Arthur Rex (54 page)

“Do you give me leave to do that?” he asked.

“Ah,” said the damsel, “you are no longer to be commanded by me.”

But at that moment another knight appeared on the road before them, and he was Sir Agravaine, who believed that at last he had got proof that Sir Launcelot and the queen were paramours, and he was going again to see his brother Gawaine despite his earlier rebuff.

And Percival addressed him, saying, “Greeting, sir knight.”

Now Agravaine was impatient to reach his elder brother, for he had seen Launcelot wearing a ring the which he had previously seen upon Guinevere’s finger, and he believed this to be evidence of their illegal commerce, and he therefore spake disagreeably to Percival.

“Move aside, fellow,” said he, “so that I, a knight of the Round Table, might pass.”

And believing that this was the right thing to do, if a knight commanded him to do it, Percival did void the road.

But seeing the maiden on her donkey Sir Agravaine said to Percival, “And remove thy baggage as well.”

Now Percival did not understand him, and he asked, “Pray, my dear sir, which is my baggage?”

And Sir Agravaine was vexed and he said, “Thou art an insolent fellow, and if I had time thou shouldst not go unpunished.” And he rode rudely against the maiden’s donkey with his great horse and he forced her off the road.

Now the damsel made no protest against this, and indeed she looked at Sir Agravaine with much admiration. But Percival said, “Sir, if your behavior be typical of the knights of the Round Table, then I do not want to be one of them, for you have treated this maiden detestably.”

And in great anger Sir Agravaine cried, “Well, thou hast brought upon thyself a sore punishment.” And drawing his sword he swung it at Percival.

And not having the time to draw his own sword Percival evaded the blade of Sir Agravaine, and then before it could swing back the other way he seized Agravaine’s arm and though it was encased in thick armor he brake it in his hands as if it were a twig.

Now Sir Agravaine did howl in pain and shame, and this greatly attracted the maiden.

“With your permission,” said she to Percival, “I shall stay here and nurse this knight. Whereas methinks you are eager to reach Camelot.”

Now Percival understood that his obligation to this damsel had been discharged and therefore he wished her the peace of God, and then he went along the road towards Camelot, for though he had been threatened with disillusionment as to Arthur’s knights by reason of the poor performance of Sir Agravaine, he considered the possibility that this rude knight had not been of the company of the Round Table but rather served some other cause, and merely because he had been coming in the direction from Camelot did not mean that he had belonged there.

Now it will be remembered that Percival wore the armor of the knight whom he had vanquished on the day before, and he carried the shield of this knight, on which was displayed the curious device of an unicorn which was goring to death a lion, and whilst this meant nothing to Percival another knight who saw it now believed it was a challenge to him.

For King Arthur having long since returned from the tour of his realm, Launcelot and Guinevere had resumed their old practice of riding together into the royal orchards, and they had done so on this day, and they were about to dismount for to pursue the end for which they had come when Sir Launcelot heard the sound of creaking armor not far away, and therefore he rode through the trees and he saw Percival. And further, Launcelot saw that the device on this knight’s shield depicted the lion, which was his own symbol, being run through by an unicorn.

Now the unicorn was the beast of Love, and its horn if pounded into a powder was a cure for many venereal ailments foremost among them being the malady which doth cause the yard to wilt before it can perform its office. And as it happened Sir Launcelot was no longer in his earliest youth, and his powers were not so great as they had once been, whereas the queen had grown more demanding with age. And he was sensitive about this matter, and when in the orchard he was ever worried that someone might spy upon them, if not by design then by accident. And the result of all these negative forces acting upon him was that he was quick to take offense at the sight of this stranger.

And therefore Sir Launcelot cried to him to defend himself, and then he did charge upon him with the most puissant lance in all the world.

Now Percival, once again the recipient of inhospitality in the shadow of Camelot, wondered whether this was typical of the treatment of aspirants to knighthood. But fewtering his own lance he answered Launcelot’s charge with his own. And this young lad, who had but lately left home for the first time, and who had fought but once before and that time with a makeshift lance fashioned from a cart-shaft, now was about to meet the weapon of the greatest knight of all.

But when they came together with a great shock it was not young Percival who was thrown from his horse but rather the mighty Sir Launcelot!

And Launcelot felt very old as he lay upon the ground, and he did not spring up so quickly. And when he did rise and draw his sword, and the Knight of the Unicorn dismounted and came to fight him by hand, Launcelot knew his own blows to be not so powerful as of old, whereas his opponent seemed even stronger than Gawaine had been when they fought long ago, and more. Did not Launcelot know his old friend Tristram were dead he might have believed it was he in disguise. And finally the moment came when he knew that this knight was even the superior of Tristram in strength, and there could no longer be any thought of defeating him quickly, for Launcelot must needs use all of his own force merely to keep from being overwhelmed.

And finally with a tremendous blow the other struck the sword from Sir Launcelot’s grasp, and Launcelot’s hand smarted sorely and his heart was stung no less in shame, and his sword flew over an huge oak tree.

And at this his opponent called a halt and went himself to fetch the sword, and he returned it to Sir Launcelot.

And greatly moved by this courtesy Sir Launcelot opened his visor and he said, “Clearly you are no caitiff, sir, for you might quite honestly have killed me.”

And opening his own helm Percival said, “Nay, sir, I am no felon, but rather a squire who desires to become a knight more than anything in the world. My name is Percival, and I shall fight you further if you wish, but I should rather that you accepted my surrender, for I believe from your gentle speech that you are truly one of the knights of King Arthur.”

And Sir Launcelot saw that though large in body he was scarcely more than a boy, and he wondered at him. But then he laughed and he said, “Percival, it were more just if
I
surrendered to
thee,
for methinks thou hast bested me clearly.”

But Percival said, “Oh, nay, sir. Your sword slipped but temporarily from your grasp.”

And Sir Launcelot was so amazed by Percival’s prowess and he was so impressed by the lad’s modesty that he took him straightway to King Arthur and he told the king what had happened.

And King Arthur looked at Percival and he stroked his own beard, the which was now quite white, and finally he said, “Percival, dost know whom thou hast fought?”

And Percival said, “Nay, Sire, I know not.”

“Well,” said the king, “it was Sir Launcelot.”

And Percival, who had fallen to his knees when admitted to King Arthur’s presence and who had been told to rise, said nothing now.

“Dost not know who he is?” asked the king. “And why dost stand so, with thine head against thy breastbone?” And he was impatient with this boy, who acted like unto a cretin imbecile.

“Nay, Sire, I do not know, for I am ignorant of almost everything,” said Percival, “including, apparently, even the proper fashion in which to stand before my king. But a maiden whom I lately served commanded me ever to keep mine head below my shoulders when addressing my superiors.”

“Well,” said the king, “a knight is obliged to protect a woman, and he is courteous and gentle with her at all times, but he need not to let her command him otherwise, else he might well encourage her in folly, to the which all women have a natural attraction owing to their vanity.” And then King Arthur asked Percival how it was that he was so ignorant of the world.

“Sire, my mother did not allow me to leave our castle, and therefore I have had no association with anyone but her and my sister,” said Percival.

“Then thou art to be commended for maintaining thy virility,” said the king. And turning to Launcelot, King Arthur said, “He hath some ability with weapons, sayest thou?”

And Sir Launcelot answered, “With all respect, Majesty, what I say is that with a man of less generosity I might well have been slain.”

But King Arthur could not but believe that his supreme knight did here, in the greatness of his heart, exaggerate most modestly.

“Percival,” said he, “if thou wert able to stand a few moments against Launcelot, then thou art obviously made of good stuff. Kneel then!” And the king drew Excalibur from its scabbard, and Sir Launcelot perceived that he had some difficulty with this, for his hands did tremble.

“Sire,” said he, “may I...”

“Nay, my dear fellow,” said King Arthur. “I’ve got it now. It has been a long time since I’ve done this, and my fingers are not so limber as they might be. Ah, there we have it. Now, young Purnival—”

“Percival, Sire,” said Sir Launcelot, “by your leave.”

“Percival, indeed!” jovially cried the king, and he lowered his sword towards the young man’s shoulder.

“Majesty, your pardon,” said Sir Launcelot. “Could you just turn the blade a bit so that the flat and not the edge will touch him? For Excalibur is marvelous keen.”

“Certes,” said King Arthur, and he did as asked, and he touched Percival on one shoulder and then on the other. “Rise, Sir Percinell, as a knight of the Round Table.”

And Sir Percival’s face did shine with joy. “And now, Sire,” said he, “what be my first quest as a knight?”

And King Arthur had lifted Excalibur to look along its edge, and then he ran his thumb on it. “Well, look at that!” said he, as if to himself, “’tis not so marvelous keen as once.” And clapping his hands for a page he told the varlet to fetch him an armorer.

“Sire,” said Sir Launcelot, “Sir Percival would know on which quest you would send him.”

“Ah, yes, Purslaine,” said King Arthur. “Well, I am afraid it hath been ever and a day since I have had at my disposal the quest of old. Whether this would mean that injustices are not nowadays so rife as once or merely that my subjects do not apply to me for rectification is perhaps moot.”

“Sire,” said Sir Launcelot, “with all respect, I think that it hath been a long time since you decided that Britain was free from felony.”

“Indeed, Launcelot,” said King Arthur, “but as I have grown older I have considered the alternative: that perhaps I do not hear as much as I did once. And perhaps the situation is rather that evil-doing hath got more subtle, perhaps even to the point at which it can not properly be encountered with the sword.”

And considering young Percival, so eager as he was and so fresh of face, Sir Launcelot did feel, for the first time in a long while, the movement of his conscience. For he had fallen back into his old role as the queen’s companion when he returned from the episode at the castle of Pelles the maimed king, and he had since gone no farther than the orchards. And when King Arthur had returned from the tour of his realm he made great joy on seeing Launcelot and he had indeed prevailed upon him to remain there, for now that most of the other knights had gone in quest of the Sangreal the king had no one to talk with.

And therefore did Sir Launcelot now suggest that Sir Percival be made the queen’s protector, so that he might himself again seek the Holy Grail.

“Well,” said King Arthur, “I should think that this young knight, who hath only lately escaped the imprisonment (though a benign one) of his mother and sister would desire anything but to be confined again with a woman. Nay, good Launcelot, I think I must give him the opportunity to exercise his new manhood!”

And to Percival he said, “The general quest of the knights of the Round Table at this time is for the Holy Grail. Now, ask me not what that be, for I can not tell thee except that it is something sacred, which pertaineth to Our Lord, and therefore there can be no greater employment for a Christian than to seek it, and if it is never found, then nevertheless there can have been nothing more virtuous than the looking for it. Canst thou understand what I say?”

And he asked this because Sir Percival, though a handsome young man and eager, did ever give the impression at this time of being slow in his wits.

“Methinks,” said Percival, “that this is a thing which though unknown at the outset may well be recognizable in the sequel.”

And King Arthur smiled and he said, “Percival, perhaps thou art naïve in the important matters, as a young man should properly be, but thou hast a fundamental grasp of truth.”

And an armorer came then unto King Arthur, and the king said to him, “Excalibur would seem to have dulled. I would that thou sharpen it.”

And this armorer took King Arthur’s sword and he held it so that the light was reflected from its edge. “Sire,” said he, “’tis not your everyday steel but rather some bloody magical metal. I can not think my grindstone will touch it, I’m damned if I do. Just what would do the job I can not say: perhaps a diamond, perhaps not, so bloody hard as it be.”

“Methinks that cursing will never help,” so chided him King Arthur, and begging his pardon the armorer withdrew, but in truth he was a fellow whom lack of work had made lazy and blasphemous, and most of the staff at Camelot were much the same. And even the kitchens were no better than they should have been, for Sir Kay had pleaded not to be left behind when the other knights went upon the quest for the Sangreal, and though King Arthur worried for his well-being when afield he could not deny him permission to go upon this Quest of quests.

And now the king told Sir Percival to get from the armorer new furnishings to replace that which he wore, which had come from the wicked knight whom he had vanquished, and to provide him with a new shield on the which would be painted his own device.