of your challenge, including terms, conditions and expiry date, to Geraint here, and we will fit you in â Geraint, when is the first available time slot?â
âDay after tomorrow, between the indoor falconry and the love poems of Sir Tristram,â said Geraint, consulting his notice board.
The Green Knight reached behind his massive back and produced a double-bladed axe, which he hefted from hand to hand. âIf this be a jest, butler, then it is a feeble one, and may prove to be your last. Do you expect
me
to
wait
?â
âNo, not at all.â
âGood.â
âYou misunderstand me, Sir Green Knight.â
âThatâs more like it.â
âI do not
expect
you to wait,â I said. âYou
will
wait.â
A growl started to rumble in the depths of his throat. The Green Knight raised himself up to full height. He swung the axe back over his shoulder. The weapon whistled through the air and halted a swordâs width from my neck. I knew the distance to be the width of a sword, because that was precisely what had stopped the Green Knightâs axe in itspath. My sword. The Green Knight gave a startled cry at the sudden appearance of the blade. He lowered his weapon.
âHa!â he cried, and clapped me on the shoulder. âThis is no mere butler, eh Gatekeeper? Then wait I shall. But not for long, mark you. Now, where is this ale?â
âThe Reception Pavilion is located in the second courtyard to your left,â I said. âAsk for Granville the Brewer. I highly recommend the cask honey beer.â
The Green Knight stomped out and Geraint fairly shook with relief. âPhe-eew. Thanks for that, Mr L! I tell you what, Iâve seen it all this morning. One woman was in here earlier, convinced her baby boyâs gonna find a magic cauldron thatâll bring eternal glory to Camelot. Insisted she present him and his so-called âGrail Questâ before the King.â
âI hope you set her straight, Geraint.â
âCertainly did. Told her to wait until he could walk, at least. She didnât like that. Kept going on about how it was her precious Percevalâs destiny, written in the stars. If you ask me, thereâs so much written in the stars you could pretty much read anything in âem. Iâve just started omens in my magic studies, bad ones and good ones, and how to tell the difference, like.â
âWhat you do in your own time is none of my business, Geraint. I would appreciate it if we could stick to professional matters.â
âRight you are, Mr L.â
âHas there been any reduction in the number of arrivals since yesterday?â
âAn increase, if anything! Already this morning weâve had Sir Uwaine, Baron Sagramour, Sir Meliot, Baron Bagdemagus and Sir Partridge from the Kingdom of Pear Tree. No, I made that last one up. But hereâs the thing â Sagramour and Bagdemagus both said they were here to see Mordred knighted. Thatâll be the day, I said! That Red Knightvanquishing was a set-up if ever there was one, and if they had any sense theyâd bet their family gold on Gawain being a Sir before sundown. Well, we had a few words over that, but it ended with them insisting point blank to be put straight into the West Wing.â
âI see. Where are they now?â
âWith Mordred. I was all for letting them wait outside until Iâd squared it with you, but he said he was dealing with it on the Kingâs behalf. But I thought Sags and Bags were on the list of Banned Barons?â
âYou thought correctly, Geraint. The West Wing is being cleared this morning for emergency accommodation, but priority will be given to those who got here before them. Make a list of all the guests so far and give me a copy by noon.â
âWill do. But now, what about the horses? Weâre having a hell of a time finding room, itâs nose to tail out there. If only Merlin were still
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