begun to talk and eat again. I lowered my voice until only Vodalus could hear me. “Sieur, there is something I have not told you. I dare not conceal it longer for fear you should think me faithless.”
He was a better intriguer than I, and turned away before he answered, pretending to eat. “What is it? Out with it.”
“Sieur,” I said, “I have a relic, the thing they say is the Claw of the Conciliator.”
He was biting the roasted thigh of a fowl as I spoke. I saw him pause; his eyes turned to look at me, though he did not move his head.
“Do you wish to see it, sieur? It is very beautiful, and I have it in the top of my boot.”
“No,” he whispered. “Yes, perhaps, but not here … No, better not at all.”
“To whom should I give it, then?”
Vodalus chewed and swallowed. “I had heard from friends I have in Nessus that it was gone. So you have it. You must keep it until you can dispose of it. Do not try to sell it—it would be identified at once. Hide it somewhere. If you must, throw it into a pit.”
“But surely, sieur, it is very valuable.”
“It is beyond value, which means it is worthless. You and I are men of sense.” Despite his words, there was a tinge of fear in his voice. “But the rabble believe it to be sacred, a performer of all manner of wonders. If I were to possess it, they would think me a desecrator and an enemy of the Theologoumenon. Our masters would think me turned traitor. You must tell me—”
Just at that moment, a man I had not seen previously came running up to the table with a look that indicated he bore urgent news. Vodalus rose and walked a few paces away with him, looking very much, I thought, like a handsome schoolmaster with a boy, for the messenger’s head was no higher than his shoulder.
I ate, thinking he would soon return; but after a long questioning of the messenger he walked away with him, disappearing among the broad trunks of the trees. One by one the others rose too, until no one remained but the beautiful Thea, Jonas and me, and one other man.
“You are to join us,” Thea said at last in her cooing voice. “Yet you do not know our ways. Have you need of money?”
I hesitated, but Jonas said, “That’s something that’s always welcome, Chatelaine, like the misfortunes of an older brother.”
“Shares will be set aside for you, from this day, of all we take. When you return to us, they will be given to you. Meanwhile I have a purse for each of you to speed you on your way.”
“We are going, then?” I asked.
“Were you not told so? Vodalus will instruct you at the supper.”
I had supposed the meal we were eating would be the final one of the day, and the thought must have been reflected in my face.
“There will be a supper tonight, when the moon is bright,” Thea said. “Someone will be sent to fetch you.” Then she quoted a scrap of verse:
“Dine at dawn to open your eyes,
Dine at noon that you be strong.
Dine at eve, and then talk long,
Dine by night, if you’d be wise …”
“But now my servant Chuniald will take you to a place where you can rest for your journey.”
The man, who had been silent until now, stood and said, “Come with me.”
I told Thea, “I would speak with you, Chatelaine, when we have more leisure. I know something that concerns your schoolmate.”
She saw that I was serious in what I said, and I saw that she had seen. Then we followed Chuniald through the trees for a distance, I suppose, of a league or more, and at length reached a grassy bank beside a stream. “Wait here,” he said. “Sleep if you can. No one will come until after dark.”
I asked, “What if we were to leave?”
“There are those all through this wood who know our liege’s will concerning you,” he said, and turning on his heel, walked away.
Then I told Jonas what I had seen beside the opened grave, just as I have written it here.
“I see,” he remarked when I was finished, “why you will join this Vodalus.
He was a better intriguer than I, and turned away before he answered, pretending to eat. “What is it? Out with it.”
“Sieur,” I said, “I have a relic, the thing they say is the Claw of the Conciliator.”
He was biting the roasted thigh of a fowl as I spoke. I saw him pause; his eyes turned to look at me, though he did not move his head.
“Do you wish to see it, sieur? It is very beautiful, and I have it in the top of my boot.”
“No,” he whispered. “Yes, perhaps, but not here … No, better not at all.”
“To whom should I give it, then?”
Vodalus chewed and swallowed. “I had heard from friends I have in Nessus that it was gone. So you have it. You must keep it until you can dispose of it. Do not try to sell it—it would be identified at once. Hide it somewhere. If you must, throw it into a pit.”
“But surely, sieur, it is very valuable.”
“It is beyond value, which means it is worthless. You and I are men of sense.” Despite his words, there was a tinge of fear in his voice. “But the rabble believe it to be sacred, a performer of all manner of wonders. If I were to possess it, they would think me a desecrator and an enemy of the Theologoumenon. Our masters would think me turned traitor. You must tell me—”
Just at that moment, a man I had not seen previously came running up to the table with a look that indicated he bore urgent news. Vodalus rose and walked a few paces away with him, looking very much, I thought, like a handsome schoolmaster with a boy, for the messenger’s head was no higher than his shoulder.
I ate, thinking he would soon return; but after a long questioning of the messenger he walked away with him, disappearing among the broad trunks of the trees. One by one the others rose too, until no one remained but the beautiful Thea, Jonas and me, and one other man.
“You are to join us,” Thea said at last in her cooing voice. “Yet you do not know our ways. Have you need of money?”
I hesitated, but Jonas said, “That’s something that’s always welcome, Chatelaine, like the misfortunes of an older brother.”
“Shares will be set aside for you, from this day, of all we take. When you return to us, they will be given to you. Meanwhile I have a purse for each of you to speed you on your way.”
“We are going, then?” I asked.
“Were you not told so? Vodalus will instruct you at the supper.”
I had supposed the meal we were eating would be the final one of the day, and the thought must have been reflected in my face.
“There will be a supper tonight, when the moon is bright,” Thea said. “Someone will be sent to fetch you.” Then she quoted a scrap of verse:
“Dine at dawn to open your eyes,
Dine at noon that you be strong.
Dine at eve, and then talk long,
Dine by night, if you’d be wise …”
“But now my servant Chuniald will take you to a place where you can rest for your journey.”
The man, who had been silent until now, stood and said, “Come with me.”
I told Thea, “I would speak with you, Chatelaine, when we have more leisure. I know something that concerns your schoolmate.”
She saw that I was serious in what I said, and I saw that she had seen. Then we followed Chuniald through the trees for a distance, I suppose, of a league or more, and at length reached a grassy bank beside a stream. “Wait here,” he said. “Sleep if you can. No one will come until after dark.”
I asked, “What if we were to leave?”
“There are those all through this wood who know our liege’s will concerning you,” he said, and turning on his heel, walked away.
Then I told Jonas what I had seen beside the opened grave, just as I have written it here.
“I see,” he remarked when I was finished, “why you will join this Vodalus.
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