10. Prince Marvel Wins His Fight
When the door had closed on the Royal Dragon, King Terribus turnedagain to Prince Marvel, while his crimson face glowed withembarrassment, and his front eye rolled with baffled rage as he thoughthow vain had been all his efforts to kill this impudent invader of hisdomains.
But his powers were by no means exhausted. He was a mighty king--themightiest of all in the Enchanted Island, he believed--and ways todestroy his enemies were numerous.
"Send for a hundred of my Gray Men!" he suddenly cried; and a courtierran at once to summon them. The Gray Men would obey his orders withoutquestion, he well knew. They were silent, stubborn, quick, andfaithful to their king. Terribus had but to command and his will wouldbe obeyed.
They entered the room so quietly that Nerle never knew they were thereuntil he turned and found the hundred gray ones standing close togetherin the center of the hall. Then Prince Marvel came to Nerle's side andwhispered something in his ear.
"Will you obey my orders?" they heard the king ask. And the Gray Men,with their eyes fixed upon their master, nodded all their hundred headsand put their hands upon the dangerous three-tined forks that werestuck in every one of the hundred belts.
Prince Marvel handed one end of a coiled rope to Nerle, and then theyboth sprang forward and ran around the spot where the hundred Gray Menstood huddled together. Then they were pulled closer together thanbefore--closer, and still closer--for the prince and Nerle hadsurrounded them with the rope and were tying the two ends together in atight knot. The rope cut into the waists of those on the outside, andthey pressed inward against their fellows until there was scarcelyspace to stick a knife-blade between any two of them. When the princehad tied the rope firmly King Terribus, who had been looking on amazed,saw that his hundred Gray Men were fastened together like a bundle ofkindling-wood, and were unable to stir hand or foot.
And, while he still gazed open-mouthed at the strange sight, PrinceMarvel tilted the bundle of men up on its edge and rolled it out of thedoor. It went rolling swiftly through the courtyard and bounded downthe castle steps, where the rope broke and the men fell sprawling inall directions on the marble walk.
King Terribus sighed, for such treatment of his Gray Men, whom hedearly loved, made him very unhappy.
But more than ever was he resolved to kill these impudent strangers,who, in the very heart of his kingdom where thousands bowed to hiswill, dared openly defy his power. So, after a moment's thought,Terribus beckoned to a dwarf who, robed in gay and glittering apparel,stood near his throne.
"Summon the royal Dart Slingers!" he said, with a scowl.
The little man bowed and hastened away, to return presently with twentycuriously crooked dwarfs, each armed with a sling and a quiver full ofslender, sharp-pointed darts.
"Slay me these strangers!" exclaimed the king, in his gruffest voice.
Now Nerle, when he beheld these terrible Dart Slingers, of whom he hadheard many tales in his boyhood, began to shiver and shake with fright,so that his teeth rattled one upon another. And he reflected: "Soonshall I be content, for these darts will doubtless pierce every part ofmy body."
The dwarfs formed a line at one side of the gloomy throne-room, andPrince Marvel, who had been earnestly regarding them, caught Nerle bythe arm and led him to the opposite wall.
"Stand close behind me and you will be safe," he whispered to hisesquire.
Then each dwarf fixed a dart in his sling, and at a word from theirchief they all drew back their arms and launched a shower of the sharpmissiles at the strangers.
Swift and true they sped, each dart intended to pierce the body of theyouthful knight who stood so calm before them. Prince Marvel hadraised his right arm, and in his hand was a small leather sack, with awide mouth. As the darts flew near him a strange thing happened: theyeach and all swerved from their true course and fell rattling into theleathern sack, to the wonder of the royal slingers and the dismay ofKing Terribus himself.
"Again!" screamed the king, his usually mild voice hoarse with anger.
So again the dwarfs cast their darts, and again the leathern sackcaught them every one. Another flight followed, and yet another, tillthe magic sack was packed full of the darts and not a dwarf had oneremaining in his quiver.
Amid the awed silence of the beholders of this feat the merry laughterof Prince Marvel rang loud and clear; for the sight of the puzzled andterrified faces about him was very comical. Plucking a dart from thesack he raised his arm and cried:
"Now it is my turn. You shall have back your darts!"
"Hold!" shouted the king, in great fear. "Do not, I beg you, slay myfaithful servants." And with a wave of his hand he dismissed thedwarfs, who were glad to rush from the room and escape.
Nerle wiped the tears from his eyes, for he was sorely disappointed athaving again escaped all pain and discomfort; but Prince Marvel seatedhimself quietly upon a stool and looked at the scowling face of KingTerribus with real amusement.
The monarch of Spor had never before been so foiled and scorned by anyliving creature. Defeated and humbled before his own people, he bowedhis crimson head on his hands and sullenly regarded his foe with histop eye. Then it was that the idea came to him that no ordinary mortalcould have thwarted him so easily, and he began to fear he wasdealing--perhaps unawares--with some great magician or sorcerer. Thata fairy should have assumed a mortal form he never once considered, forsuch a thing was until then unheard of in the Enchanted Island of Yew.But with the knowledge that he had met his master, whoever he mightprove to be, and that further attempts upon the stranger's life mightlead to his own undoing, King Terribus decided to adopt a new line ofconduct, hoping to accomplish by stratagem what he could not do byforce. To be sure, there remained his regiment of Giants, the pride ofhis kingdom; but Terribus dreaded to meet with another defeat; and hewas not at all sure, after what had happened, that the giants wouldsucceed in conquering or destroying the strangers.
"After all," he thought, "my only object in killing them was to preventtheir carrying news of my monstrous appearance to the outside world; soif I can but manage to keep them forever in my kingdom it will answermy purpose equally well."
As the result of this thought he presently raised his head and spoke toPrince Marvel in a quiet and even cheerful voice.
"Enough of these rude and boisterous games," said he, with a smile thatshowed his white teeth in a repulsive manner. "They may have seemed tomy people an ill welcome to my good friend, Prince Marvel; yet theywere only designed to show the powers of the mighty magician who hasbecome my guest. Nay, do not deny it, Prince; from the first I guessedyour secret, and to prove myself right I called my servants to opposeyou, being sure they could not do you an injury. But no more of suchfooling,--and pray forgive my merry game at your expense. Henceforthwe shall be friends, and you are heartily welcome to the best mykingdom affords."
With this speech Terribus stepped down from his throne and approachedPrince Marvel with outstretched hand. The prince was not at alldeceived, but he was pleased to see how cunningly the king excused hisattempts to kill him. So he laughed and touched the hand Terribusextended, for this fairy prince seemed to have no anger against anymortal who ventured to oppose him.
The strangers were now conducted, with every mark of respect, to abeautiful suite of apartments in the castle, wherein were soft bedswith velvet spreads, marble baths with perfumed waters, and a varietyof silken and brocaded costumes from which they might select a changeof raiment.
No sooner had they bathed and adorned themselves fittingly than theywere summoned to the king's banquet hall, being escorted thither bytwelve young maidens bearing torches with lavender-colored flames.
The night had fallen upon the mountains outside, but the great banquethall was brilliant with the glow of a thousand candles, and seated atthe head of the long table was King Terribus.
Yet here, as in the throne-room, the ruler of Spor was dressed insimplest garments, and his sea
t was a rough block of stone. All abouthim were lords and ladies in gorgeous array; the walls were hung withrare embroideries; the table was weighted with gold platters and richlycarved goblets filled with sweet nectars. But the king himself, withhis horrid, ugly head, was like a great blot on a fair parchment, andeven Prince Marvel could not repress a shudder as he gazed upon him.
Terribus placed his guest upon his right hand and loaded him withhonors. Nerle stood behind the prince's chair and served himfaithfully, as an esquire should. But the other servants treated Nerlewith much deference, noting in him an air of breeding that marked himthe unusual servant of an unusual master.
Indeed, most curious were the looks cast on these marvelous men who hadcalmly walked into the castle of mighty Terribus and successfullydefied his anger; for in spite of his youthful appearance and smilingface every attendant at the banquet feared Prince Marvel even more thanthey feared their own fierce king.