One of the heralds called up to the balcony: "It was Twisk! She ordered us to disturb your rest."
The other herald corroborated the statement. "She told us to blow a great blast that would startle you from your bed to the floor."
Twisk gave an indifferent shrug. "Blame me, if you like; however, I acted on the insistence of Madouc, whom you may remember."
Madouc, with an injured glance toward Twisk, stepped forward. "I am here!"
"So I see! What of that?"
"Do you not remember? I went to Idilra Post that I might learn the ident.i.ty of my father!" She indicated the three individuals at her back. "Here is Nisby the peasant, Sir Jaucinet the knight; also this mysterious shape of no category, nor yet any face."
"I remember the case distinctly!" said King Throbius. He looked across the area with disapproval. "Fairies! Why do you thrust and crush and press with such rude energy? One and all, stand back! Now then: Twisk! You must make a sure and careful inspection."
"One glance was enough," said Twisk.
"And your findings?"
"I recognize Nisby and Sir Jaucinet. As for the shadow, his face is invisible, which in itself is a significant index."
"It is indeed unique. The case has aspects of interest."
King Throbius stepped back from the balcony and a moment later came out upon the meadow. Again the fairies crowded about, to chortle and murmur, to mow and leer, until King Throbius issued orders so furious that his subjects shrank back abashed.
"Now then!" said King Throbius. "We will proceed. Madouc, for you this must be a happy occasion! Soon you will be able to claim one of these three for your beloved father."
Madouc dubiously considered the possibilities. "Sir Jaucinet undoubtedly boasts the best pedigree; still I cannot believe that I am related to someone who looks like a sick sheep."
"All will be made known," said King Throbius confidently. He looked to right and left. "Osfer! Where are you?"
"I have expected your call, Your Highness! I stand directly behind your royal back."
"Come forward, Osfer, into the purview of my eyes. We must exercise your craft. Madouc"s paternity is in question and we must definitely resolve the issue."
Osfer stepped forward: a fairy of middle maturity, brown of skin and gnarled of limb, with eyes of amber and a nose which hooked almost to meet an up-jutting chin. "Sire, your orders?"
"Go to your workshop; return with dishes of Matronian nephrite, to the number of five; bring probers, nitsnips, and a gill of your Number Six Elixir."
"Your Highness, I presumed to antic.i.p.ate your commands, and I already have these items at hand."
"Very good, Osfer. Order your varlets to bring hither a table; let it be spread with a cloth of gray murvaille."
"The order has been effected, Sire. The table stands ready at he your left hand."
King Throbius turned to inspect the arrangements. "Well done, Osfer. Now then: bring out your best extractor; we shall need fibrils of coming and going. When all is ready, we will contrive our matrices."
"In minutes only, Your Highness! I move with the speed of flashing nymodes when urgency is the call!"
"Do so now! Madouc is hard-put to restrain her eagerness; it is as if she were dancing upon thorns."
"A pathetic case, to be sure," said Osfer. "But soon indeed she will be able to embrace her father."
In a subdued voice Madouc spoke to King Throbius: "Enlighten me, Your Highness! How will you prove the case?"
"Be attentive; all will be made known. Twisk, why are you so exercised?"
"Osfer is molesting me!"
"Not so, Your Highness! You were about to order matrices; I had already started to apply the drain to Twisk."
"Of course. Twisk, we must have three minims of your blood; be stoic."
"I am loth to endure these martyrdoms! Is it truly needful?"
King Throbius made a meaningful sign; hissing between her teeth Twisk gingerly allowed Osfer to ply his instruments. He took a quant.i.ty of blood from her slender wrist, which he then discharged into one of the nephrite dishes. By processes too swift for Madouc to follow, he used the blood to nurture a fragile construction of fibers and small blue, red and green plasms.
Osfer turned proudly to King Throbius. "It is perfection in all respects! Each quirk and phase of Twisk"s somewhat devious nature are open for inspection."
"You have done well." King Throbius turned to Madouc. "Now it is your turn; from your blood Osfer will grow a matrix that is yours alone."
Madouc cried out between clenched teeth. "My turn has come and gone! He has already done his worst to me!"
Presently a matrix somewhat similar to that derived from Twisk appeared on a second plate.
"Next, let us try Sir Jaucinet!" said King Throbius. "Soon we shall see who is father to whom!"
Osfer drew blood from Sir Jaucinet"s nerveless arm and constructed the matrix peculiar to the lord of Castle Cloud.
King Throbius turned to Madouc. "There you see three matrices, representing the innate fabric of yourself, your mother, Twisk, and this n.o.ble knight. By the most subtle means, Osfer will now subtract the influence of Twisk from your matrix, to create a new matrix. If your father is Sir Jaucinet, the new matrix will be identical to his, and you will know the truth of your paternity. Osfer, you may proceed."
"Sire, I have completed the operation. Behold the two matrices!"
"I a.s.sume they are identical?" said King Throbius.
"Not at all, and in no particular!"
"Aha!" said King Throbius. "So much for Sir Jaucinet; he may be excused. Liberate him from your thrall, Madouc; bid him be on his way."
Madouc obeyed the instruction. Sir Jaucinet gave instant vent to peevish complaints, and demanded reasons for the many inconveniences to which he had been put.
"I can give you no easy response," said Madouc. "It is a long and detailed story."
"What of the frogs in my mustache?" demanded Sir Jaucinet. "Is their presence such a complicated affair?"
"Not altogether," Madouc admitted. "Still, King Throbius has ordered your departure, and you had best hurry, since the afternoon is waning and the way is long."
Sir Jaucinet, his expression one of deep chagrin, turned on his heel. "Wait!" called King Throbius. "Osfer, apply the "Four-fold Spell" to speed good Sir Jaucinet on his journey."
"Indeed, Sire, while he conferred with Madouc, I applied the "Six-fold Spell"," said Osfer.
"Good work, Osfer!" King Throbius spoke to Sir Jaucinet: