The Quest of the Fair Unknown (19 page)

"Maybe it wasn't built to be defended," Ellyn said tartly. "I think it's gorgeous."

They rode down a long slope toward the shining castle, and as they rode they came to a statue, carved from the same smooth white stone as the palace itself. Beaufils stopped to admire the figure, of an armored knight in a heroic pose. Galahad gave the figure a scornful glance as he rode by. "Do they imagine that a stone warrior will help them in a war?" he asked with a faint sneer.

Beaufils prodded Glover into a walk to keep up with the others, but he glanced back over his shoulder one more time at the statue. The sight made him gasp, because from this side, the statue looked very different: now the noble knight was a scowling destroyer, his eyes alive with bloodlust and his sword dripping with gore. "Ellyn?" Beaufils said softly, but the others were already too far ahead to hear. Giving the image one more look, Beaufils turned and hurried on.

As he caught up with the others, they were just coming to a second statue. This one was of a majestic, smiling queen who was holding out a hand filled with food for her grateful people. As they rode past, though, Beaufils turned to look at the statue from the other side. Again the figure was different in reverse. Now she was a pale and evil-looking woman with her people cringing at her feet. Only the crown on her head was the same.

And so it went. They passed a magnificent king who, from the other side, was a shriveled hunchback counting piles of money. There were two young men, brothers or close friends, who from one side were embracing each other and from the other were driving daggers into each other's backs. There was a loving mother, surrounded by her adoring children, whose opposite aspect was of a lumpy lady troll with her children in chains at her feet. A tall man holding an armful of parchments and wearing robes like those worn by Clerk Geoffrey back at Camelot was on one side teaching a youth and on the other sneering at the world from behind a pile of books. Last of all, just before they came to the great front door of the palace, was a glorious angel whose other aspect was that of a goat-footed demon. Neither of Beaufils's companions looked over their shoulders to see the altered images, and Beaufils said nothing, but as they came to the palace, he guessed that whatever they found there would likewise not be what it seemed.

The door swung open and a majestic man in gleaming black clothes stood at the threshold. "Welcome, travelers," he said, sweeping a low, courtly bow.

"We greet you, sir," said Galahad. "Are you the master of this castle?"

I am.

Ellyn frowned. "Isn't this the castle of Lady Synadona?"

The man's smile faded slightly, and he bowed to Ellyn. "Yes," he said. "I was about to explain that. I am her ladyship's vizier, caring for her interests until she is able to do so herself."

"Oh?" Beaufils asked. "Is something wrong with Lady Synadona?"

"Regrettably, yes," the man replied. "She is gravely ill. So ill, in fact, that she is unable to receive guests. But I will be happy to serve as your host and give you lodging on your journey."

Galahad bowed his head. "We are grateful to you, sir," he said.

Ellyn shook her head. "No, that won't do."

The man raised his eyebrows haughtily. "Won't do?" he repeated.

"We were told to see Lady Synadona herself," Ellyn said.

"May I ask who told you this?"

Ellyn hesitated, then said, "An anchoress named Irena. She said that we might be able to help the Lady Synadona."

The man smiled and shook his head sadly. "An anchoress? And what could a recluse know about the real world?" he said. "I assure you, young lady, that everything possible is being done for Lady Synadona. I, and I alone, have managed to keep her alive by my own magical arts."

"Magic!" Galahad exclaimed, his hand dropping to his sword.

"Yes," the man said. "I am called the Necromancer, and I am an enchanter of great skill. By my spells and potions and every other hidden art, I have succeeded in prolonging the Lady Synadona's life. But I will not have my science meddled with. You may not see her ladyship."

"But how could a visit hurt?" Beaufils asked mildly.

"You do not understand," the Necromancer said.

"I understand this, though," Galahad said suddenly, leaping from his horse, his sword in his grasp. "I am sworn to oppose magic and all the forces of evil!" With that, he plunged toward the door where the Necromancer stood, except that the magician was no longer there. He had disappeared in a roiling ball of green smoke that came rushing out the doorway. Without hesitation, Galahad threw himself into the smoke and disappeared.

"He
is
brave," Beaufils said to Ellyn. "You have to give him that much." Ellyn only stared, so Beaufils dismounted and took her hand. "Come on," he said. "Galahad may need help."

They walked into the castle through the already thinning smoke, and found themselves in a grand hall with corridors leading off in every direction, like the threads of a spider's web branching away from the center. The hall itself was empty.

"Now which way?" Ellyn asked.

"Don't ask me," Beaufils replied. "You're supposed to lead, aren't you?"

"Oh, bother. That's right," Ellyn said. "Very well. This way." Still holding Beaufils's hand, she led him down one of the passages. "What am I looking for?" she asked.

Beaufils grinned. "Isn't that what Terence told you to figure out?"

"Very funny," Ellyn said. "If you don't know either, just say so. All right, I think Galahad can take care of himself, so I'm looking for Lady Synadona. I don't know what's wrong with her, but I'll wager that Necromancer fellow is the problem, not the remedy. Let's go left here."

For several minutes she picked her way through a maze of halls, past dozens of doors. When she came to a choice of directions, she never hesitated but just chose a path and pressed on. Before long they heard the unmistakable sound of swordplay, and a minute later they came to an open area before a large door, where Galahad was locked in combat with two knights. To one side the Necromancer stood, wringing his hands and shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!"

But this clearly was beyond the knights' ability. Beaufils watched in awe as his friend fought with uncanny skill. Galahad was truly a wizard with a sword. He made no unnecessary move, was always in exactly the right place, and in another minute had disarmed both knights. They turned and fled down a hall. The Necromancer, meanwhile, had reached into his robe and drawn out a long, polished stick. Stepping behind Galahad, he raised the stick above his head. Beaufils didn't know what was going to happen, but he saw that Galahad was not watching, so he leaped between Galahad and the Necromancer—just as a glimmer of green light sprang from the tip of the stick toward him. Beaufils saw, but didn't feel, the beam of light hit him in the chest, then bounce away. "What was that?" he asked the Necromancer.

The Necromancer's eyes widened with fear, and he shrieked, "No!" Then, to Beaufils's considerable surprise, he picked up his long robes and scampered off down a corridor.

"Beau, are you all right?" shouted Ellyn.

"I think so," he replied.

"Didn't you feel anything? That magician just cast a spell on you."

Beaufils shrugged. "Not much of a spell." He turned to Galahad. "Well done, Galahad! I've never seen such skill."

"Much as I hate to say it," Ellyn said, "Beau is right. That was brilliant swordplay, Sir Galahad. Come on, then. Let's see what these knights were guarding." Striding briskly forward, she pushed open the door at the end of the anteroom and stepped in.

Following her, Beaufils entered a warm and cozy room, lit with the orange glow of a large fire and many branches of candles. There was a bed against the wall, with no one in it, and a plush chair by the fire, but it too was empty. Ellyn was also looking about the bare room. She caught Beaufils's eye and said, "I was sure we'd find her here."

Before Beaufils could reply, a soft female voice came from behind the direction of the chair. "Who are you?"

Then, as Beaufils and Ellyn watched in speechless awe, a long, scaley head appeared over the arm of the chair. Inch by inch, the head was followed by a long serpentine neck, which coiled up from the floor by the fire and wound itself around the chair. The creature's scales glinted in the firelight, orange and shimmery green and glossy black. Then, as the snakelike body rose higher, two knobby feet appeared, gripping the arm of the chair and pulling the body up to its full height.

"A dragon. It's a dragon," said Ellyn.

"Oh, is that what a dragon looks like?" Beaufils asked. "How lovely they are!"

"Saint George be my help!" came a shaky voice behind them. It was Galahad.

"Who are you?" the voice said again, and Beaufils saw the dragon's lips move. He hadn't known that dragons could talk, but then he looked into the creature's eyes and he was no longer surprised. They glowed with lively intelligence and a great, aching sadness.

Ellyn was also gazing into the dragon's eyes, and her face suddenly filled with sympathy. She stepped forward nervously. "Please, ma'am," she said. "My name is Ellyn. Can you help us find Lady Synadona?"

The dragon nodded her head slowly. "I am she."

"You? But you're a ... I mean ... have you always been...?"

"No," Lady Synadona said. "I was once a woman like you."

"Did that Necromancer fellow do this to you?" Ellyn asked indignantly.

The dragon shook her head. "Not really. Yes, he performed the spell, but at my request. It was why I brought him here. I wanted power. I wanted people to fear me. And now I can barely face what I have become."

"Can you ... I mean, is there any way that you could be..."

"Restored? Yes, there is one hope, but it will never happen."

"What is the one hope?" Beaufils asked.

Lady Synadona bowed her head. "There is, in a different world, a great king named Arthur, who is surrounded by great knights. The spell over me can only be broken if I am kissed by the son of Arthur's greatest knight."

Beaufils smiled broadly. "Lady Synadona, I have some good news for you." He gestured at Galahad. "Allow me to introduce Sir Galahad. Galahad is the son of Sir Lancelot, who everyone says is Arthur's greatest knight."

Ellyn's mouth dropped open, and her eyes began to shine. She looked beseechingly at Galahad. "Sir Galahad," she said. "This
must
be why we've been sent here."

Galahad's face twisted in an expression of disgust. "You want me to kiss that thing?" he asked.

Ellyn looked steadily at him. "Yes, please, Sir Galahad." Then, after a brief pause, she knelt on the floor. "I beg you, sir, to do this. Kiss this dragon and rescue Lady Synadona."

Galahad stared at Ellyn, and for a second he hesitated, but then his face grew hard again. "No," he said harshly. A humorless smile spread over his face as he shifted his gaze to the dragon. "You were clever, but I know who you are now."

The dragon looked sad, but she only said, "I have not lied to you, sir. I am no more than I said I was."

"You are that same fateful serpent who seduced our mother Eve and thus brought evil upon mankind! Now you seek to lure me also into temptation." Galahad raised his sword. "Stand back, Beaufils. I shall rid us of the Temptress forever."

"No!" shouted Ellen, but Galahad had already leaped forward, his arm striking out with blinding speed. Beaufils, moving just as quickly, caught Galahad's arm but was only able to check the blow partially, and the sword bit into the dragon's neck. Bright red blood spurted from the wound, and the dragon made a low moaning sound. Galahad snatched his arm from his companion's grasp and with a heavy blow cuffed Beaufils across the face, knocking him down. From the floor, Beaufils watched with horror as Galahad raised his sword for another blow, but then Galahad froze. Ellyn had thrown herself over the dragon, shielding her from Galahad's second strike.

"Very well, Lady Ellyn!" Galahad declared, lowering his sword. "The monster will die soon anyway. I have now at last defeated her. I have destroyed the Temptress!" With a cry of triumph, he rushed from the room.

"After him, Beau!" Ellyn shouted. "Bring him back. He must kiss her! I'll try to stop the bleeding."

Beaufils nodded and ran from the room, chasing the echoes of Galahad's receding footsteps. He dashed for what seemed forever, but was probably only a few minutes, through the web of corridors, coming out into the great entrance hall just in time to see Galahad dive through the door. Beaufils sprang after him, plunging over the threshold and throwing himself onto Galahad's running form. They both went sprawling in the dust outside the palace.

"Stop, Galahad!" Beaufils said. "You have to come back! Lady Synadona needs—"

He got no further. His words were drowned out by a deafening crash and rumble, louder than a clap of thunder, followed by a thick cloud of dust. Beaufils released Galahad and looked about in wonder, but he could see nothing in the storm of dust that swirled about. At last the air cleared, and before Beaufils's stricken eyes appeared a peaceful meadow by a river, and nothing else. Lady Synadona's castle was gone.

"What have you done?" Beaufils shouted furiously at Galahad.

"I've done it! I've done it!" Galahad crowed joyously. "All my life I've struggled with temptation, but now I have seen sin in its true form and have defeated it!"

"And what if we've lost Ellyn too?" Beaufils shouted, tears of anger and grief welling from his eyes.

"At last I have been made worthy!" Galahad shouted, ignoring him. "Now surely I will achieve the Holy Grail!"

"And
what about Ellyn?
" Beaufils screamed.

At last Galahad seemed to hear what Beaufils was saying, and he shrugged. "Don't you see? She too was part of my temptation. Surely you saw how beautiful she was. She also had to be driven away."

Beaufils's jaw dropped. Fury welled up inside him. "She was not part of your temptation, blast you, Galahad! She was a person!"

"And look! Just as I expected! The boat has come to take me to my goal." Galahad jumped to his feet and began running toward the river where a great wooden boat lay up against the bank.