The Dragon At War

by Gordon R. Dickson

  Jim turned quickly about. Chandos was standing just where he had left him. There was no startlement to be seen on his face and no look of surprise. But Jim got the immediate feeling that the other was just about to explode. He, Sir John Chandos, who was used to sending lesser humans than himself from the room while he talked about things they should not hear, had just been invited to take himself off. Not merely by a lesser knight, not merely by a common man, but by an animal. A dragon!

  As the realization of this sunk into Jim, he suddenly understood what it was that had made it do so. Chandos's face had not changed expression, except in one strange way. It had no expression at all. Absolutely no expression. Jim realized suddenly that this utterly unreadable face was the most terrifying visage he had ever gazed upon in another human. He began to understand why Chandos was so feared in battle and in tourney.

  "If you don't mind, Sir John," he said quickly and placatingly. "If you'll excuse us, Secoh and I will just step off down the platform a little distance. I'll be back in just a moment. Your pardon for this, if you will."

  The terrifying expressionlessness was suddenly gone from Chandos's face.

  "Why, of course, Sir James," he said in his ordinary voice—but his eyes were very direct and their glance was steely. Jim turned and hurried Secoh ahead of him, waddling down the walk until they were out of easy earshot of Chandos.

  "Secoh," he said, reproachfully in a low voice, once they had stopped in front of each other again, "you really should watch how you talk to Sir John Chandos. He hasn't any high rank, although it's been offered to him many times; but he's one of England's most important leaders and someone to be polite to."

  "I thought I was polite," said Secoh.

  "Well, try a little harder next time," said Jim. "Now, what was this you wanted to talk to me about?"

  "Well…" said Secoh.

  Jim sighed internally. Dragon style, Secoh was going to go back to the very beginning of the story and tell it step by step the way it had happened, instead of coming immediately to the important part.

  "You see," said Secoh, "the young dragons were very frightened when the sea serpents started jumping up out of the sea toward them. They all headed back for Cliffside. I flew along with them a while, trying to talk some sense into them and get them to turn back. But they wouldn't do it. So I went back myself. By the time I got there, you'd already disappeared and Sir Brian and Dafydd were still unconscious on the deck. Then they disappeared; and I knew that you must have found Carolinus and gotten him to move them, since you didn't want to do it yourself, the main george on the ship told me. So, you were gone and they were gone, but you know—you left something behind you. All your things you carry around with you."

  "Oh, my God!" said Jim, suddenly realizing in what direction this account of Secoh's was heading.

  "That means—" he began.

  "Well, of course," Secoh was going on, as if Jim had never interrupted, "that's why I wasn't here sooner. When I gave up on the young dragons and went back to the ship, to give what help I might, I realized at all costs what must be taken away by me—"

  He looked meaningfully at Jim.

  "And you did?" said Jim impatiently.

  "I had the ship georges tie the sack around the base of my wings, so that it rested nicely on my back and didn't unbalance me for flying," said Secoh. "Then I came back this way. But I went to Cliffside first. I took the bag of gems the French dragons had given you as surety to show our English dragons that the French ones would be here to help you fight the sea serpents, and let them look at the gems in it. Then I took it away and hid it in the Meres—taking my own gem out first, of course."

  This time Secoh interrupted himself long enough to open his mouth and extend his long red tongue with the enormous pearl that was the single item in his hoard and a treasured heirloom in his family.

  The tongue withdrew, the pearl vanished; and Secoh went on, with the pearl, as Jim knew from past experience, tucked safely into the pouch of one of his cheeks.

  "I told the Cliffside dragons to spread the word the French dragons would help. They were very impressed," he said. "After that, I came here."

  "Well done," said Jim, "and thank you, Secoh. You have more wisdom than I have when it comes to saving what's worthwhile."

  "Oh, thank you, m'Lord," said Secoh. Dragons could not blush, but judging from the way Secoh ducked his head, if he could have blushed, he would have. "I know it's not true, but it's very good of you to say it, m'Lord. Very good!"

  "Nonsense," said Jim grimly. "I meant every word of it. Now we've got to get back to Sir John; and hope we didn't make him too angry."

  "I don't understand why he's so important?" asked Secoh, as they went back. Happily, the dragon still kept his voice down so that Chandos would not have overheard him.

  "It's a george thing," said Jim, shortly, with no time to explain fully.

  " 'Thing'?" echoed Secoh puzzledly, behind him; but they were already back with Chandos. He looked at them both and smiled agreeably. He had either got over his temper, or decided to lie back and see what might come, like the old fox Jim knew him to be.

  "I take it we can finish our talk now, Sir James?" he asked.

  "Absolutely, Sir John," said Jim, "and again my apologies."

  Chandos made a dismissing gesture with his right hand.

  "Not necessary," he said, "but it will be something of a change for me, Sir James. Some day, perhaps I can even finish that conversation I started with Carolinus just before he vanished."

  "I'm sorry about that too—" Jim was beginning; but once more Chandos waved his words away.

  "Not at all. Pay no attention to what I just said," said Chandos. "I seem not to be in my best manners. I will strive to amend that. Now, we were considering the puzzle of how King Jean intended to invade in five days, when he hadn't even started to embark his men. I believe you said something about the sea serpents."

  "Oh, yes," said Jim. "I was mentioning that he had the sea serpents to help him. They can be useful helping to tow his boats out of difficulties or help him across the Channel, if necessary; they're so large and powerful. But it occurred to me that he also might think that sending them in first might be considered the beginning of the invasion. I thought I heard you or Carolinus say something about the fact that there were some already roaming this part of the countryside, and I can see for myself how people have taken refuge in this castle of mine because of it."

  Chandos frowned.

  "I don't like to think of our levies having to fight these enormous sea serpents, from what I understand of them," he said. "We'll have enough trouble with the French, alone, if they manage their landing."

  "I think that's just it," said Jim. "They won't have any trouble landing if they land unopposed. And they may well land unopposed if they have a screen of sea serpents out in front of them clearing the way. Those who've been prowling around here so far may be just the first ones to come. Scouts, to spy out the land, as it were."

  Chandos looked thoughtful.

  "I suppose," he said. "Yes, Sir James, you could well be right. But if that's the plan, we need to know it in advance. And how could we possibly find out? I don't suppose we could ask one of these sea serpents and have him tell us?"

  "Why not?" boomed the voice of Rrrnlf above them. "Stay here. I'll go get you one."

  As they both turned to look at him, he placed one hand on a solid portion of the wall. Without warning, he vaulted over it, landing on the far side of the moat with so much of his massive weight upon his relatively small feet that his sandals sank deeply into the dry earth beyond.

  The wall was too stoutly built to crumble, as Jim had immediately feared that it would do. But it shuddered; and a quiver ran through the wooden walkway under the feet of both Jim and Chandos; so that they both had to grab at the stone of the wall itself, to keep from falling over—or even falling off.

  He woke to the fact Chandos was speaking to him.

  "—And so, perhaps
, Sir James," the older knight was saying, "perhaps at last, now you might tell me all of your experiences and discoveries, since you last chose to vanish from my sight—just as I was about to send you to France."

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  By the time Jim had finished telling Chandos the whole of their adventures, the sun was out of sight behind the trees, and could only be just above the horizon. Fantastically, still maintaining his balance on the walkway, Secoh had tucked his dragon head under one wing and gone to sleep while Jim was talking.

  Jim had only noticed this after he had been talking for a while; and at first it had puzzled him. Then he had realized that Secoh must be very, very tired indeed after flying in to gather the young dragons, flying out to the boat with them, then flying back to land again, visiting the Cliffsiders and then coming here, very probably with only the slight pause at the Cliffsider cave while he showed them the jewels and talked with them. It would have been impossible not to talk with them for a while. The dragon way forbade that impoliteness. But their conversation could not have been long.

  Meanwhile, Chandos had been listening without a word. His face was as calm and undisturbed as usual, except for one moment where he evidently could not help lifting his eyebrows, at Jim's description of the size of Granfer.

  Jim had been surprised that Chandos had not reacted earlier when he had first mentioned a monster. But he had seemed to take that individual completely in stride. Everybody in the fourteenth century knew that there were monsters in the sea.

  But the idea that the monsters could be any larger than the sea serpents he had heard of, or the Sea Devil he had seen, stretched the limits of Chandos's imagination beyond reasonable limits.

  Nonetheless, he listened until Jim was through.

  "And this Granfer, too," he asked, then, "believed that—what was it you called him—Essessili, is the leader of the sea serpents, in their move onto English soil?"

  "That's right," said Jim.

  "And yet," said Chandos, "Carolinus also seems to doubt that a sea serpent could have the magic that he feels is at work behind the situation?"

  "That's right, too," said Jim.

  Chandos shook his head, baffledly. He looked out over the battlements toward the redness behind the trees that was the setting sun.

  "Our large friend is not back yet," he said, "with or without the sea serpent. If the sea serpent is as large and dangerous as you say, I'm a little surprised that he thinks he can bring one back for our inspection so easily. Nonetheless, Sir James, is there any reason why we should not await him in more comfort in the Great Hall? I find my throat somewhat dry."

  "No reason at all," answered Jim.

  Secoh woke up instantly; almost as if he had had one ear cocked. The Great Hall meant the high table for georges like the knights and the long, low table where lesser persons could sit. But it also meant wine—and a dragon's love for wine was only second to his love for gold and jewels.

  He started to follow them, accordingly, down the stone steps built on the inside of the wall from the catwalk to the ground, found them somewhat narrow for his liking, and ended up taking to his wings, flying over Jim's and Chandos's heads to land at the big double doors of the Great Hall and enter ahead of them.

  Jim and Chandos made their own way at a more normal pace, entered the hall and seated themselves at the high table. There was only a slight wait before a servant put plates with bread, cold meat, and cheese before them, and pitchers of wine with cups close by.

  Secoh had already politely settled himself at the lower table, right next to the dais upon which the high table was set. He was not sitting on a bench, because nature had not built him so he could. He was squatting on the floor.

  Even so, squatting, his head was high enough to be almost on a level with theirs. It was also close enough so that Sir John gave some mild evidence of being a little disturbed at the way the dragon had assumed he would be part of their conversation.

  The fact was, Jim noted, their heads were now only about four feet from his, so that even speaking in a low voice they would be overheard. Chandos also seemed to note with some astonishment the fact that Secoh already had two large pitchers of wine—and no cup. As they watched, he drank directly from the pitcher, a pint or so at a swallow.

  "I got here just in time, Sir John," said Jim, filling both their cups from the wine pitcher in front of him to take the knight's attention from Secoh, "to hear you telling Angie that the levies had been raised; but it would take about a week to draw the army together. Is a week the fastest time this can be done?"

  "It is a miracle of speed," said Chandos seriously. "Incidentally, Sir James, by law you should be bringing your own levy to the field, now that you're back from France."

  Jim had forgotten this. Being directly in fief to the King had its responsibilities.

  "Would you actually like me to raise fighting men now, and join the army, Sir John?" he asked.

  "As a matter of fact," said Chandos, "no. Your greatest value lies in staying with me, because of your knowledge of magic and these sea creatures. I but mentioned your duty. However, I'm sure that my word will excuse you from it."

  "Thank you, Sir John," said Jim, with some relief. He had no great desire to be part of the disorder and downright filth of a medieval army; with or without his men-at-arms and whatever tenants could be also armed and brought to the war. Also, just as Chandos had said, he would be far more valuable here, doing the other things that were needed. He had been a little afraid that he might have to defy both his feudal responsibilities and the elder knight by flatly refusing to do his baronial duty in this respect.

  But now that matter was settled. Jim was relieved. He wanted nothing to do with the difficulties of gathering and using a medieval army. The feudal system only seemed simple, as each vassal reported to his feudal superior with as many armed men as he could bring.

  But the duty of these vassals was only for ninety days; at the end of which time, such an army was likely to fall apart—particularly if it had lost a battle, its leaders were arguing with each other, or experiencing any one of the possible troubles that could happen to it.

  "The important fact is," Jim said, "the sea serpents are interested only in exterminating England's dragons. To meet this, for once I believe the dragons will fight as a group. They'll gather themselves. They have a code of their own, Sir John, not like ours but nonetheless effective when the time comes. Aren't I right, Secoh?"

  "Yes indeed, m'Lord," said Secoh from the lower table. "We would go and exterminate the sea serpents ourselves, if we were able to find them in the sea and do so. It is an ancient enmity. Also, pardon me, m'Lord, but we would look to see you among us if we were able to do that."

  Jim was reminded once more that his ability to be a dragon at will, like his direct vassalage for Malencontri to England's King, carried with it obligations. He felt slightly uncomfortable.

  "I would be, Secoh," he said, "provided I was not needed more elsewhere. You mustn't forget I'm also a magician."

  The words were hardly out of his mouth before he suddenly realized that he had just mentioned a third obligation. He was, in effect, torn three ways, condemned to play three roles. Lord, dragon and magician. So far they had not conflicted. But, with a sudden shiver, he realized that the time must inevitably come when at least two would conflict, if not all three.

  A voice spoke suddenly out of thin air just above the table before them. It was Carolinus's voice.

  "Jim!" it said. "I need you in the solar."

  Jim pushed his bench back from the table and got to his feet immediately.

  "Forgive me, Sir John," he said hastily. "There must be some sudden crisis with either Dafydd or Sir Brian. Will you be all right here, until I get back?"

  "Indeed, yes," said Chandos. "Take care of your friends, Sir James. They are well worth that care."

  Jim turned and headed back through the kitchen and up the stone stairway toward the top of the tower. He did not realize th
at he was not alone until he became aware of a loud panting behind him.

  Stopping to turn, he discovered that Secoh was laboring up the stairs after him. These particular stairs were quite wide enough for Secoh's feet; but, as Jim had discovered for himself when he had tried to cover ground in a dragon body, that body was not built for walking—particularly for walking swiftly; and dragons seldom did walk swiftly. If any need for speed came up, they normally flew.

  "Pardon me, m'Lord," gasped Secoh. "There was something else I needed to tell you. I was a bit worn out, and forgot about it, in telling you about what happened with the young dragons."

  "Yes, yes, make it short," said Jim, poised on one foot.

  "Yes, m'Lord," Secoh said. "But when I was with the Cliffside dragons, I learned that representatives of all the dragon communities in England, and even up into Scotland, had gathered there; just to talk to you, before they made a united front against the sea serpents. They want you at Cliffside tonight!"

  Jim's mind spun. Two of his three obligations were evidently determined to conflict right now. For a moment he thought about the impossibility of being counselor to the dragons; and its possible clashing with his being counselor to Chandos. Then he remembered he was on his way to Brian and Dafydd; and that Carolinus had called him to come with every evidence of necessary haste.

  "I'll be there," he said to Secoh hastily. Turning, he stole a torch from one of the ones already alight in their holders and hurried on up the stairs. Secoh did not follow.

  When he got to the solar, only one of the two invalids was in bed. That one was Dafydd, who lay covered with blankets, in spite of the fact that a fire was blazing in the wallside fireplace, with its new-fangled chimney that Jim had caused to be built. Four torches added illumination to the firelight.

  Brian was sitting up in one of the chairs at a table, drinking a cup of wine.

  "Brian!" said Jim happily. "Carolinus was able to take care of your wounds all right, then. But should you be drinking?"