Читать книгу Galahad - John Erskine - Страница 7

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Lancelot and Arthur rode toward the tournament, along one edge of a plain, with the forest shading them. Across the plain another path led toward Lonazep, and behind the path another forest began. In the sunlight they could see two armed men, with a woman riding between them.

“Those people are bound for the tournament,” said Arthur.

“They certainly are,” said Lancelot.

“I don’t recognize the armor,” said the king, “and it’s too far to see who the lady is. She has black hair.”

“She has,” said Lancelot. “It’s Iseult. One of the knights must be Tristram, and since the other looks quite as powerful, my guess is he’s Palomides the Saracen, Iseult’s other lover.”

“You don’t mean she has two at once!” said Arthur. “If I had known that about them—”

“Oh, no,” said Lancelot. “Tristram is her lover, but Palomides worships her, and I dare say he’s the nobler man, if there’s a distinction, for he has no reward—never will have.”

“She couldn’t encourage a Saracen, of course,” said Arthur.

“There’s something in that,” said Lancelot. “I doubt if Tristram tries hard to convert him to the true faith. But if changing his religion would win Iseult, Palomides would confess to the first priest he met. Christian or not, he’s a wonderful knight.”

“I’ve heard Iseult is extremely beautiful,” said Arthur.

“She is, but your wife is far lovelier.”

They rode half a mile or so without conversation.

“You’ve seen her, then?” said Arthur.

“I’ve seen them both,” said Lancelot.

“I’ve seen Guinevere myself,” said Arthur. “What does Iseult look like?”

“Her hair is black, as you noticed, and her skin is white. She has remarkable blue eyes. Long, dark lashes. They seem misty and swimming.”

Another two hundred yards in silence.

“I’ve a mind to cross that next field,” said Arthur, “and welcome the two knights to our tournament.”

“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” said Lancelot. “If you greet them now, you’ll have to ride the rest of the way with them, and the others coming to the jousts will be offended that you honored two contestants with your personal escort, two strangers and one a Saracen.”

“Quite right, as usual, Lancelot. It will be better not to disclose who we are. I’m in the mood to join them incognito, with our visors down, pay our compliments to the lady and her two lovers, and then ride ahead.”

“If you ride up to those two men with your visor down, especially if you address the lady without first disclosing yourself to Tristram, you will have the tournament beginning on the spot. Tristram or Palomides will knock you out of your saddle.”

“Will he?” said Arthur. “I’ll take care of that.”

He put his horse across the field, and drove in the spurs.

“For God’s sake, Arthur!” cried Lancelot, hurrying after him. “Think what you are doing! Even if you could handle those men, you’d be insulting Iseult. If you won’t consider her, at least give a thought to Guinevere. She’ll get no honor out of this. What you’ll get out of it, the devil knows! A broken neck, perhaps.”

“I’ll be back in a moment,” said Arthur. “My intentions are good, and no one will misunderstand them.”

“I’ve followed you when you were sane,” said Lancelot. “I must stay by you now.”

They got across the field and rode hard after Iseult and her men. Tristram and Palomides heard them coming, and stopped. When they saw that Arthur and Lancelot had their visors down, they covered their own faces and waited for an attack. Arthur puzzled them by slowing up his horse. He rode by at a walk, peering out through his helmet at Iseult, and Lancelot came at his heels, looking hard at the two lances. Arthur entirely forgot to salute the knights.

“Good morning, fair lady,” he said.

“Good morning,” said Iseult.

He was quite a distance away before Tristram called after him.

“See here, whoever you are, the insult to the lady is an insult to me. I’d rather not strike you in the back. Turn round!”

Whether he heard or not, he rode calmly on. Lancelot took a firm grip with his knees and got his lance ready.

“You’re a poor judge of courtesy!” called Sir Palomides. “I don’t wish to strike you in the back, either, but if you don’t turn, that’s where it will be!”

Arthur came to himself in time to hear the hoof-beats, and turned round just soon enough for Palomides to lift him clear of the saddle and drop him on the grass. In his anger Palomides had spurred so savagely that his horse wouldn’t stop. When he got back he saw Tristram climbing into his saddle, and Lancelot talking to him, not at all in a hostile manner. Arthur was mounted again, but looked rather dazed. At sight of Palomides, Lancelot got him out of the way.

“Where are they going, Tristram? Why did you let him off so easily?”

“Well, in the first place,” said Tristram, “if you hadn’t been riding across country you would have noticed that the tall knight did to me what you did to his friend. I was in no position to detain them. Besides, the tall one explained there was no discourtesy meant. His friend, your adversary, is of high degree. They will probably hang you at Lonazep for lifting your hand against the Lord’s anointed. You being a pagan.”

“What do you mean?”

“The knight who unseated me was Lancelot. I knew it the moment his spear touched me. The apology he made, too, was like him. You can guess who the other was.”

“Who?”

“Arthur, of course. They are inseparable.”

“It couldn’t be!” said Palomides. “Arthur would not be speaking to ladies on the road in that insulting familiarity.”

“It was Arthur,” said Tristram.

“Why didn’t he address himself to you or me?”

“He liked Iseult’s looks better.”

Lancelot and Arthur rode in silence for several miles.

“I shall have to see them again,” said Arthur at last.

“Who’s that?”

“Tristram and Iseult.”

“You’re hard to satisfy,” said Lancelot. “I thought you had seen enough of them for a lifetime.”

“No,” said Arthur, “I must straighten out the misunderstanding. I’ll make an occasion to call upon them after the tournament.”

“I beg of you not to! No good will come of it.”

“But certainly no harm. What I did was foolish—the least I can do now is to explain myself. I’ll see them for a few moments alone.”

“Worse and worse,” said Lancelot. “I shall have to go with you.”

“I say again,” said Arthur, “I will see them alone.”

“And I say again, with more reason,” replied Lancelot, “I’ll have to go along to see that you get out alive.”