The Worm Ouroboros, Eric Rücker Eddison [epub ebook reader txt] 📗

think to bribe my favours

with a bona roba; by my soul, in his evil health he had sought to do

it, for it should cost him nothing but his life.”

 

Sriva began to weep, saying, “O King, your gentle pardon.”

 

But the King paced the room like a prowling lion. “Did he fear I

should supply Corund in his place?” said he. “This was a cocksure way

to make me do it, if indeed his practice had might to move me at all.

Let him learn to come to me with his own mouth if he hope to get good

of me. Other else, out of Carcë let him go and avoid my sight, that

all the great masters of Hell may conduct him thither.”

 

The King paused at length beside Sriva, that was perched still upon

the table, showing a kind of sweetness in tears, sobbing very

pitifully, her face hidden in her two hands. So for a time he beheld

her, then lifted her down, and while he sat in his great chair,

holding her on his knee with one hand, with the other drew hers gently

from before her face. “Come,” he said, “I blame it not on thee. Give

over all thy weeping. Reach me that writing from the table.”

 

She turned in his arms and stretched a hand out for the parchment.

 

“Thou knowest my signet?” said the King.

 

She nodded, ay.

 

“Read,” said he, letting her go. She stood by the lamp, and read.

 

The King was behind her. He took her beneath the arms, bending to

speak hot-breathed in her ear. “Thou seest, I had already chose my

general. Therefore I let thee know it, because I mean not to let thee

go till morning; and I would not have thee think thy loveliness,

howe’er it please me, moveth such deepcommanding spells as to sway my

policy.”

 

She lay back against his breast, limp and strengthless, while he

kissed her neck and eyes and throat; then her lips met his in a long

voluptuous kiss. Surely the King’s hands upon her were like live

coals.

 

Bethinking her of Corinius, fuming at an open door and an empty

chamber, the Lady Sriva was yet content.

XVII THE KING FLIES HIS HAGGARD

How the Lady Prezmyra came to the King on

an errand of state, and how she prospered therein:

wherein is also seen why the King would send

the Duke Corsus into Demonland; and how on

the fifteenth day of July these Lords, Corsus,

Laxus, Gro, and Gallandus, sailed with a

fleet from Tenemos.

 

ON the morn came the Lady Prezmyra to pray audience of the King, and

being admitted to his private chamber stood before him in great beauty

and splendour, saying, “Lord, I came to thank you as occasion served

not for me fitly so to do last night i’ the banquet hall. Sure, ‘tis

no easy task, since when I thank you as I would, I must seem too

unmindful of Corund’s deserving who hath won this kingdom: but if I

speak too large of that, I shall seem to minish your bounty, O King.

And ingratitude is a vice abhorred.”

 

“Madam,” said the King, “thou needest not to thank me. And to mine

ears great deeds have their own trumpets.”

 

So now she told him of her letters received from Corund out of

Impland. “It is well seen, Lord,” said she, “how in these days you do

beat down all peoples under you, and do set up new tributary kings to

add to your great praise in Carcë. O King, how long must this ill weed

of Demonland offend us, going still untrodden under feet?”

 

The King answered her not a word. Only his lip showed a gleam of

teeth, as of a tiger’s troubled at his meal.

 

But Prezmyra said with great hardiness, “Lord, be not angry with me.

Methinks it is the part of a faithful servant honoured by his master

to seek new service. And where lieth likelier service Corund should do

you than west over seas, to lead presently an army naval thither and

make an end of them, ere their greatness stand up again from the blow

wherewith last May you did strike them?”

 

“Madam,” said the King, “this charge is mine. I’ll tell thee when I

need thy counsel, which is not now.” And standing up as if to end the

matter, he said, “I do intend some sport to-day. They tell me thou

hast a falcon gentle towereth so well she passeth the best Corinius

hath. ‘Tis clear calm weather. Wilt thou take her out to-day and show

us the mounty at a heron?”

 

She answered, “Joyfully, O King. Yet I beseech you add this favour to

all your former goodness, to hear me yet one word. Something persuades

me you have already determined of this enterprise, and by your putting

of me off I do fear your majesty meaneth not Corund shall undertake it

but some other.”

 

Dark and immovable as his own dark fortress facing the bright morning,

Gorice the King stood and beheld her. Sunshine streaming through the

eastern casement lighted red-gold smouldering splendours in the heavy

coils of that lady’s hair, and flew back in dazzling showers from the

diamonds fastened among those coils. After a space he said, “Suppose I

am a gardener. I go not to the butterfly for counsel. Let her be glad

that there be rose-trees there and red stonecrops for her delight;

which if any be lacking I’ll give her more for the asking, as I’ll

give thee more masques and revels and all brave pleasures in Carcë.

But war and policy is not for women.”

 

“You have forgot, O King,” said the Lady Prezmyra, “Corund made me his

ambassador.” But seeing a blackness fall upon the King’s countenance

she said in haste, “But not in all, O King. I will be open as day to

you. The expedition he strongly urged, but not for himself the leading

on’t.”

 

The King looked evilly upon her. “I am glad to hear it,” he said.

Then, his brow clearing, “Know thou it for thy good, madam, order is

ta’en for this already. Ere winter-nights return again, Demonland

shall be my footstool. Therefore write to thy lord I gave him his wish

beforehand.”

 

Prezmyra’s eyes danced triumph. “O the glad day!” she cried. “Mine

also, O King?”

 

“If thine be his,” said the King.

 

“Ah,” said she, “you know mine outgallops it.”

 

“Then school thine, madam,” said the King, “to run in harness. Why

think’st thou I sent Corund into Impland, but that I knew he had

excellent wit and noble courage to govern a great kingdom? Wouldst

have me a wilful child snatch Impland from him like a sampler half

stitched?”

 

Then, taking leave of her with more gracious courtesy, “We shall look

to see thee then, madam, o’ the third hour before noon,” he said, and

smote on a gong, summoning the captain of his guard. “Soldier,” he

said, “conduct the Queen of Impland. And bid the Duke Corsus straight

attend me.”

 

The third hour before noon the Lord Gro met with Prezmyra in the gate

of the inner court. She had a riding-habit of dark green tiffany and a

narrow ruff edged with margery-pearls. She said, “Thou comest with us,

my lord? Surely I am beholden to thee. I know thou lovest not the

sport, yet to save me from Corinius I must have thee. He plagueth me

much this morning with strange courtesies; though why thus on a sudden

I cannot tell.”

 

“In this,” said Lord Gro, “as in greater matters, I am thy servant, O

Queen. ‘Tis yet time enough, though. This half hour the King will not

be ready. I left him closeted with Corsus, that setteth presently

about his arming against the Demons. Thou hast heard?”

 

“Am I deaf,” said Prezmyra, “to a bell clangeth through all Carcë?”

 

“Alas,” said Gro, “that we waked too long last night, and lay too long

abed i’ the morning!”

 

Prezmyra answered, “That did not I. And yet I’m angry with myself now

that I did not so.”

 

“How? Thou sawest the King before the council?”

 

She bent her head for yes.

 

“And he nay-said thee?”

 

“With infinite patience,” said she, “but most irrevocably. My lord

must hold by Impland till it be well broke to the saddle. And truly,

when I think on’t, there’s reason in that.”

 

Gro said, “Thou takest it, madam, with that clear brow of nobleness

and reason I had looked for in thee.”

 

She laughed. “I have the main of my desire, if Demonland shall be put

down. Natheless, it maketh a great wonder the King picketh for this

work so rude a bludgeon when so many goodly blades lie ready to his

hand. Behold but his armoury.”

 

For, standing in the gateway at the head of the steep descent to the

river, they beheld where the lords of Witchland were met beyond the

bridge-gate to ride forth to the hawking. And Prezmyra said, “Is it

not brave, my Lord Gro, to dwell in Carcë? Is it not passing brave to

be in Carcë, that lordeth it over all the earth?”

 

Now came they down and by the bridge to the Way of Kings to meet with

them on the open mead on the left bank of Druima. Prezmyra said to

Laxus that rode on a black gelding full of silver hairs, “I see thou

hast thy goshawks forth to-day, my lord.”

 

“Ay, madam,” said he. “There is not a stronger hawk than these. Withal

they are very fierce and crabbed, and I must keep them private lest

they slay all other sort.”

 

Sriva, that was by, put forth a hand to stroke them. “Truly,” she

said, “I love them well, thy goshawks. They be stout and kingly.” And

she laughed and said, “Truly to-day I look not lower than on a King.”

 

“Thou mayst look on me, then,” said Laxus, “albeit I bear not my crown

i’ the field.”

 

“‘Tis therefore I’ll mark thee not,” said she.

 

Laxus said to Prezmyra, “Wilt thou not praise my hawks, O Queen?”

 

“I praise them,” answered she, “circumspectly. For methinks they fit

thy temper better than mine. These be good hawks, my lord, for flying

at the bush. I am for the high mountee.”

 

Her step-son Heming, black-browed and sullen-eyed, laughed in his

throat, knowing she mocked and thought on Demonland.

 

Meanwhile Corinius, mounted on a great white liard like silver with

black ear-tips, mane, and tail, and all four feet black as coal, drew

up to the Lady Sriva and spoke with her apart, saying secretly so that

none but she might hear, “Next time thou shalt not carry it so, but I

will have thee when and where I would. Thou mayst gull the Devil with

thy perfidiousness, but not me a second time, thou lying cozening

vixen.”

 

She answered softly, “Beastly man, I did perform the very article of

mine oath, and left thee an open door last night. If thou didst look

to find me within, that were beyond aught I promised. And know for

that I’ll seek a greater than thou, and a nicer to my liking: one less

ready to swap each kitchen slut on the lips. I know thy practice, my

lord, and thy conditions.”

 

His face flamed red. “Were that my custom, I’d now amend it. Thou art

so true a runt of their same litter, they shall all be loathly to me

as thou art loathly.”

 

“Mew!” said she, “wittily spoke, i’ faith; and