The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 38

  A Friend Gives Ralph Warning

  On the morrow Ralph wandered about the Dale where he would, and nonemeddled with him. And as he walked east along the stream where thevalley began to narrow, he saw a man sitting on the bank fishing withan angle, and when he drew near, the man turned about, and saw him.Then he lays down his angling rod and rises to his feet, and standsfacing Ralph, looking sheepish, with his hands hanging down by hissides; and Ralph, who was thinking of other folk, wondered what hewould. So he said: "Hail, good fellow! What wouldst thou?" Said theman: "I would thank thee." "What for?" said Ralph, but as he looked onhim he saw that it was Redhead, whose pardon he had won of the Lordyesterday; so he held out his hand, and took Redhead's, and smiledfriendly on him. Redhead looked him full in the face, and though hewas both big and very rough-looking, he had not altogether the look ofa rascal.

  He said: "Fair lord, I would that I might do something for thineavail, and perchance I may: but it is hard to do good deeds in Hell,especially for one of its devils."

  "Yea, is it so bad as that?" said Ralph. "For thee not yet," saidRedhead, "but it may come to it. Hearken, lord, there is none anigh usthat I can see, so I will say a word to thee at once. Later on it maybe over late: Go thou not to Utterbol whatever may betide."

  "Yea," said Ralph, "but how if I be taken thither?" Quoth Redhead: "Ican see this, that thou art so favoured that thou mayst go whither thouwilt about the camp with none to hinder thee. Therefore it will beeasy for thee to depart by night and cloud, or in the grey of morning,when thou comest to a good pass, whereof I will tell thee. And still Isay, go thou not to Utterbol: for thou art over good to be made a devilof, like to us, and therefore thou shalt be tormented till thy life isspoilt, and by that road shalt thou be sent to heaven."

  "But thou saidst even now," said Ralph, "that I was high in the Lord'sgrace." "Yea," said Redhead, "that may last till thou hast command todo some dastard's deed and nay-sayest it, as thou wilt: and thenfarewell to thee; for I know what my Lord meaneth for thee." "Yea,"said Ralph, "and what is that?" Said Redhead; "He hath bought thee togive to his wife for a toy and a minion, and if she like thee, it willbe well for a while: but on the first occasion that serveth him, andshe wearieth of thee (for she is a woman like a weather-cock), he willlay hand on thee and take the manhood from thee, and let thee driftabout Utterbol a mock for all men. For already at heart he hateththee."

  Ralph stood pondering this word, for somehow it chimed in with thethought already in his heart. Yet how should he not go to Utterbolwith the Damsel abiding deliverance of him there: and yet again, ifthey met there and were espied on, would not that ruin everything forher as well as for him?

  At last he said: "Good fellow, this may be true, but how shall I knowit for true before I run the risk of fleeing away, instead of going onto Utterbol, whereas folk deem honour awaiteth me."

  Said Redhead: "There is no honour at Utterbol save for such as areunworthy of honour. But thy risk is as I say, and I shall tell theewhence I had my tale, since I love thee for thy kindness to me, and thymanliness. It was told me yester-eve by a woman who is in the veryprivity of the Lady of Utterbol, and is well with the Lord also: and itjumpeth with mine own thought on the matter; so I bid thee beware: forwhat is in me to grieve would be sore grieved wert thou cast away."

  "Well," said Ralph, "let us sit down here on the bank and then tell memore; but go on with thine angling the while, lest any should see us."

  So they sat down, and Redhead did as Ralph bade; and he said: "Lord, Ihave bidden thee to flee; but this is an ill land to flee from, andindeed there is but one pass whereby ye may well get away from thiscompany betwixt this and Utterbol; and we shall encamp hard by it onthe second day of our faring hence. Yet I must tell thee that it is noroad for a dastard; for it leadeth through the forest up into themountains: yet such as it is, for a man bold and strong like thee, Ibid thee take it: and I can see to it that leaving this company shallbe easy to thee: only thou must make up thy mind speedily, since thetime draws so nigh, and when thou art come to Utterbol with all thisrout, and the house full, and some one or other dogging each footstepof thine, fleeing will be another matter. Now thus it is: on that samesecond night, not only is the wood at hand to cover thee, but I shallbe chief warder of the side of the camp where thou lodgest, so that Ican put thee on the road: and if I were better worth, I would say, takeme with thee, but as it is, I will not burden thee with that prayer."

  "Yea," said Ralph, "I have had one guide in this country-side and hebewrayed me. This is a matter of life and death, so I will speak outand say how am I to know but that thou also art going about to bewrayme?"

  Redhead lept up to his feet, and roared out: "What shall I say? whatshall I say? By the soul of my father I am not bewraying thee. Mayall the curses of Utterbol be sevenfold heavier on me if I am thytraitor and dastard."

  "Softly lad, softly," said Ralph, "lest some one should hear thee.Content thee, I must needs believe thee if thou makest so much noiseabout it."

  Then Redhead sat him down again, and for all that he was so rough andsturdy a carle he fell a-weeping.

  "Nay, nay," said Ralph, "this is worse in all wise than the othernoise. I believe thee as well as a man can who is dealing with one whois not his close friend, and who therefore spareth truth to his friendbecause of many years use and wont. Come to thyself again and let uslook at this matter square in the face, and speedily too, lest someunfriend or busybody come on us. There now! Now, in the first placedost thou know why I am come into this perilous and tyrannous land?"

  Said Redhead: "I have heard it said that thou art on the quest of theWell at the World's End."

  "And that is but the sooth," said Ralph. "Well then," quoth Redhead,"there is the greater cause for thy fleeing at the time and in themanner I have bidden thee. For there is a certain sage who dwelleth inthe wildwood betwixt that place and the Great Mountains, and he hath somuch lore concerning the Mountains, yea, and the Well itself, that ifhe will tell thee what he can tell, thou art in a fair way to end thyquest happily. What sayest thou then?"

  Said Ralph, "I say that the Sage is good if I may find him. But thereis another cause why I have come hither from Goldburg." "What is that?"said Redhead. "This," said Ralph, "to come to Utterbol." "Heaven helpus!" quoth Redhead, "and wherefore?"

  Ralph said: "Belike it is neither prudent nor wise to tell thee, but Ido verily trust thee; so hearken! I go to Utterbol to deliver a friendfrom Utterbol; and this friend is a woman--hold a minute--and thiswoman, as I believe, hath been of late brought to Utterbol, having beentaken out of the hands of one of the men of the mountains that liebeyond Cheaping Knowe."

  Redhead stared astonished, and kept silence awhile; then he said: "Nowall the more I say, flee! flee! flee! Doubtless the woman is there,whom thou seekest; for it would take none less fair and noble than thatnew-come thrall to draw to her one so fair and noble as thou art. Butwhat availeth it? If thou go to Utterbol thou wilt destroy both herand thee. For know, that we can all see that the Lord hath set hislove on this damsel; and what better can betide, if thou come toUtterbol, but that the Lord shall at once see that there is lovebetwixt you two, and then there will be an end of the story."

  "How so?" quoth Ralph. Said Redhead: "At Utterbol all do the will ofthe Lord of Utterbol, and he is so lustful and cruel, and so falsewithal, that his will shall be to torment the damsel to death, and togeld and maim thee; so that none hereafter shall know how goodly andgallant thou hast been."

  "Redhead," quoth Ralph much moved, "though thou art in no knightlyservice, thou mayst understand that it is good for a friend to die witha friend."

  "Yea, forsooth," said Redhead, "If he may do no more to help than that!Wouldst thou not help the damsel? Now when thou comest back from thequest of the Well at the World's End, thou wilt be too mighty andglorious for the Lord of Utterbol to thrust thee aside like to an overeager dog; and thou mayst help her then. But now I
say to thee, andswear to thee, that three days after thou hast met thy beloved inUtterbol she will be dead. I would that thou couldst ask someone elsenearer to the Lord than I have been. The tale would be the same asmine."

  Now soothly to say it, this was even what Ralph had feared would be,and he could scarce doubt Redhead's word. So he sat there ponderingthe matter a good while, and at last he said: "My friend, I will trustthee with another thing; I have a mind to flee to the wildwood, and yetcome to Utterbol for the damsel's deliverance." "Yea," said Redhead,"and how wilt thou work in the matter?" Said Ralph; "How would it be ifI came hither in other guise than mine own, so that I should not beknown either by the damsel or her tyrants?"

  Said Redhead: "There were peril in that; yet hope also. Yea, and inone way thou mightest do it; to wit, if thou wert to find that Sage,and tell him thy tale: if he be of good will to thee, he might thenchange not thy gear only, but thy skin also; for he hath exceedinggreat lore."

  "Well," said Ralph, "Thou mayst look upon it as certain that on thataforesaid night, I will do my best to shake off this company of tyrantand thralls, unless I hear fresh tidings, so that I must needs changemy purpose. But I will ask thee to give me some token that all holdstogether some little time beforehand." Quoth Redhead: "Even so shallit be; thou shalt see me at latest on the eve of the night of thydeparture; but on the night before that if it be anywise possible."

  "Now will I go away from thee," said Ralph, "and I thank thee heartilyfor thine help, and deem thee my friend. And if thou think better offleeing with me, thou wilt gladden me the more." Redhead shook his headbut spake not, and Ralph went his ways down the dale.