as he paced a

muffled echo,

palace and out t

ondered hard, co

's apatheti

s knocking ma

to others ne

, were near hi

once the wise

agonet, who

love of him a

e might have

much; and aft

summoned, with

r crowns, the fo

s had made o

lliance, an

rittany, Merlin,

ief had strife

le for the t

heavy wealth

foreign tasse

ow for a wiz

r the King's re

of a lost

and unconsci

g's heart lay

ll have left h

y it, saying w

ue. This Merli

My crown is

s than woman

s one reading

blets in the a

since you are

, and that's a

earsay or des

meat with bit

re more famish

you refuse. Fo

e yourself, you

sundry looks

loved, and by

knew for fa

oon that you ar

lasted, and sa

ith a crown.

ay this to you

d me say no m

at with folded

elt, unfought

hell-fire, t

se who are to

when they are

covet withou

ending eminen

ictory, could

the serpents

ke: "Merlin, yo

an who could

y so much to

erlin still,

ng when I tho

ry now. Say

e, and I sh

me shall hide

ay in this i

inned and erre

d where you your

smiling to th

ur incongruous

ave. God save

er, the founder,

gold of your i

d that gave it

an has you in

ing me now wi

are all poison

t why poison m

enom that I

ns and wars? W

d, flouted, m

ts rats eat h

fingers to fig

ch as that,

ought himself

king who bui

, and hears the

ottering, as he

an who made m

e, say a

strick

t was old, be

s, made answe

f Lancelot a

any morta

or to make

violent years

to a sounding

rike for war.

our and then b

bscurations

been your lo

force be slowe

t be sharper t

e fall heavier

ell to Camelot

have lost, or

horoscope of

arry words tha

ther now tha

all be given

one life;

mminent when

ounded the S

be too much

gs, and what he

ong a vexed

lm of stains an

ways of God a

night who is t

or the least w

oombs and holl

never ente

im you trust

ver jeopardi

t evil-fated

tten, though y

s your sister

odred now,

ate plans your

mile till he be

to an unfor

t he shake a

too much lying

th to steer the

u the fathe

h to be the l

of time that

an it is you

he old seeds

ourished an

come to be.

rst; and you nee

love, the love

ow your Kingdom

ke it from yo

ake it from

ong when we ar

schief's other

ll, for I can

ise the Hermit,

re than I have

he alone was

e and paced t

mfort of dark

ot that you ca

I can hear

ask for more.

night comes to

nd the glory

see no Grail. F

d, and I shall

Merlin. "Once

ied. I shall

have it othe

that was never

oes alone too

r another. G

what is comin

Like you, I

g Arthur's app

obscure and r

ught was on th

ld see the l

for Brittany;

ore the King

arker for r

all provisi

early convoy

mped the past.

nd him like th

e; and he was

to meet with

omething colde

f intolera

stung him unt

r lived amon

st as once h

more than all

me first," so

d me not in

celot!" He cu

is misery, an

n if he had

ights, till

d Percival, r

Gareth, and g

aves,-or they w

ake them so; a

the cause. "Go

olly carry me

and he smil

s he thought: "Y

with even my so

will sing fo

not too merry

having entered

e affrighted,

cause I call

ngry, Dagon

saying what

that you broug

ncied; and

e of anyth

no regrets,

Merlin was

heard no man

I said only

their neighbor

erlin here, and

ood. Gawaine

ndful of yo

not, and we ma

r, makes light

looking down. "

Round Table

eak of midnight

-one of those

ed of old, when

more stars twin

rs that are

the king of s

an old

t's qu

n the King's; a

y, than even t

hovering o

aid, "I cannot

nd me I shal

il; for there

t, or even in t

rdly follow w

ill me-but I

down then on

ile he clutched th

for wha

e, Da

l my knight, or

up, and get y

nother time f

your covers an

the King sa

e friend left,

m as of thems

ool. Poor Dag

e a fool, w

ore to make the

er was!' ... Fool,

long awake.

his tonight; an

he cold eyes

had stabbed h

me struck fire,

ft him-with a

, and a sickeni

ession. He t

y the dead, l

mariners on

ntries, wastrel

aying somewher

s now aslee

ng."-"God save

ow a king to

giants risin

of memories

gray-lit i

o fade out an

might be sleep,

ain be peace.

but the rest

ing hard where

at was not, ev

e dust and thu

onfirmation

so much and f

was to be. N

led the last n

agging anguis

than Arthur,

rkness and of

ever crashe

inland that

ars among the

King were mem

ons that were