The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 37

  How Ralph Justed With the Aliens

  Meanwhile Captain Otter had brought Ralph into the staked-out lists,which, being hastily pitched, were but slenderly done, and now theUpmeads stripling stood there beside a good horse which they hadbrought to him, and Otter had been speaking to him friendly. But Ralphsaw the Lord come forth from the pavilion and take his seat on an ivorychair set on a turf ridge close to the stakes of the lists: for thatplace was used of custom for such games as they exercised in the landsof Utterbol. Then presently the Lady's women came out of their tents,and, being marshalled by Agatha, went into the Queen's pavilion, whencethey came forth again presently like a bed of garden flowers moving,having in the midst of them a woman so fair, and clad so gloriously,that Ralph must needs look on her, though he were some way off, andtake note of her beauty. She went and sat her down beside the Lord,and Ralph doubted not that it was the Queen, whom he had but glanced atwhen they first made stay before the pavilion. Sooth to say, Joycebeing well nigh as tall as the Queen, and as white of skin, wasotherwise a far fairer woman.

  Now spake Otter to Ralph: "I must leave thee here, lad, and go to theother side, as I am to run against thee." Said Ralph: "Art thou to runfirst?" "Nay, but rather last," said Otter; "they will try thee firstwith one of the sergeants, and if he overcome thee, then all is done,and thou art in an evil plight. Otherwise will they find another andanother, and at last it will be my turn. So keep thee well, lad."

  Therewith he rode away, and there came to Ralph one of the sergeants,who brought him a spear, and bade him to horse. So Ralph mounted andtook the spear in hand; and the sergeant said: "Thou art to run atwhatsoever meeteth thee when thou hast heard the third blast of thehorn. Art thou ready?" "Yea, yea," said Ralph; "but I see that thespear-head is not rebated, so that we are to play at sharps."

  "Art thou afraid, youngling?" said the sergeant, who was old andcrabbed, "if that be so, go and tell the Lord: but thou wilt find thathe will not have his sport wholly spoiled, but will somehow make a boltor a shaft out of thee."

  Said Ralph: "I did but jest; I deem myself not so near my death to-dayas I have been twice this summer or oftener." Said the sergeant, "It isill jesting in matters wherein my Lord hath to do. Now thou hast heardmy word: do after it."

  Therewith he departed, and Ralph laughed and shook the spear aloft, anddeemed it not over strong; but he said to himself that the spears ofthe others would be much the same.

  Now the horn blew up thrice, and at the latest blast Ralph prickedforth, as one well used to the tilt, but held his horse well in hand;and he saw a man come driving against him with his spear in the rest,and deemed him right big; but this withal he saw, that the man was illarrayed, and was pulling on his horse as one not willing to trust himto the rush; and indeed he came on so ill that it was clear that hewould never strike Ralph's shield fairly. So he swerved as they met,so that his spear-point was never near to Ralph, who turned his horsetoward him a little, and caught his foeman by the gear about his neck,and spurred on, so that he dragged him clean out of his saddle, and lethim drop, and rode back quietly to his place, and got off his horse tosee to his girths; and he heard great laughter rising up from the ringof men, and from the women also. But the Lord of Utterbol cried out:"Bring forth some one who doth not eat my meat for nothing: and setthat wretch and dastard aside till the tilting be over, and then heshall pay a little for his wasted meat and drink."

  Ralph got into his saddle again, and saw a very big man come forth atthe other end of the lists, and wondered if he should be overthrown ofhim; but noted that his horse seemed not over good. Then the horn blewup and he spurred on, and his foeman met him fairly in the midmost ofthe lists: yet he laid his spear but ill, and as one who would thrustand foin with it rather than letting it drive all it might, so thatRalph turned the point with his shield that it glanced off, but hehimself smote the other full on the shoulder, and the shaft brake, butthe point had pierced the man's armour, and the truncheon stuck in thewound: yet since the spear was broken he kept his saddle. The Lordcried out, "Well, Black Anselm, this is better done; yet art thou a bigman and a well-skilled to be beaten by a stripling."

  So the man was helped away and Ralph went back to his place again.

  Then another man was gotten to run against Ralph, and it went thesame-like way: for Ralph smote him amidst of the shield, and the spearheld, so that he fell floundering off his horse.

  Six of the stoutest men of Utterbol did Ralph overthrow or hurt in thiswise; and then he ran three courses with Otter, and in the first twoeach brake his spear fairly on the other; but in the third Otter smotenot Ralph squarely, but Ralph smote full amidst of his shield, and sodight him that he well-nigh fell, and could not master his horse, butyet just barely kept his saddle.

  Then the Lord cried out: "Now make we an end of it! We have no mightagainst this youngling, man to man: or else would Otter have done it.This comes of learning a craft diligently."

  So Ralph got off his horse, and did off his helm and awaited tidings;and anon comes to him the surly sergeant, and brought him a cup ofwine, and said: "Youngling, thou art to drink this, and then go to myLord; and I deem that thou art in favour with him. So if thou art nottoo great a man, thou mightest put in a word for poor Redhead, thatfirst man that did so ill. For my Lord would have him set up, and headdown and buttocks aloft, as a target for our bowmen. And it will behis luck if he be sped with the third shot, and last not out to thetwentieth."

  "Yea, certes," said Ralph, "I will do no less, even if it anger theLord." "O thou wilt not anger him," said the man, "for I tell thee,thou art in favour. Yea, and for me also thou mightest say a wordalso, when thou becomest right great; for have I not brought thee agood bowl of wine?" "Doubt it not, man," said Ralph, "if I once getsafe to Utterbol: weary on it and all its ways!" Said the sergeant:"That is an evil wish for one who shall do well at Utterbol. But come,tarry not."

  So he brought Ralph to the Lord, who still sat in his chair beside thatfair woman, and Ralph did obeysance to him; yet he had a sidelongglance also for that fair seeming-queen, and deemed her bothproud-looking, and so white-skinned, that she was a wonder, like thequeen of the fays: and it was just this that he had noted of the Queenas he stood before her earlier in the day when they first came into thevale; therefore he had no doubt of this damsel's queenship.

  Now the Lord spake to him and said: "Well, youngling, thou hast donewell, and better than thy behest: and since ye have been playing atsharps, I deem thou would'st not do ill in battle, if it came to that.So now I am like to make something other of thee than I was minded toat first: for I deem that thou art good enough to be a man. And ifthou wilt now ask a boon of me, if it be not over great, I will grantit thee."

  Ralph put one knee to the ground, and said: "Great Lord, I thank thee:but whereas I am in an alien land and seeking great things, I know ofno gift which I may take for myself save leave to depart, which I deemthou wilt not grant me. Yet one thing thou mayst do for my asking ifthou wilt. If thou be still angry with the carle whom I firstunhorsed, I pray thee pardon him his ill-luck."

  "Ill-luck!" said the Lord, "Why, I saw him that he was downright afraidof thee. And if my men are to grow blenchers and soft-hearts what isto do then? But tell me, Otter, what is the name of this carle?" SaidOtter, "Redhead he hight, Lord." Said the Lord: "And what like a manis he in a fray?" "Naught so ill, Lord," said Otter. "This time, likethe rest of us, he knew not this gear. It were scarce good to miss himat the next pinch. It were enough if he had the thongs over his back afew dozen times; it will not be the first day of such cheer to him."

  "Ha!" said the Lord, "and what for, Otter, what for?" "Because he wassomewhat rough-handed, Lord," said Otter. "Then shall we need him anduse him some day. Let him go scot free and do better another bout.There is thy boon granted for thee, knight; and another day thou maystask something more. And now shall David have a care of thee. And whenwe come to Utterbol we shall see wh
at is to be done with thee."

  Then Ralph rose up and thanked him, and David came forward, and led himto his tent. And he was wheedling in his ways to him, as if Ralph werenow become one who might do him great good if so his will were.

  But the Lord went back again into the Tower.

  As to the Lady, she abode in her pavilion amidst many fears anddesires, till Agatha entered and said: "My Lady, so far all has gonehappily." Said the Lady: "I deemed from the noise and the cry that hewas doing well. But tell me, how did he?" "My Lady," quoth Agatha,"he knocked our folk about well-favouredly, and seemed to think littleof it."

  "And Joyce," said the Lady, "how did she?" "She looked a queen, everyinch of her, and she is tall," said Agatha: "soothly some folk staredon her, but not many knew of her, since she is but new into our house.Though it is a matter of course that all save our new-come knight knewthat it was not thou that sat there. And my Lord was well-pleased, andnow he hath taken her by the hand and led her into the Tower."

  The Lady reddened and scowled, and said: "And he... did he come anighher?" "O yea," said Agatha, "whereas he stood before my Lord a goodwhile, and then kneeled to him to pray pardon for one of our men whohad done ill in the tilting: yea, he was nigh enough to her to touchher had he dared, and to smell the fragrance of her raiment. And heseemed to think it good to look out of the corners of his eyes at her;though I do not say that she smiled on him." The Lady sprang up, hercheeks burning, and walked about angrily a while, striving for words,till at last she said: "When we come home to Utterbol, my lord willsee his new thrall again, and will care for Joyce no whit: then will Ihave my will of her; and she shall learn, she, whether I am verily theleast of women at Utterbol! Ha! what sayest thou? Now why wilt thoustand and smile on me?--Yea, I know what is in thy thought; and in verysooth it is good that the dear youngling hath not seen this new thrall,this Ursula. Forsooth, I tell thee that if I durst have her in myhands I would have a true tale out of her as to why she weareth everthat pair of beads about her neck."

  "Now, our Lady," said Agatha, "thou art marring the fairness of thyface again. I bid thee be at peace, for all shall be well, and otherthan thou deemest. Tell me, then, didst thou get our Lord to swearimmunity for me?" Said the Lady: "Yea, he swore on the edge of thesword that thou mightest say what thou wouldst, and neither he nor anyother should lay hand on thee."

  "Good," said Agatha; "then will I go to him to-morrow morning, whenJoyce has gone from him. But now hold up thine heart, and keep closefor these two days that we shall yet abide in Tower Dale: and trust methis very evening I shall begin to set tidings going that shall workand grow, and shall one day rejoice thine heart."

  So fell the talk betwixt them.