Gawain Read Free Page B

and—well, I won’t wish you long life or health, why waste my breath?” She patted his arm kindly. “Let’s just leave it at a quick and painless death.”
     
SOMETHING was wrong. Gawain could see it in Arthur’s face as the king strode back to his horse. The hideous creature who had accosted them hobbled a few steps and stood by the side of the road, leaning on her stick.
    “What did she say?” Gawain demanded.
    “Nothing.” Arthur swung himself onto his horse and urged it forward. “Hurry up, Gawain,” he called over his shoulder, “we’ve wasted enough time.”
    Gawain leapt onto his charger and kicked it into a canter, his stomach churning as he swept by the stinking crone. “Hold up, Arthur! Tell me what she said!”
    “Oh, some nonsense—it doesn’t matter, you were right, she didn’t know the answer after all.”
    Gawain glanced back uneasily. The hag still stood there, watching them, smiling—at least he thought it was a smile. With those . . . teeth . . . it was difficult to tell.
    He shuddered and turned back to the king. “What nonsense?” he insisted. “What are you not telling me?”
    “Leave it,” Arthur ordered curtly.
    “Did she curse you? Is that it? By God, if she did, I’ll—”
    “You’ll do nothing. She’s a bit mad, poor creature, but harmless. Let’s forget her.”
    They rode on in silence for a time. Arthur gazed ahead, his expression abstracted, one hand tapping out a rhythm on his knee—always a sure sign that he was upset.
    “Arthur, look at me. Something happened back there. Either you tell me what it is or I’ll go ask the witch myself.”
    “You will not.”
    Gawain pulled his charger to a halt.
    “Damn it, Gawain, I am the king! I order you to stay here.”
    “Then tell me the truth!”
    “It was nothing—no, wait. She said that she would tell me if I—if I made her one of the queen’s waiting women.”
    “And you refused ? Are you mad?”
    “Guinevere wouldn’t like it,” Arthur said. “Would you? Having to look at that face every day—dear God, those teeth! D’you think that was actual moss growing on them?” He shuddered. “And her stench! I don’t know how I managed to keep my breakfast.”
    “I am sure the queen would put up with a bit of inconvenience to save your life!”
    “Yes, well, perhaps—I mean, of course she would, but I won’t ask it of her. And that’s an end on it. Belike the old woman doesn’t know the answer, anyway.”
    Gawain seized the king’s bridle. “Arthur, you are the greatest king Britain has ever known, but you are a wretched liar. What did the crone want? ”
    “Oh, very well !” Arthur laughed. “It’s so ridiculous, I didn’t like to say—”
    “Arthur.”
    “Shewantedyoutomarryher,” Arthur said. “Now let’s get moving.”
    “She wanted . . . to marry her? Me? ”
    “Come along, man, we can’t sit here all the day.”
    Gawain did not move. “To marry her? To marry her ?”
    “Stop saying that. It makes me sick to even hear the words. Gawain, I would never ask you—”
    Gawain jerked his horse’s head around. “Do you think you have to? Of course I’ll do it.”
     
THE hag was still standing where they’d left her, leaning on her stick as though awaiting their return. Witch , Gawain thought again, and forced himself to look her in the eye.
    She gazed up at him through tangled brows, her expression both amused and strangely knowing. What she knew, he could not imagine, and he found he did not want to try. Her face was a mottled red, wrinkled as a winter apple, and only two teeth—tusks, he thought with dull horror— remained to her, one pointing downward toward her protruding chin, the other nearly touching the wart upon the end of her nose. Filthy gray hair hung in a matted knot to her shoulders, which were bent and oddly twisted.
    “I accept your terms,” he said. “Give us the answer.”
    “Hold up a moment, laddie, I want to be sure we have things clear between us. I stay