Witch Doctor - Wiz in Rhyme-3 by Christopher Stasheff Page B

not," he said. "In the Order of Saint Moncaire, we do not take our final vows until we are accorded the accolade of knighthood.
    "So." I nodded. "Once you become a knight, you can't quit."
    "Aye," he agreed. "Before that time, whilst I am still a squire, I could leave the order, if I wished-but I do not wish." I hoped he wouldn't get the quick exit that would no doubt be the most honorable. I'm sure he would have wanted it, though. These medieval Christians were crazy for martyrdom.
    Well, there went my notion of social mobility. In my own feudal Europe, the only two ways for a young man to rise in socioeconomic status were through the army, and through the Church. in the army, there was an extremely long shot that a peasant might be knighted on the battlefield for services above and beyond the call of sanity. In the Church, native ability alone might push him up to the rank of bishop, or pope if he were Italian-but he wouldn't have any heirs to leave it to. So, okay, the Order of Saint Moncaire was giving Gilbert a chance to improve himself-but only just himself. Well, that was all he asked, anyway.
    So far.
    The slapping of big flat feet was coming closer. I glanced back over my shoulder and saw that the troll was gaining, and he had a big wide grin. Okay, it was an eager, puppy-dog, ingratiating grin-but it didn't exactly fill me with enthusiasm. "Uh, Squire Gilbert-should we do anything about our hungry friend back there?"
    "Feed him, do you mean?" Gilbert looked back, then thought better of the idea. "With meat of beasts, that is."
    "Assuming we're not beasts." I gave the troll a jaundiced eyeglance, I mean. "I'm not sure he knows the distinction-and he's definitely getting closer."
    "But of course! How can he protect us if he is not with us?"
    "By being far away." I turned back to the front and hurried.
    "Come on. Let's find that rock slide."

Chapter
    Six
    it was just a little farther along. A chunk of the hillside was raw and ragged, and the gully was filled with weed-tufted dirt, heavily interspersed with boulders. I eyed it with trepidation. "We're supposed to cross on that?"
    "it does look infirm," Gilbert agreed, "but the weeds show that it has been here long enough for the rains to settle it somewhat."
    "Yeah, too much-it's at least two feet lower in the center." I decided I must have heard another landslide happening.
    "I shall essay it first." Gilbert swung down from his horse's back.
    "Yet let Thorn carry only his own weight, that his hooves may not sink lower than they must."
    I glanced over my shoulder at what was coming up behind and said,
    "No, I'm the leader of this expedition-or at least, you're here because of me. I'll go first." I stepped out onto the dirt bridge before he could stop me.
    "Nay, Wizard Saul! 'Tis my place!" he cried, but I waded on with determination.
    And I do mean "waded"-the dirt gave beneath my feet with every step. My stomach started fluttering, and I began to envision a minilandslide with me in the middle. It was almost enough to make me believe in the magic the people here kept talking about. I tried to remember some stabilizing verses.
    "We come," Gilbert called behind me. I took his word for it; my eyes were on the path ahead, if you could call it that. I tried stepping
    on the larger stones, and that was better; they sank in a little farther, but at least my feet didn't. I was glad I wore boots. Finally I reached the other side. I grabbed hold of the nearest tree and let myself sag against it. Then I turned around so I could watch Gilbert finishing the trek.
    He was doing better than I had, possibly because he was walking in my footsteps-had to shorten his stride to do it, but it gave him a firmer surface. His horse followed on the reins, with a lot of snorting, head tossing, and rolling of the eyes-but whenever they rolled back far enough, he saw the troll wallowing along behind him and decided the dirt was the lesser of two evils.
    Gilbert guided him up onto firm land, then