Madouc became vexed. "Remain here, or go back to Lyonesse Town and ask questions of your own mother!"
Sir Pom-Pom muttered: "I do not dare; she would laugh herself ill for my part in this expedition, then send me out for a bucket of moonbeams." He went to settle himself on a fallen log, where he was joined by Travante. "Be quick, if you please; and if chance allows, ask after the Holy Grail."
"You might also allude to my quest," said Travante, "if a gap opens in the conversation."
"I will do what I can."
Madouc went warily to the edge of the forest, pausing only to remove her cap and fluff out her curls. She halted in the shade of a wide-spreading beech tree, and looked out over the meadow: a roughly circular area three hundred yards in diameter. At the center rose a hummock to which a dwarfed and contorted oak clung with sprawling roots. Madouc scanned the meadow, but saw only flowers nodding in the breeze. Nothing could be heard but a soft murmur which might have been the sound of bees and singing insects; still Madouc knew that she was not alone, especially after a mischievous hand pinched first one cheek of her round little rump, then the other. A voice giggled; another whispered: "Green apples, green apples!"
The first voice whispered: "When will she learn?"
Madouc indignantly called out: "Trouble me not, by fairy law!"
The voices became scornful. "Hoity-toity to boot, apart from all else!" sneered the first.
"She is a hard one to know!" said the other.
Madouc ignored the remarks. She looked up at the sky, and decided that the time was near upon noon. In a soft voice she called: "Twisk! Twisk! Twisk!"
A moment pa.s.sed. Out on the meadow, as if her eyes had come into focus, Madouc saw a hundred filmy shapes moving about their unfathomable affairs. Above the central hummock a wisp of fog swirled high into the air.
Madouc waited and watched, nerves tingling. Where was Twisk? One of the shapes strolled at a languid pace across the meadow, taking on substance as it came, finally to show the charming lineaments of the fairy Twisk. She wore a knee-length gown of near-impalpable gauze which enhanced the effect of her supple and fascinating contours. Today she had selected pale lavender as a suitable color for her hair; as before it floated in a soft cloud behind her head and around her face. Madouc scanned the face anxiously, hoping for indications of maternal benevolence. Twisk"s expression was impa.s.sive.
"Mother!" cried Madouc. "I am happy to see you again!"
Twisk halted and looked Madouc up and down. "Your hair is a jackdaw"s nest," said Twisk. "Where is the comb I gave you?"
Madouc said hurriedly: "Some clowns from the fair stole my horse Juno, along with saddle, saddlebag and comb."
"Clowns and entertainers are an untrustworthy lot; this should be your lesson. In any case you must make yourself tidy, especially if you plan to join the merriment at our grand festival! As you can see, the frolics are already underway."
"I know nothing of the festival, Mother dear. I had not planned merriment."
"Oh? It is to be a grand gala! Notice all the pretty arrangements!"
Madouc looked across the meadow and now everything had changed. The swirl of fog above the hummock had become a tall castle of twenty towers with long banderoles streaming from each spire. In front of the castle stanchions of twisted silver and iron were linked by festoons of flowers; they surrounded a long table heaped with delicacies and liquors in tall bottles.
The festival apparently had not yet started, although fairies were already promenading and dancing about the meadow in great high spirits-all save one, who sat perched on a post scratching himself with great industry.
"I seem to have arrived at a happy time," said Madouc. "What is the occasion?"
"We celebrate a notable event," said Twisk. "It is the emanc.i.p.ation of Falael from seven long years of itch; King Throbius so punished him for malice and mischief. The curse will soon have run its course; in the meantime Falael sits yonder on the post, scratching as earnestly as ever. And now, I will bid you farewell once again, and wish you a fortunate future."
"Wait!" cried Madouc. "Are you not pleased to see me, your own dear daughter?"
"Not altogether, if truth be told. Your birth was travail, most unsavory, and your presence reminds me of the entire revolting circ.u.mstance."
Madouc pursed her lips. "I will put it out of my mind if you will do the same."
Twisk laughed: a gay tinkle. "Well spoken! My mood is slightly alleviated! Why are you here?"
"It is the usual reason. I need a mother"s advice."
"Proper and normal! Describe your trouble! Surely it is not an affair of the heart!"
"No, Mother! I only want to find my father, so that I can finally define my pedigree."
Twisk gave a plangent cry of displeasure. "The topic lacks interest! I have long put the circ.u.mstance out of my mind! I remember nothing!"
"Surely you remember something!" cried Madouc.
Twisk made an offhand gesture. "A moment of frivolity, a laugh, a kiss; why should anyone wish to catalogue these in terms of place, date, phase of the moon, details of nomenclature? Rest content with the knowledge that one such event was conducive to your being; that is enough."
"For you, but not for me! I am intent upon my ident.i.ty, which means the name of my father."
Twisk gave a gurgle of mocking laughter. "I cannot even name my own father, let alone yours!"
"Still, my father brought you a lovely child; surely that impressed your memory!"
"Hmm. One would so imagine." Twisk looked off across the meadow. "You have tickled my recollection! The occasion, so I recall, was unique. I can tell you this-" Twisk looked past Madouc into the forest. "Who are these solemn vagrants? Their presence obtrudes upon the mood of the festival!"
Madouc turned to find that Sir Pom-Pom had crept through the forest and now stood close at hand. Not far behind, but well back in the shadows, lurked Travante.
Madouc turned back to Twisk. "These are my companions; they are also embarked upon serious quests. Sir Pom-Pom seeks the Holy Grail; Travante searches for his youth, which was lost when he was not paying heed."
Twisk said haughtily: "Had you not avouched for them, they might have come to grief!"
Sir Pom-Pom, despite Madouc"s glare of annoyance, stepped forward. "Dame Fairy of the Silver Eyes, allow me to put you a question, which is this: where should I seek the Holy Grail?"
"Determine its location and go to that spot; that is my wise advice."
Travante spoke tentatively: "If you could guide me to my lost youth, I would be most grateful."
Twisk jumped high in the air, pirouetted, settled slowly to the ground. "I am not an index of the world"s worries. I know nothing either of Christian crockery nor truant time! And now: silence! King Throbius has appeared and will fix his amnesty upon Falael!"
Sir Pom-Pom muttered: "I see nothing but wisps and blurs." Travante whispered in amazement: "Look again! All is coming clear! I see the castle, and a thousand colored delights!"
"Now I see the same!" whispered Sir Pom-Pom in amazement.
"Hist! Not another sound!"
At the castle tall doors of pearl and opal swung apart; King Throbius stepped forward at a stately pace, a dozen roundfaced imps hopping behind holding the hem of his long purple train. For the occasion he wore a crown of sixteen tall silver p.r.o.ngs, curving outward and terminating in sparkling points of white fire.
King Throbius advanced to the bal.u.s.trade, and halted. He looked out over the meadow, where all was hushed, and even Falael desisted from his scratching long enough to look around in awe.
King Throbius held up his hand. "Today marks a significant epoch in our lives, in that it celebrates the regeneration of one of our ilk! Falael, you have erred! You have contrived ills and wrongs by the dozen, and put many of these schemes into effect! For such offenses, you have been visited with a remedial condition which at the very least has occupied your attention and brought about a welcome cessation of mischief! Now then, Falael! I asked you to address this company, and tell them of your redemption! Speak! Are you ready to have the "Curse of the Itch" removed?"
"I am ready!" cried Falael with fervor. "In all aspects, up and down, right and left, in and out: I am ready."