shut. "Oh, no. Tell me I didn't see it."
"Wherefore, Lord Wizard?" The princess knit her brows, puzzled. "Dost fear him?"
"Well, now that you mention it, yes-though that wasn't exactly what I had in mind. You'll pardon the cynicism, Princess, but as we stand now, I think we're better off assuming any stranger's an enemy, until he proves otherwise."
"But you need not fear a knight!" she protested. "They are all bound by honor, sir-even those who oppose us!"
"Even Malingo's knights?"
The princess reddened and lifted her chin a few notches. "They are foul, treacherous brutes who may lay no claim at all to the title of knight."
"Oh, definitely not. The fact that they ride Percherons, wear armor, and carry great big, sharp swords has nothing to do with it."
"Exactly." She beamed. "You learn our ways quickly, Lord Wizard."
It took Matt a minute to realize she was quite serious.
He turned back to the approaching rider, who was about fifty yards off now. "Yes, but how can we be sure this guy isn't one of Malingo's?"
"Why, because he wears black armor."
Matt dipped his head and came up looking at her. "Whoa, now! Isn't that supposed to mean he's an evil one, or something like that?"
"Why, no." Alisande seemed genuinely astonished. "In Heaven's name, Lord Matthew, what could let you think that? His armor means simply that he is a free lance, a knight unsworn to any lord-that is all."
Matt held her eyes for a long moment; then he spoke slowly. "Yes, of course-no economic security. He doesn't have the money or facilities to keep his armor polished. That it?"
"Precisely; and therefore doth he paint it black."
"Very practical." Matt turned back to the approaching rider. "But what's to keep one of Malingo's boys from painting his armor black?"
"Why, twould be dishonest, sir!",
Matt bit back the natural response.
The Black Knight pulled up his horse a little away from them and swung his lance upright in salute. "Hail, most fair lady! Hail, sir! Hail, you of the most free!"
"Well met, Sir Knight," Stegoman answered. Matt nodded acknowledgment; but Alisande said, "Well met indeed, Sir Knight! Your name and your arms?"
The knight laughed, amused, and hauled an empty, black-painted shield around to face them. "These are my arms, lady; any others I own, I may not reveal till an oath be fulfilled. As for my name, I am Sir Guy Losobal, for all men to know!"
Why not? Matt reflected sourly. "Losobal" was close enough to the French "Le Sable" for Matt to be pretty sure it was this universe's equivalent. In other words, Sir Guy the Black Knight. Very informative.
But he couldn't be outdone for courtesy, could he? "Well met, Sir Guy. I am Matthew Mantrell, liegeman to this lady."
"Ah, a liegeman!" From the tone, Sir Guy was licking his chops. "Come, then! Will you not break a lance with me?"
Matt goggled.
Recovering, he managed a feeble grin. "Gee, thanks for the invitation, Sir Guy, but I don't think I'm hard enough. It would just go right through me."
Sir Guy chuckled. "Most amusing, sir! But come-will you not ride against me, with a lance in your hand?"
"I'd love to oblige you," Matt hedged, "but I -don't have a lance. Not to mention little things such as armor or a horse."
"Why, how is this?" Sir Guy's lance drooped. "A knight without armor or arms?"
"You labor under a misapprehension," Alisande informed him. "Lord Matthew is my liegeman, but is not a knight."
Sir Guy sat very still for a moment.
Inwardly, Matt groaned. Didn't this princess know never to give free information to the opposition? If he was a lord, and her liegeman, what was she?
Sir Guy turned toward Matt and asked in a rather cool tone, "How can you be lordly, without being knighted?" Then, before Matt could answer, he nodded. "Of course! You are a
"Wherefore, Lord Wizard?" The princess knit her brows, puzzled. "Dost fear him?"
"Well, now that you mention it, yes-though that wasn't exactly what I had in mind. You'll pardon the cynicism, Princess, but as we stand now, I think we're better off assuming any stranger's an enemy, until he proves otherwise."
"But you need not fear a knight!" she protested. "They are all bound by honor, sir-even those who oppose us!"
"Even Malingo's knights?"
The princess reddened and lifted her chin a few notches. "They are foul, treacherous brutes who may lay no claim at all to the title of knight."
"Oh, definitely not. The fact that they ride Percherons, wear armor, and carry great big, sharp swords has nothing to do with it."
"Exactly." She beamed. "You learn our ways quickly, Lord Wizard."
It took Matt a minute to realize she was quite serious.
He turned back to the approaching rider, who was about fifty yards off now. "Yes, but how can we be sure this guy isn't one of Malingo's?"
"Why, because he wears black armor."
Matt dipped his head and came up looking at her. "Whoa, now! Isn't that supposed to mean he's an evil one, or something like that?"
"Why, no." Alisande seemed genuinely astonished. "In Heaven's name, Lord Matthew, what could let you think that? His armor means simply that he is a free lance, a knight unsworn to any lord-that is all."
Matt held her eyes for a long moment; then he spoke slowly. "Yes, of course-no economic security. He doesn't have the money or facilities to keep his armor polished. That it?"
"Precisely; and therefore doth he paint it black."
"Very practical." Matt turned back to the approaching rider. "But what's to keep one of Malingo's boys from painting his armor black?"
"Why, twould be dishonest, sir!",
Matt bit back the natural response.
The Black Knight pulled up his horse a little away from them and swung his lance upright in salute. "Hail, most fair lady! Hail, sir! Hail, you of the most free!"
"Well met, Sir Knight," Stegoman answered. Matt nodded acknowledgment; but Alisande said, "Well met indeed, Sir Knight! Your name and your arms?"
The knight laughed, amused, and hauled an empty, black-painted shield around to face them. "These are my arms, lady; any others I own, I may not reveal till an oath be fulfilled. As for my name, I am Sir Guy Losobal, for all men to know!"
Why not? Matt reflected sourly. "Losobal" was close enough to the French "Le Sable" for Matt to be pretty sure it was this universe's equivalent. In other words, Sir Guy the Black Knight. Very informative.
But he couldn't be outdone for courtesy, could he? "Well met, Sir Guy. I am Matthew Mantrell, liegeman to this lady."
"Ah, a liegeman!" From the tone, Sir Guy was licking his chops. "Come, then! Will you not break a lance with me?"
Matt goggled.
Recovering, he managed a feeble grin. "Gee, thanks for the invitation, Sir Guy, but I don't think I'm hard enough. It would just go right through me."
Sir Guy chuckled. "Most amusing, sir! But come-will you not ride against me, with a lance in your hand?"
"I'd love to oblige you," Matt hedged, "but I -don't have a lance. Not to mention little things such as armor or a horse."
"Why, how is this?" Sir Guy's lance drooped. "A knight without armor or arms?"
"You labor under a misapprehension," Alisande informed him. "Lord Matthew is my liegeman, but is not a knight."
Sir Guy sat very still for a moment.
Inwardly, Matt groaned. Didn't this princess know never to give free information to the opposition? If he was a lord, and her liegeman, what was she?
Sir Guy turned toward Matt and asked in a rather cool tone, "How can you be lordly, without being knighted?" Then, before Matt could answer, he nodded. "Of course! You are a
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