by E R Eddison
But Spitfire groaned and said, ‘Certain it was that woe and evil hap must be to Demonland until my kinsmen be gotten home again. And that day I think shall never dawn.’ And he cried, ‘Boasted he not that he is king in Demonland? And yet I had not my sword in his umbles. And thou thinkest I’ll live in shame?’
Therewithal he strove again to tear off the bandages, but Volle prevented him. And he raved and said, ‘Who was it forced me from the battle? ’Tis pity of his life, to have abused me so. Better dead than run from Corinius like a beaten puppy. Let me go, false traitors! I will amend this. I will die fighting. Let me go back.’
Volle said, ‘Lift up thine eyes, great Spitfire, and behold the lady moon, how virgin free she walketh the wide fields of heaven, and the glory of the stars of heaven which in their multitudes attend her. And as little as earthly mists and storms do dim her, but though she be hid awhile yet when the tempest is abated and the sky swept bare of clouds there she appeareth again in her steadfast course, mistress of tides and seasons and swayer of the fates of mortal men: even such is the glory of sea-girt Demonland, and the glory of thine house, O Spitfire. And as little as commotions in the heavens should avail to remove these everlasting mountains, so little availeth disastrous war, though it be a great fight lost as was today, to shake down our greatness, that are mightiest with the spear from of old and able to make all earth bow to our glory.’
So said Volle. And the Lord Spitfire looked out across the mist-choked sleeping valley to the great rock-faces dim in the moonlight and the lean peaks grand and silent beneath the moon. He spake not, whether for strengthlessness or as charmed to silence by the mighty influences of night and the mountain solitudes and by Volle’s voice speaking deep and quiet in his ear, like the voice of night herself calming earth-born tumults and despairs.
After a time Volle spake once more: ‘Thy brethren shall come home again: doubt it not. But till then art thou our strength. Therefore have patience; heal thy wounds; and raise forces again. But shouldst thou in desperate madness destroy thy life, then were we shent indeed.’
XX
KING CORINIUS
Of the entry of the Lord Corinius into Owlswick and how he was crowned in Spitfire’s sapphire chair as viceroy of Gorice the King and King in Demonland: and how all that were in Owlswick Castle did so receive and acknowledge him.
CORINIUS, having completed this great victory, came with his army north again to Owlswick as daylight began to fade. The drawbridge was let down for him and the great gates flung wide, that were studded with silver and ribbed with adamant; and in great pomp rode he and his into Owlswick Castle, over the causey builded of the living rock and great blocks of hewn granite out of Tremmerdale. The more part of his army lay in Spitfire’s camp before the castle, but a thousand were with him in his entry into Owlswick with Corund’s sons and the lords Gro and Laxus besides, for the fleet had put across to anchor there when they saw the day was won.
Corsus greeted them well, and would have brought them to their lodgings near his own chamber, that they might put off their harness and don clean linen and festival garments before supper. But Corinius excused himself, saying he had eat nought since breakfast-time: ‘Let us therefore not pass for ceremony, but bring us I pray you forthright to the banquet house.’
Corinius went in with Corsus before them all, putting lovingly about his shoulder his arm all befouled with dust and clotted blood. For he had not so much as stayed for washing of his hands. And that was scarce good for the broidered cloak of purple taffety the Duke Corsus wore about his shoulders. Howbeit, Corsus made as if he marked it not.
When they were come into the hall, Corsus looked about him and said, ‘So it is, my Lord Corinius, that this hall is something little for the great press that here befalleth. Many of mine own folk that be of some account should by long custom sit down with us. And here be no seats left for them. Prithee command some of the common sort that came in with thee to give place, that all may be done orderly. Mine officers must not scramble in the buttery.’
‘I’m sorry, my lord,’ answered Corinius, ‘but needs must that we bethink us o’ these lads of mine which have chiefly borne the toil of battle, and well I weet thou’lt not deny them this honour to sit at meat with us: these that thou hast most to thank for opening Owlswick gates and raising the siege our enemies held so long against you.’
So they took their seats, and supper was set before them: kids stuffed with walnuts and almonds and pistachios; herons in sauce cameline, chines of beef; geese and bustards; and great beakers and jars of ruby-hearted wine. Right fain of the good banquet were Corinius and his folk, and silence was in the hall for awhile save for the clatter of dishes and the champing of the mouths of the feasters.
At length Corinius, quaffing down at one draught a mighty goblet of wine, spake and said, ‘There was battle in the meads by Thremnir’s Heugh today, my lord Duke. Wast thou at that battle?’
Corsus’s heavy cheeks flushed somewhat red. He answered, ‘Thou knowest I was not. And I should account it most blameable hotheadedness to have sallied forth when it seemed Spitfire had the victory.’
‘O my lord,’ said Corinius, ‘think not I made this a quarrel to thee. The rather let me show thee how much I hold thee in honour.’
Therewith he called his boy that stood behind his chair, and the boy returned anon with a diadem of polished gold set all about with topazes that had passed through the fire; and on the frontlet of that diadem was the small figure of a crab-fish in dull iron, the eyes of it two green beryls on stalks of silver. The boy set it down on the table before the Lord Corinius, as it had been a dish of meat before him. Corinius took a writing from his purse, and laid it on the table for Corsus to see. And there was the signet upon it of the worm Ouroboros in scarlet wax, and the sign manual of Gorice the King.
‘My Lord Corsus,’ said he, ‘and ye sons of Corsus, and ye other Witches, I do you to wit that our Lord the King made me by these tokens his viceroy for his province of Demonland, and willed that I should bear a king’s name in this land and that under him all should render me obedience.’
Corsus, looking on the crown and the royal warrant of the King, waxed in one instant deadly pale, and in the next red as blood.
Corinius said, ‘To thee, O Corsus, out of all these great ones that here be gathered together in Owlswick, will I submit me for thee to crown me with this crown, as king in Demonland. This, that thou mayst see and know how most I honour thee.’
Now were all silent, waiting on Corsus to speak. But he spake not a word. Dekalajus said privily in his ear, ‘O my father, if the monkey reigns, dance before him. Time shall bring us occasion to right you.’
And Corsus, disregarding not this wholesome rede, for all he might not wholly rule his countenance, yet ruled himself to bite in the injuries he was fain to utter. And with no ill grace he did that office, to set on Corinius’s head the new crown of Demonland.
Corinius sat now in Spitfire’s seat, whence Corsus had moved to make place for him: in Spitfire’s high seat of smoke-coloured jade, curiously carved and set with velvet-lustred sapphires, and right and left of him were two high candlesticks of fine gold. The breadth of his shoulders filled all the space between the pillars of the spacious seat. A hard man he looked to deal with, clothed upon with youth and strength and all armed and yet smoking from the battle.
Corsus, sitting between his sons, said under his breath, ‘Rhubarb! bring me rhubarb to purge away this choler!’
But Dekalajus whispered him, ‘Softly, tread easy. Let not our counsels walk in a net, thinking they are hidden. Nurse him to security, which shall be our safety and the mean to our wiping out this shaming. Was not Gallandus as big a man?’
Corsus’s dull eye gleamed. He lifted a brimming winecup to toast Corinius. And Corinius hailed him and said, ‘My lord Duke, call in thine officers I pray thee and proclaim me, that they in turn may proclaim me king unto all the army that is in Owlswick.’
Which Corsus did,
albeit sore against his liking, knowing not where to find a reason against it.
When the plaudits were heard in the courts without, acclaiming him as king, Corinius spake again and said, ‘I and my folk be a-weary, my lord, and would betimes to our rest. Give order, I pray thee, that they make ready my lodgings. And let them be those same lodgings Gallandus had whenas he was in Owlswick.’
Whereat Corsus might scarce forbear a start. But Corinius’s eye was on him, and he gave the order.
While he waited for his lodgings to be made ready, the Lord Corinius made great good cheer, calling for more wine and fresh dainties to set before those lords of Witchland: olives, and botargoes, and conserves of goose’s liver richly seasoned, taken from Spitfire’s plenteous store.
In the meantime Corsus spake softly to his sons: ‘I like not his naming of Gallandus. Yet seemeth he careless, as one that feareth no guile.’
And Dekalajus answered in his ear, ‘Peradventure the Gods ordained his destruction, to make him choose that chamber.’
So they laughed. And the banquet drew to a close with much pleasure and merrymaking.
Now came serving men with torches to light them to their chambers. As they stood up to bid good-night, Corinius said, ‘I’m sorry, my lord, if, after thy pleasant usage, I should do aught that is not convenable to thee. But I doubt not Owlswick Castle must be irksome to thee and thy sons, that were so long mewed up within it, and I doubt not ye are wearied by this siege and long warfare. Therefore it is my will that you do instantly depart home to Witchland. Laxus hath a ship manned ready to transport you thither. To put a fit and friendly term to our festivities, we’ll bring you down to the ship.’
Corsus’s jaw fell. Yet he schooled his tongue to say, ‘My lord, so as it shall please thee. Yet let me know thy reasons. Surely the swords of me and my sons avail not so little for Witchland in this country of our evil-willers that we should sheathe ’em and go home. Howbeit, ’tis a matter demandeth no sweaty haste. We will take rede hereon in the morning.’
But Corinius answered him, ‘Cry you mercy, needful it is that this very night you go ashipboard.’ And he gave him an ill look, saying, ‘Sith I lie tonight in Gallandus’s lodgings, I think it fit my bodyguard should have thy chamber, my lord Duke, which, as I lately learned, adjoineth it.’
Corsus said no word. But Gorius, his younger son, that was drunk with wine, leaped up and said, ‘Corinius, in an evil hour art thou come into this land to demand servitude of us. And thou art informed of my father right maliciously if thou art afeared of us because of Gallandus. ’Tis this viper sitteth beside thee, the Goblin swabber, told thee falsely this bad tale of us. And ’tis pity he is still inward with thee, for still he plotteth evil ’gainst Witchland.’
Dekalajus thrust him aside, saying to Corinius, ‘Heed not my brother though he be hasty and rude of speech; for in wine he speaketh, and wine is another man. But most true it is, O Corinius, and this shall the Duke my father and all we swear and confirm to thee with the mightiest oaths thou wilt, that Gallandus sought to usurp authority for this sake only, to betray our whole army to the enemy. And ’twas only therefore Corsus slew him.’
‘That is a flat lie,’ said Laxus.
Gro laughed lightly.
But Corinius’s sword leaped half naked from the scabbard, and he made a stride toward Corsus and his sons. ‘Give me the king’s name when ye speak to me,’ he said, scowling upon them. ‘You sons of Corsus are not men to make me a stalk to catch birds with or to serve your own turn. And thou,’ he said, looking fiercely on Corsus, ‘wert best go meekly, and not bandy words with me. Thou fool! think’st thou I am Gallandus come again? Thou that didst murther him shalt not murther me. Or think’st I delivered thee out of the toils thine own folly and thrawart ways had bound thee in, only to suffer thee lord it again here and cast all amiss again by the unquietness of thy malice? Here is the guard to bring you down to the ship. And well it is for thee if I slash not off thy head.’
Now Corsus and his sons stood for a little doubting in their hearts whether it were fitter to leap with their weapons upon Corinius, putting their fortunes to the hazard of battle in Owlswick hall, or to embrace necessity and go down to the ship. And this seemed to them the better choice, to go quietly ashipboard; for there stood Corinius and Laxus and their men, and but few to face them of Corsus’s own people, that should be sure for his party if it came to fighting; and withal they were not eager to have to do with Corinius, not though it had been on more even terms. So at the last, in anger and bitterness of heart, they submitted them to obey his will; and in that same hour Laxus brought them to the ship, and put them across the firth to Scaramsey.
There were they safe as a mouse in a mill. For Cadarus was skipper of that ship, a trusted liegeman of Lord Laxus, and her crew men leal and true to Corinius and Laxus. She lay at anchor as for that night in the lee of the island, and with the first streak of dawn sailed down the firth, bearing Corsus and his sons homeward from Demonland.
XXI
THE PARLEY BEFORE KROTHERING
Wherein is shown how warlike policy and a picture painted drew the war westward: and how the Lord Gro went on an embassage to Krothering Gates, and of the answer he gat there.
NOW it is to be said of Zigg that he failed not to fulfil Spitfire’s behest, but gathered hastily an army of more than fifteen hundred horse and foot out of the northern dales and the habitations about Shalgreth Heath and the pasture-lands of Kelialand and Switchwater Way and the region of Rammerick, and came in haste over the Stile. But when Corinius knew of this faring from the west, he marched three thousand strong to meet them above Moonmere Head, to deny them the way to Galing. But Zigg, being yet in the upper defiles of Breakingdale, now for the first time had advertisement of the great slaughter at Thremnir’s Heugh, and how the forces of Spitfire and Volle were broken and scattered and themselves fled up into the mountains; and so deeming it small gain with so little an army to give battle to Corinius, he turned back without more ado and returned hastily over the Stile whence he came. Corinius sent light forces to harry his retreat, but being not minded as then to follow them into the west country, let build a burg in the throat of the pass in a place of vantage, and stationed there sufficient men to ward it, and so came again to Owlswick.
They that were with Corinius in Demonland numbered now more than five thousand fighting men: a great and redoubtable army. With these, the weather being fine and open, he in a short time laid under him all eastern Demonland, save Galing alone. Bremery of Shaws with but seventy men held Galing for Lord Juss against all assaults. So that Corinius, thinking this fruit should ripen later and drop into his hand when the rest had been gathered, resolved at winter’s end to march with his main army into the west country, leaving a small force to hold down the eastlands and contain Bremery in Galing. To this determination he was led by all arguments of sound soldiership, most happily seconding his own inclinations. For besides this of warlike policy two scarce weaker lodestones drew him westward: first the old cankered malice he bare in his heart against the Lord Brandoch Daha, that made Krothering his dearest prey; and next, his own lustful desires most outrageously burning for the Lady Mevrian. And this only for the sight of her picture, found by him in Spitfire’s closet among his pens and inkstands and other trinkets, which once looked on he swore that with Heaven’s will (ay, or without if so it must be) she should be his paramour.
So on the fourteenth day of March, of a bright frosty morn, he with his main army marched up Breakingdale and over the Stile, by that same road that Lord Juss fared by and Lord Brandoch Daha, that summer’s day when they went to take counsel in Krothering before the Impland expedition. So came the Witches down to the watersmeet and turned aside to Many Bushes. There they found not Zigg nor his lady wife nor any of his folk, but found the house desolate. So they robbed and burned and went their way. And a famous castle of Juss’s they sacked and burned in the confines of Kelialand, and another on Switchwater Way, and a summer palace of
Spitfire’s on a little hill above Rammerick Mere. In such wise they marched victoriously down Switchwater Way, and there was none to dispute their progress but all fled at the approach of that great army and hid themselves in the secret places of the mountains, avoiding death and fate.
When he was come through the straits of Gashterndale up on to Krothering Side, Corinius let pitch his camp under Erngate End, at the foot of the scree-strewn slopes that rise steeply to the high western face of the mountain, where the lean embattled crags far aloft stand like a wall against high heaven.
Corinius came to Lord Gro and said to him, ‘To thee will I entrust mine embassage to this Mevrian. Thou shalt go with a flag of truce to gain thee entry to the castle; or if they will not admit thee, then bid her parley with thee without the wall. Then shalt thou use what fantastic courtier’s jargon nature and thine invention shall lightliest counsel thee, and say, “Corinius, by the grace of the great King and the might of his own hand king of Demonland, sitteth as thou well mayst see in power invincible before this castle. But he willed me let thee know that he is not come for to make war against ladies and damosels, and be thou of this sure, that neither to thee nor to none of thy fortress he will nought say nor hurt. Only this honour he proffereth thee, to wed thee in sweet marriage and make thee his queen in Demonland.” Whereto if she say yea, well and good, and we will go up peaceably into Krothering and possess it and the woman. But if she deny me this, then shalt thou say unto her right fiercely that I will set on against the castle like a lion, and neither rest nor give over until I have beaten it all to a ruin about her ears and slain the folk with the edge of the sword. And that which she refuseth me to have in peaceful love and kindness I will have of my own violent deed, that she and her stiff-necked Demons may know that I am their king, and master of all that is theirs, and their own bodies but chattels to serve my pleasure.’