled on Alain's. Slowly, he knelt.

  Eight

  "WHAT DO YOU DO!" ALAIN CRIED. "ON YOUR feet, man!"

  "Your man," Magnus said. "I swore fealty to your father ten years ago when he knighted me, and I swear it now to you, Prince of Gramarye. I am your man and will answer to your commands, no matter the cost to me. Call me at will; I swear my loyalty to you, by Oak, Ash, and Thorn."

  They were all very still for a moment, staring at Magnus—and at Alain, for his gaze was locked with his subject's as the softness faded from his face, faded until he was deadly serious as he nodded. "I am your liege lord, and will provide for you and protect you at need. Rise, Sir Magnus."

  Magnus stood up, tall and straight before his future king.

  No one said it, but all of them realized that Magnus had committed himself to staying on Gramarye. Like it or not, he was home for good.

  "THIS IS NOT the kind of issue to use as a plaything," Geoffrey said.

  "Not a bit," Gregory agreed, "and Magnus knows that far too well to use it as a persuasive tool. He would not mock so solemn a ceremony or give a frivolous oath. He meant what he said."

  The two brothers sat in the sitting room of Gregory's suite, alone together for a few minutes, the bottle that was their pretext for going aside sitting uncorked between them, their goblets half-full.

  Geoffrey nodded. "Of course, that means that when Alain becomes king and Cordelia queen, Magnus will take orders from her."

  "His kneeling was as much a declaration of that as of obedience to Alain," Gregory agreed, looking very thoughtful. "I think he meant to reassure us on that very point. It will stick in his craw; he will hate the taking of orders from his little sister, but he will do it. He is sincere in what he says; he will not try to command us."

  "Perhaps," Geoffrey said, "but I think I had better make sure."

  AS ROD RODE into the forest, he had the feeling of a huge weight lifting from his shoulders. The kingdom was no longer his care. "I'm a free wanderer again, Fess."

  "Yes, and the best kind," the horse answered, "one who has a castle for a home whenever he wants it."

  "Do I infer a charge of hypocrisy there?"

  "More likely a state
ment that you are playing at resuming your youthful life," Fess said.

  "Touché." Rod winced. "And there is the little problem of having dumped that load of responsibility on my boy."

  "He is a grown man now, Rod, and equal to the task."

  "And I'm not?" Rod said. "Well, I suppose I am a little over the hill."

  "I am sure Magnus will call upon you if he has need of advice," Fess said complacently, "but having engineered revolutions on eight planets, I scarcely think he will."

  "Yes, but this is his home world." Rod frowned with a trace of anxiety. "That might impair his objectivity."

  "Not a bad thing, so long as it doesn't impair the clarity of his vision," Fess said. "Besides, giving him the charge was the only way you could be sure he wouldn't leave again."

  "Well, I do want him around until I find Tir Nan Og," Rod admitted. "Something secure in knowing all your children are in shouting range when Christmas comes."

  "You also have the young lady in mind, have you not?"

  "Yes." Rod nodded, feeling part of the weight settle back on his shoulders. "They're so right for each other, but both bound and determined not to see it."

  "They are ready for the final stages of working through their recovery, Rod."

  "Been doing a little mind-peeking, have you?"

  "I am not a telepath, Rod; though I can communicate with you and your offspring, I can broach no one else's mind. No, I have simply listened to every word that was said and remembered them all."

  "And put them together into patterns the two of them thought they were hiding? I can't criticize that." Rod gazed off into the trees. "I know what maimed Magnus—but I wonder what trauma made Alea so shy of romance."

  "Whatever it was, Rod, it taught her that men are not to be trusted—though Magnus seems to have taught her that he, at least, is."

  "The exception that proves the rule—but she only needs one." Rod nodded. "Of course, she's still denying her own beauty—but nobody ever accused Magnus of being handsome. Not after he grew up, at least."

  "Ugly men are no less apt than handsome ones, to fall in love with beautiful women."