Fred Saberhagen Merlin's Bones

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."Soon, Sir Hakon, very soon.Within a few hours.""And how long does Merlin think our glorious attack will take?""A quarter of an hour should be quite long enough for the battle," the youth who had been Amby assured me with confidence."If everything goes smoothly.""Or even if it does not," I answered.If the least little thing went wrong, even a small detachment ofComorre's army ought to be able to kill four men in much less time than that.TWENTY-ONEThree able-bodied men, Bran, Flagon-dry, and myself, comprised the force that was about to launch a surprise attack with sword and spear against Comorre's victorious army.Naturally, adolescent Amby was going to fight on our side too, and we depended totally on him for our success, but his efforts would be confined to a different plane, that of magic and illusion.Still I had not yet had a real answer to the question of why, with such powerful magic on our side, any physical attack at all was necessary, but I considered that I had good reason to trust Lord Merlin.And my two armed colleagues were desperate enough to trust him too, for lack of any better plan.I had already rearmed myself, but now I belted my newly chosen sword at my Page 119ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlside, and from the casualassembly of weapons carried down into the cave in our retreat picked out a thrusting spear to go with it.My two comrades, who were also dependent on mundane weapons, still had to make sure, by smoky torchlight and the green underground reflection of the sea, that their blades and armor were as ready as they could be.I looked forward to having the fine armory in the house once more available; meanwhile I sat with my new comrades-in-arms on rocks in one of the dank and dim-lit chambers of the lower cave, and while waiting for the signal to attack we naturally began a discussion of warlike matters.As this proceeded, I confirmed an impression I had formed earlier when fighting to defend the wall: theHigh Priest Bran seemed quite competent to put on a mail shirt without puzzling over whether to put his head or his arms in first, and he gripped and examined both sword and spear as if he might know what to do with them.He had taken a worthy part in that earlier fight, and though I had been too busy then to observe him, obviously he had survived without serious hurt.But of course many men can manage that much, given a little luck.I think it was at that moment that my conscious doubts concerning the servants of the oracle first grew strong.Bran seemed very young to be in charge of any such important shrine.And he and Vivian were both quite unlike any other occult practitioners that I had ever known.Flagon-dry was taking test swings with a battle-ax, against a chunk of timber that had once been part of the subterranean dock.Meanwhile he delivered a would-be learned discourse on the value of Roman blades.Interrupting this lecture, I did now what I ought to have done before, and asked Bran straight out: "HighPriest of the Oracle, have you had training in arms?""I have.When I was very young." He sighted along a blade, and spoke in a glum tone of voice."You will find me no champion in strength or skill, but no helpless novice, either."I dealt him a hard cuff on the shoulder, meant as reassurance."Cheer up! I expect to die in combat some day, Bran.But I think it will not be this morning or this afternoon."He raised his sandy eyebrows."Only three of us-""In this case, a sufficient number to do the job.So says the Old Man.And I, having had firsthand experience of what the One in the Rocks can do, am ready to believe him.""If three men aided by Merlin's magic are enough to beat an army, I don't see why Merlin can't do the job without any help at all.""I suppose the Old Man has his reasons."Bran picked up the sword he'd used in our first battle.He looked doubtfully at the dented blade, and set it down again."Have we all given all our lives over into his care? Maybe we have, but I don't want it to be by accident.Perhaps I'd better have a talk with him myself."Now Flagon-dry, his doubts reinforced, also looked at me doubtfully, and grunted something noncommittal.Folding my arms, I looked from one of my companions to the other, returning their gaze in kind.The more I saw of Bran, and of Flagon-dry, the less likely either of them seemed as priests of any oracle-not that I had had much previous experience with such."Bran.""What is it, Hakon?""Tell me truthfully-are you really the high priest of anything?"Flagon-dry attempted to generate a derisive laugh at the question.But Bran looked at me closely, and gave the answer I was now expecting."You deserve the truth, Hakon.No, I am no priest, no magician.Never have been.Though, as you can see, the oracle and its treasures are real enough."Page 120ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Oh, I admit they're genuine." I paused, looking around me."Where is the high priest, or priestess, then?And he or she must have had assistants, servants-?""I don't know!" He made a helpless gesture."Believe it or not, friend Hakon.We came here, Jandree andFlagon-dry and myself, running for our lives, along with Maud and Amby and Vivian-and Ivald.We found the house, the cave, the whole place, completely uninhabited.""I see," I answered after a pause.More bizarre events, I had no doubt, that could be laid at Merlin's door.Matters he'd arranged somehow, for some purpose of his own."You mentioned Vivian-?""No more a priestess than I am a priest.I think she has real ability in magic, or will when she can find a teacher.Not as much as Amby, but-"At that moment Amby put his head into our little improvised armory, and announced that the time to attack was drawing near [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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