Sir Richard was far more popular then Malud, but lacked the latter's wealth in horses, arms and retainers and consequently had less influence with Prince Gobred. However there were many independent souls who either followed Sir Richard because they were fond of him or arrived at their own decisions without reference to the dictates of policy, and many of these were staunch friends to Blake.
Not all of those who surrounded Malud this afternoon were antagonistic to the American, but the majority of them laughed when Malud laughed and frowned when he frowned, for in the courts of kings and princes flourished the first order of "yes men."
Blake was greeted by many a smile and nod as he advanced and bowed low before the Princess Guinalda who was one of the company and, being of princely blood, entitled to his first devoirs.
"Thou didst well this morning, Sir James," said the princess, kindly. "It pleases me greatly to see thee ride."
"Methinks 'twould be a rarer treat to see him serve a side of venison," sneered Malud.
This provoked so much laughter that Malud was encouraged to seek further applause.
"Gadzooks!" he cried, "arm him with a trencher and carving knife and he would be at home."
"Speaking of serving," said Blake, "and Sir Malud's mind seems to be more occupied with that than with more knightly things, does any of you know what is necessary quickly to serve fresh pig?"
"Nay, fair sir knight," said Guinalda, "we know not. Prithee tell us.
"Yes, tell us," roared Malud, "thou, indeed, shouldst know."
"You said a mouthful, old scout, I do know!"
"And what be necessary that you may quickly serve fresh pig?" demanded Malud, looking about him and winking.
"A trencher, a carving knife and you, Sir Malud," replied Blake.
It was several seconds before the thrust penetrated their simple minds and it was the Princess Guinalda who first broke into merry laughter and soon all were roaring, while some explained the quip to others.
No, not all were laughing—not Sir Malud. When he grasped the significance of Blake's witticism he first turned very red and then went white, for the great Sir Malud liked not to be the butt of ridicule, which is ever the way of those most prone to turn ridicule upon others.
"Sirrah," he cried, "darest thou affront Malud? 'Od's blood, fellow! Low-born varlet! Only thy blood can atone this affront!"
"Hop to it, old thing!" replied Blake. "Name your poison!"
"I know not the meaning of thy silly words," cried Malud, "but I know that an thou dost not meet me in fair tilt upon the morrow I shall whip thee across the Valley of the Holy Sepulcher with a barrel stave."
"You're on!" snapped back Blake. "Tomorrow morning in the south ballium with—"
"Thou mayst choose the weapons, sirrah," said Malud,
"Don't call me sirrah, I don't like it," said Blake very quietly, and now he was not smiling. "I want to tell you something, Malud, that may be good for your soul. You are really the only man in Nimmr who didn't want to treat me well and give me a chance, a fair chance, to prove that I am all right."
"You think you are a great knight, but you are not. You have no intelligence, no heart, no chivalry. You are not what we would call in my country a good sport. You have a few horses and a few men-at- arms. That is all you have, for without them you would not have the favor of the Prince, and without his favor you would have no friends.
"You are not so good or great a man in any way as is Sir Richard, who combines all the qualities of chivalry that for centuries have glorified the order of knighthood; nor are you so good a man as I, who, with your own weapons, will best you on the morrow when, in the north ballium, I meet you on horseback with sword and buckler!"
The members of the party, upon seeing Malud's wrath, had gradually fallen away from Blake until, as he concluded his speech, he stood alone a few paces apart from Malud and those who surrounded him. Then it was that one stepped from among those at Malud's side and walked to Blake. It was Guinalda.
"Sir James." she said with a sweet smile, "thou spokest with thy mouth full!" She broke into a merry laugh. "Walk with me in the garden, sir knight," and taking his arm she guided him toward the south end of the eastern court.
"You're wonderful!" was all that Blake could find to say.
"Dost really think I am wonderful?" she demanded. "I had to know if men speak the truth to such as I. The truth, as people see it, is spoke more oft to slaves than princes."
"I hope to prove it by my conduct," he said.
They had drawn a short distance away from the others now and the girl suddenly laid her hand impulsively upon his.
"I brought thee away, Sir James, that I might speak with thee alone," she said.
"I do not care what the reason was so long as you did it," he replied, smiling.
"Thou art a stranger among us, unaccustomed to our ways, unversed in knightly practice—so much so that there are many who doubt thy claims to knighthood. Yet thou art a brave man, or else a very simple one, or thou wouldst never have chosen to meet Sir Malud with sword and buckler, for he is skilled with these while thou art clumsy with them.
"Because I think that thou goest to thy death tomorrow I have brought thee aside to speak with thee."
"What can be done about it now?" asked Blake.
"Thou art passing fair with thy lance," she said, "and it is still not too late to change thy selection of weapons. I beg thee to do so."
"You care?" he asked. There can be a world of meaning in two words.
The girl's eyes dropped for an instant and then flashed up to his and there was a touch of hauteur in them. "I am the daughter of the Prince of Nimmr," she said. "I care for the humblest of my father's subjects."
"I guess that will hold you for a while, Sir James," thought Blake, but to the girl he said nothing, only smiled.
Presently she stamped her foot. "Thou hast an impudent smile, sirrah!" she exclaimed angrily. "Melikes it not. Then thou art too forward with the daughter of a prince."
"I merely asked you if you cared whether I was killed. Even a cat could ask that."
"And I replied. Why then didst thou smile?"
"Because your eyes had answered me before your lips had spoken and I knew that your eyes had told the truth."
Again she stamped her foot angrily. "Thou art indeed a forward boor," she exclaimed. "I shall not remain to be insulted further."
Her head held high she turned and walked haughtily away to rejoin the other party.
Blake stepped quickly after her. "Tomorrow," he whispered, "I meet Sir Malud with sword and buckler. With your favor upon my helm I could overthrow the best sword in Nimmr."
The Princess Guinalda did not deign to acknowledge that she had heard his words as she walked on to join the others clustered about Sir Malud.
12. "TOMORROW THOU DIEST!"
There was a great celebration in the village of Batondo the chief the night that Ulala returned. A goat was killed and many chickens, and there were fruit and cassava bread and native beer in plenty for all. There was music, too, and dancing. With all of which it was morning before they sought their sleeping mats, with the result that it was after noon the following day before Fejjuan had an opportunity to speak of serious matters with Batando.
When finally he sought him out he found the old chief squatting in the shade before his hut, slightly the worse for the orgy of the preceding night.
"I have come to talk with you, Batando," he said, "of the desert people."
Batando grunted. His head ached.
"Yesterday you said that you would lead them to the entrance to the forbidden valley," said Fejjuan. "You mean, then, that you will not fight them?"
"We shall not have to fight them if we lead them to the entrance to the forbidden valley," replied Batando.
"You speak in riddles," said Fejjuan.
"Listen, Ulala," replied the old chief. "In childhood you were stolen from your people and taken from your country. Being young, there were many things
you did not know and there are others that you have forgotten.
"It is not difficult to enter the forbidden valley, especially from the north. Every Galla knows bow to find the northern pass through the mountains or the tunnel beyond the great cross that marks the southern entrance. There are only these two ways in—every Galla knows them; but every Galla also knows that there is no way out of the forbidden valley."
"What do you mean, Batando?" demanded Fejjuan. "If there are two ways in, there must be two ways out."
"No—there is no way out," insisted the chief. "As far back as goes the memory of man or the tales of our fathers and our fathers' fathers it is known that many men have entered the forbidden valley, and it is also known that no man has ever come out of it."
"And why have they not come out?"
Batando shook his head. "Who knows?" he asked. "We cannot even guess their fate."
"What sort of people inhabit the valley?" asked Fejjuan.
"Not even that is known. No man has seen them and returned to tell. Some say they are the spirits of the dead, others that the valley is peopled by leopards; but no one knows.
"Go therefore, Ulala, and tell the chief of the desert people that we will lead him to the entrance to the valley. If we do this we shall not have to fight him and his people, nor shall we ever again be bothered by them," and Batando laughed at his little joke.
"Will you send guides back with me to lead the Bedauwy to the valley?" asked Fejjuan.
"No," replied the chief. "Tell them we shall come in three days. In the meantime I shall gather together many warriors from other villages, for I do not trust the desert people. Thus we shall conduct them through our country. Explain this to their chief and also that in payment he must release to us all the Galla slaves he has with him—before he enters the valley."
"That Ibn Jad will not do," said Fejjuan.
"Perhaps, when he sees himself surrounded by Galla warriors, he will be glad to do even more," replied Batando.
And so Fejjuan, the Galla slave, returned to his masters and reported all that Batando had told him to report.
Ibn Jad at first refused to give up his slaves, but when Fejjuan had convinced him that under no other terms would Batando lead him to the entrance to the valley, and that his refusal to liberate the slaves would invite the hostile attentions of the Gallas, he finally consented; but in the back of his mind was the thought that before his promise was consummated he might find an opportunity to evade it.
Only one regret had Fejjuan in betraying the Beduins, and that was caused by his liking for Ateja, but being a fatalist he was consoled by the conviction that whatever was to be, would be, regardless of what he might do.
And as Ibn Jad waited and Batando gathered his black warriors from far and near, Tarzan of the Apes came to the water hole of the smooth, round rocks and took up the trail of the Beduins.
Since he had learned from Blake's blacks that the young American was missing and also that they had seen nothing of Stimbol since the latter had separated from Blake and started for the coast, the ape-man was more convinced than ever that the white prisoner among the Arabs was Blake.
Still he felt no great concern for the man's safety, for if the Beduins had sufficient hopes of reward to spare his life at all he was in no great danger from them. Reasoning thus Tarzan made no pretense of speed as he followed the spoor of Ibn Jad and his people.
Two men sat upon rough benches at opposite sides of a rude table. Between them a cresset of oil with a cotton wick laying in it burned feebly, slightly illuminating the stone flagging of the floor and casting weird shadows of themselves upon the rough stone walls.
Through a narrow window, innocent of glass, the night air blew, driving the flame of the cresset now this way, now that. Upon the table, between the men, lay a square board blocked off into squares, and within some of these were several wooden pieces.
"It is your move, Richard," said one of the men. "You don't appear to be very keen about the game tonight. What's the matter?"
"I be thinking of the morrow, James, and my heart be heavy within me," replied the other.
"And why?" demanded Blake.
"Malud is not the best swordsman in Nimmr," replied Sir Richard, "but —" he hesitated.
"I am the worst," Blake finished the sentence for him, laughingly.
Sir Richard looked up and smiled. "Thou wilt always joke, even in the face of death," he said. "Are all the men of this strange country thou tellest of alike?"
"It is your move, Richard," said Blake.
"Hide not his sword from thine eyes with thy buckler, James," cautioned Richard. "Ever keep thine eyes upon his eyes until thou knowest whereat he striketh, then, with thy buckler ready, thou mayst intercept the blow, for he be over-slow and always his eyes proclaim where his blade will fall. Full well I know that, for often have I exercised against him."
"And he hasn't killed you," Blake reminded him.
"Ah, we did but practice, but on the morrow it will be different, for Malud engages thee to the death, in mortal combat my friend, to wash away in blood the affront thou didst put him."
"He wants to kill me, just for that?" asked Blake. "I'll tell the world he's a touchy little rascal!"
"Were it only that, he might be satisfied merely to draw blood, but there is more that he hath against thee."
"More? What? I've scarcely spoken to him a dozen times," said Blake,
"He be jealous."
"Jealous? Of whom?"
"He would wed the Princess and he hath seen in what manner thou lookest at her," explained Richard.
"Poppycock!" cried Blake, but he flushed.
"Nay, he is not the only one who hath marked it," insisted Richard.
"You're crazy," snapped Blake.
"Often men look thus at the princess, for she be beautiful beyond compare, but—"
"Has he killed them all?" demanded the American.
"No, for the princess did not look back at them in the same manner."
Blake leaned back upon his bench and laughed. "Now I know you're crazy," he cried, "all of you. I'll admit that I think the princess is a mighty sweet kid, but say young fellow, she can't see me a little bit."
"Enough of thy outlandish speech I grasp to gather thy meaning, James, but thou canst not confuse me upon the one subject nor deceive me upon the other. The eyes of the princess seldom leave thee whilst thou art at practice upon the lists and the look in thine when they rest upon her—hast ever seen a hound adoring his master?"
"Run along and sell your papers," admonished Blake.
"For this, Malud would put thee out of the way and it is because I know this that I grieve, for I have learned to like thee over well, my friend."
Blake arose and came around the end of the table. "You're a good old scout, Richard," he said, placing a hand affectionately upon the other's shoulder, "but do not worry—I am not dead yet I know I seem awkward with the sword, but I have learned much about its possibilities within the past few days and I think that Sir Malud has a surprise awaiting him."
"Thy courage and thy vast assurance should carry thee far, James, but they may not overcome a life-time of practice with the sword, and that is the advantage Malud hath over thee."
"Doth Prince Gobred favor Malud's suit?" demanded Blake.
"Why not? Malud is a powerful knight, with a great castle of his own and many horses and retainers. Besides a dozen knights he hath fully an hundred men-at-arms."
"There are several knights who have their own castles and following are there not?" asked Blake.
"Twenty, perchance," replied Richard.
"And they live close to Gobred's castle?"
"At the edge of the hills, within three leagues upon either hand of Gobred's castle," explained Richard.
"And no others live in all this great valley?" demanded Blake.
"You have heard mention made of Bohun?" asked Richard.
"Yes, often—why?"
"He calls himself king, but ne
ver will we refer to him as king. He and his followers dwell upon the opposite side of the valley. They number, perchance, as many as we and we are always at war against them."
"But I've been hearing quite a bit about a great tournament for which the knights are practicing now. I thought that Bohun and his knights were to take part in it."
"They be. Once each year, commencing upon the first Sunday of Lent and extending over a period of three days, there hath been from time immemorial a truce declared between the Fronters and the Backers, during which is held the Great Tourney, one year in the plain before the city of Nimmr and the next year in the plain before the City of the Sepulcher, as they call it."
"Fronters and Backers! What in heck do those mean?" demanded Blake.
"Thou art a knight of Nimmr and know not that?" exclaimed Richard.
"What I know about knighting would rattle around in a peanut shell," admitted Blake.
"Thou shouldst know and I shall tell thee. Hark thou well, then," said Richard, "for I must need go back to the very beginning." He poured two goblets of wine from a flagon standing on the floor beside him, took a long drink and proceeded with his tale. "Richard I sailed from Sicily in the spring of 1191 with all his great following bound for Acre, where he was to meet the French king, Philip Augustus, and wrest the Holy Land from the power of the Saracen. But Richard tarried upon the way to conquer Cyprus and punish the vile despot who had placed an insult upon Berengaria, whom Richard was to wed.
"When the great company again set their sails for Acre there were many Cyprian maidens hidden away upon the ships by knights who had taken a fancy to their lovely faces, and it so befell that two of these ships, encountering a storm, were blown from their course and wrecked upon the Afric shore.
"One of these companies was commanded by a knight yclept Bohun and the other by one Gobred, and though they marched together they kept separate other than when attacked.
"Thus, searching for Jerusalem, they came upon this valley which the followers of Bohun declared was the Valley of the Holy Sepulcher and that the crusade was over. Their crosses, that they had worn upon their breasts as do all crusaders who have not reached their goal, they removed and placed upon their backs to signify that the crusade was over and that they were returning home.
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