The Circle of the Gods (26 page)

He raised his eyes in wonder at the sight and saw that Merlin, too, had seen the colouring. They looked at each other without words and then Merlin smiled gently. The White One, suddenly raising her head, whinnied high and fiercely and cantered across the marjoram- and thyme-laced turf.

From the dip in the land to the east there rose then the sharp, echoing call of a horn. Over the crest of the land came the leading troop of Arturo's companions with Lancelo at its head, the white-horse banner streaming in the rising morning breeze, and behind him, cloaked and scarved and helmeted, moved the ranks of the companions with scarlet and white plumes tossing and swaying.

Merlin, speaking almost as though to himself, said, “Your people come and there is no more need of me. But there will come a day when I shall be with you in an hour of your own choosing when the war horns shall blow neither for victory nor for defeat, but to set echoes rolling forevermore over this land to give your name everlasting life while you take the long sleep which the gods have decreed for you.”

But as he spoke, a great weariness and weakness seized Arturo and the chalice fell from his hands as he passed into the first sleep which would stage him well on the road to full force and proud intent again.

ANCIENT MODERN

Hercules'Promontory Hartland Point

Yyns-witrin Glastonbury

First published in 1977 by Heinemann

This edition published 2012 by Bello an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR Basingstoke and Oxford Associated companies throughout the world

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ISBN 978-1-4472-3466-1 EPUB
ISBN 978-1-4472-3465-4 POD

Copyright © Victor Canning, 1977

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