oming on their

horses or i

away from

winding aroun

black hair. "Ki

e with kings, a

rafty language.

only languag

I must never

ow too well. Wh

l only out of

, the doer ma

omplement of

ore words

tell

and a singu

thin question

far away f

re, even of

the wrong th

ght on what I

eek is here

s that you have

? The eyes y

old; and I co

remembered

and wished hi

vian, to mak

world again in

no bigger t

ys, and wonder

ough to make

back. Am I a

n her toes and

against his, a

me has come fo

my prison-ya

verything that

ne, and seen don

erted me. And

hinks of me."-"

most what you a

all ages that

the wonder of

ted me. What

have seen and

ch, would make

art of it woul

Merlin had hi

ore about your

If Blaise wer

his ponderi

is unshielding

l of him. I'd

ake his fist at

as long as the

I forgot mys

love may do so

ghtning are no

wly, "more than

e nearer to

ame than I car

ervice to th

service you

orld a kingdom

hand, smiling:

them will not

he smile faded

celess and ungr

eased, for she

new fear. "The

"and we'll have

ndered rather

d come agai

, Merlin fou

new lonelin

rk, and woodl

n and a cha

ason, with

ke a child wit

before him,

hat, although

felt the pictu

t the nearness

w there was no

soul-consumin

only tenant o

when she was

ging injure

Arthur's kingdo

ng, for new ag

themselves and

hours a martyr

ike an empty ho

n was a pri

n himself by t

n unending

litary sil

a way reme

ir very solit

magic of

ow he doubted-th

, were founde

Merlin, in

unseen angel

uch of which w

orrow that h

e compelled it

y in autumn a

de the radianc

ight when he

ist between h

Vivian. On h

ll in green a

llow leaves, an

nd the fountai

ate the bread,

hing today

for a minute h

always all in

had much to s

crumbs away an

up my bones wi

ry on them wit

ed them all-or m

ked them if you

ighing; "but t

the day I sa

wonderful" ..

with a mel

mile.-"Why paus

een yourself si

where that u

t you have neve

n her with a

nothing that I

en?" she asked

ds and miracles

head and tore

need of askin

or I may choo

is Fate, who

yes to read o

n I have read.

esterday, bu

not the ways

go forward

we were not in

ho said it."-"

en who said it

Merlin was y

ne with him and

ith the world;

re alone, even

I who said

my inmost thoug

den pain aro

not much laugh

d for a season

hat you mean by

told me. Here's

ace that fits m

sit there. I've

ave spoiled you

ll my finger

ce, as if they

nimal with n

ory now abou

in it, what

they do it a

u every story

d.-"O, don't be

on a time ther

more commend

ell me all a

ing had warts

wrong in his

sh that Adam h

ed her slowly

der. She laughe

art he felt a

a long fear fo

on a time ther

n, but now i

and betraye

would have he

in him that

terance that hi

ing child ob

e richer fo

the child: "T

e made his re

peoples of t

nd remember, a

and won,

ory of, a ne

with her smile

heir sin, wha

of mongrel so

ecious reptil

his court an

y to be the

the king, wh

de of life and

orld and his

ther woman-

e made Queen,

orn allegianc

ved the best o

bring along t

honor and of

ingdom build

n,-so founde

unsellor who l

orld and theref

for it,-the k

ears, awaitin

ars he waved a

ner with a

very land fe

s it were th

the livi

ose a

lm yawn, she l

new insisten

I wonder if

rs, with all his

t like him." A

es than he ha

ame the will

ade of him; an

colder lin

rs or nightmares

: "What reas

ten to this k

has a man of

man be Merlin

l for you to l

, driven ru

ctive urging

ll for you to

ve him, knowing

ere is no man

story of th

story of th

story was t

recognition

ave no more of

not so commo

gs and pits and

w that we have

you missed th

have it in wit

bristles on t

h shouts and hor

ith a most u

other story

of a man tha

l for the sp

long ago, if

trange a lady

you said, who

look at me

ring at you and

to spring at yo

e. And you, i

fear to wande

me has come for

come a time

think it is th

his Brocelia

heartened sin

as today no pl

ly wave of

erlin like a

nwillingly an

had seen, but

bitterness of

at, and all the

nd around hi

memories tha

, although he

ere-for what hi

rs had heard an

him not knowi

w that his col

that a mightie

d ordained tha

e could not

had no more o

of peace: "I me

d," he groaned;

frozen lin

th. He looked

y-too fearfu

could hear no

slowly into

cy water: "Thi

the end of us

afraid we'r

uild walls up

ron that make u

oming when they

ll me that you

ever cared f

em. I was too

urn is now a

that you cal

an uninvited

hout a welcom

founder

What ar

er in a forlo

y: "You said, 'I

ing in Camel

e than specks.' H

Merlin, you a

make somehow

f the world? I'

ign, with you to

any king th

me is that

forgets that

dered misery

Vivian's face,

common mercy th

anguage that w

t my wits. Wh

est of opp

hat I said a

eason could ha

y? Why do you

rom me, when

your word a

where no fea

ever dwell? Wh

wise a mir

s, and of imm

y the roots out

and torture it

g that has a ra

f an ingeni

makes of what

remote as hel

," Vivian sai

f in pain; "I

and leave you

kings and sin

and bury the

king; he liv

ver like him.

er him. Long

king who liv

Lancelot, a

speckled like

together. You

ved the world

a mirror for

see itself in

ay its prayers a

ome new king a

King!... But n

e to shudder

s-and so bec

ake out walking

e way to lon

ay have lost wh

y light mind.

for this fo

tting. Tell me,

ame than Eden

man in it fo

s, we have a Tre

p at the bra

r shoulders. Th

left of Merli

yal phantom,

ord of his col

n his heart,

xt, but the co

and left h

w and eyes. "T

ar, and he ma

kes unseen," h

hought again. "

ing till the

lures him folds

what there was

f inhospi

hate alike m

till be charte

ng, where the

passing of a

to flower in

not somewher

owers, and glim

rt where the

slow defeats

f a nameless

see too much-

eath, to the

he Grail. For

s to throw,

d the wise ar

ure all wise

rays than men.

ch, and was to

play too ligh

and flowers, h

way out; and

shadows lead

adow save his

no complaint,

on, with death

t that guides hi

pty thought o

l put a matto

hile he digs h

the pallet a

ndering bones.

have an eye

rked the clay; an

and may slacke

hout a metho

delving that

d, for man. I

fall before

. I was youn

hat I have he

on my shoulde

shall say

d and gaunt

one more stor

g hours for Me

wandering in h

progress of

tillness of i

farewell. T

r many days n

's iteratio

arture from

ill remained. I

uiet kindness

lash of i

o pain. Was th

rnation o

supplicati

d reverential

reams and he

erlin who for

d him had so ma

princes, thro

men who drow

less to her tha

erlin whom her

to come ringi

her love wit

was to be a

erlin who had

d then left i

est, oldest, we

nd sometimes

en of her co

man who had m

ary as a

erlin who came

untain where s

een? Trembling,

em fondly, one

een

ong that

ne more stor

ke one hungr

she found in h

as a candle

pon the sea

ve gone down. "To

I shall go

and I shall

nd I may com

nd I shall g

re is now no

; and I shal

uch when I

rther backwa

than a man ma

rthur king. I

as this. Fate

d with Time; an

ate, will have on

s no vengeance,

slowly int

ere, but when h

ld as leaves an

en him then, to

ment of a w

he next morni

ilgrim robe t

iting where the

te fell on him

Vivian at th

ash of a swif

came with it.

ith her lips tha

"I am going

wn together

coming back. F

to spare him,

w, as once I

e no more th

no more than

told me that I

ff to wander.

or another

that all be w

e was a whini

els departing.

he gate agai

uld have heard