said, “Petrello saw something, Father.”
The king turned to Petrello. “What did you see?”
Petrello reddened. All at once, he began to doubt himself. Why had he imagined that Lilith had tampered with the helmet? “I-I’m not sure,” he stammered.
“Come on, Petrello. Have confidence in yourself. Did you see someone else with this helmet?” The king pulled the cloak away from Gunfrid’s head and gave the helmet another light tug. It still wouldn’t come off the boy’s head.
“No,” said Petrello. “But I saw Lilith in the helmet room, that’s all.”
The king frowned. “And what were you doing there?”
Petrello had no choice but to tell his father the truth. How he had followed Vyborn and Gunfrid to the armory and how Vyborn had turned into a goat and frightened the guard into unlocking the door. “And Lilith was there,” he went on, “and when I saw Amadis’s helmet, I felt, I don’t know —”
“It was meant for me, Father,” Amadis broke in. “If it were not for that boy, I would be lying there, paralyzed, half dead.”
The king gave a sigh that was more like a groan. “Why? Who would wish to harm you, Amadis?”
Amadis shrugged, and then, as if struck by a sudden idea, he said, “The only thing that marks me out from others is my ability to speak with animals.”
“Ah!” The king put a finger to his lips and paced beside the table, glancing occasionally at Gunfrid’s motionless body.
The brothers remained silent, reluctant to break into their father’s thoughts.
“I begin to see a pattern now,” the king said at last. “They are trying to remove anything that could warn us of approaching danger. First the crystal, and now Amadis and the eagles.”
“They?” Petrello ventured. “Who are THEY?”
“Is Lilith part of a conspiracy?” asked Tolly, his eyes round with alarm.
The king spread his hands. “Another puzzle for Wyngate.” He lifted one of Gunfrid’s rigid hands. “Fetch Llyr for me. My cloak is not enough for this poor lad.”
“I’ll go.” Petrello ran into the courtyard with Tolly close behind.
“What’s going on, boys?” called Sir Edern. “Is the king detained?” The big knight was already mounted and obviously eager to set off. Sir Peredur was a great friend, and both knights would have laid down their lives for each other.
“A plot has been discovered.” Tolly’s high voice carried above the crush and clamor of impatient knights.
“A plot?” roared Sir Edern, leaping to the ground.
Hearing Sir Edern’s powerful shout, other knights began to dismount.
“You shouldn’t have told them,” Petrello said as the boys sped across to the wizards’ tower.
“The knights will have to know,” Tolly panted.
They had reached the steps leading to the aerie.
“Our father isn’t going to accuse Lilith, is he?” Tolly said as they mounted the narrow steps.
“I don’t think he can,” Petrello agreed. He had seen the sorrow in his father’s eyes before, when one of the others used their talents thoughtlessly, or for some cruel sport. It was as though the king blamed himself for their behavior. But poisoning? Could Lilith really have intended to do such a thing to her own brother?
“Remember the rash that covered Guan’s face?” said Tolly. “That was Lilith. She admitted it.”
“Yes. Dusted a little something onto that pretty necklace,” said Petrello, remembering. “Our mother scolded her and she was better for a while. It was lucky that Eri found a herb to cure the rash.” Petrello took the last step up to the wizards’ door and knocked.
“Who is it?” Llyr sounded tired and distracted.
“It’s me,” said Petrello. “And Tolly.”
“Enter, me and Tolly!” This time there was a hint of a smile in Llyr’s voice.
The aerie was in even more chaos than before. Petrello had to push the door against a tide of discarded robes and boots. He stepped over the garments only to find himself crunching shells and dried herbs
The king turned to Petrello. “What did you see?”
Petrello reddened. All at once, he began to doubt himself. Why had he imagined that Lilith had tampered with the helmet? “I-I’m not sure,” he stammered.
“Come on, Petrello. Have confidence in yourself. Did you see someone else with this helmet?” The king pulled the cloak away from Gunfrid’s head and gave the helmet another light tug. It still wouldn’t come off the boy’s head.
“No,” said Petrello. “But I saw Lilith in the helmet room, that’s all.”
The king frowned. “And what were you doing there?”
Petrello had no choice but to tell his father the truth. How he had followed Vyborn and Gunfrid to the armory and how Vyborn had turned into a goat and frightened the guard into unlocking the door. “And Lilith was there,” he went on, “and when I saw Amadis’s helmet, I felt, I don’t know —”
“It was meant for me, Father,” Amadis broke in. “If it were not for that boy, I would be lying there, paralyzed, half dead.”
The king gave a sigh that was more like a groan. “Why? Who would wish to harm you, Amadis?”
Amadis shrugged, and then, as if struck by a sudden idea, he said, “The only thing that marks me out from others is my ability to speak with animals.”
“Ah!” The king put a finger to his lips and paced beside the table, glancing occasionally at Gunfrid’s motionless body.
The brothers remained silent, reluctant to break into their father’s thoughts.
“I begin to see a pattern now,” the king said at last. “They are trying to remove anything that could warn us of approaching danger. First the crystal, and now Amadis and the eagles.”
“They?” Petrello ventured. “Who are THEY?”
“Is Lilith part of a conspiracy?” asked Tolly, his eyes round with alarm.
The king spread his hands. “Another puzzle for Wyngate.” He lifted one of Gunfrid’s rigid hands. “Fetch Llyr for me. My cloak is not enough for this poor lad.”
“I’ll go.” Petrello ran into the courtyard with Tolly close behind.
“What’s going on, boys?” called Sir Edern. “Is the king detained?” The big knight was already mounted and obviously eager to set off. Sir Peredur was a great friend, and both knights would have laid down their lives for each other.
“A plot has been discovered.” Tolly’s high voice carried above the crush and clamor of impatient knights.
“A plot?” roared Sir Edern, leaping to the ground.
Hearing Sir Edern’s powerful shout, other knights began to dismount.
“You shouldn’t have told them,” Petrello said as the boys sped across to the wizards’ tower.
“The knights will have to know,” Tolly panted.
They had reached the steps leading to the aerie.
“Our father isn’t going to accuse Lilith, is he?” Tolly said as they mounted the narrow steps.
“I don’t think he can,” Petrello agreed. He had seen the sorrow in his father’s eyes before, when one of the others used their talents thoughtlessly, or for some cruel sport. It was as though the king blamed himself for their behavior. But poisoning? Could Lilith really have intended to do such a thing to her own brother?
“Remember the rash that covered Guan’s face?” said Tolly. “That was Lilith. She admitted it.”
“Yes. Dusted a little something onto that pretty necklace,” said Petrello, remembering. “Our mother scolded her and she was better for a while. It was lucky that Eri found a herb to cure the rash.” Petrello took the last step up to the wizards’ door and knocked.
“Who is it?” Llyr sounded tired and distracted.
“It’s me,” said Petrello. “And Tolly.”
“Enter, me and Tolly!” This time there was a hint of a smile in Llyr’s voice.
The aerie was in even more chaos than before. Petrello had to push the door against a tide of discarded robes and boots. He stepped over the garments only to find himself crunching shells and dried herbs
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