81
"Blast'" Mairelon said softly as the carnage lurched on by
"Can you keep up with it, KmP"
"I don't know about that coach, but 1 can keep up with you
right enough," Kim answered "But shouldn't we go back and
tell Hunch where we're gom'5"
"If we do that, we'll lose it," Mairelon said, ducking under a
low-hanging branch "You're right, though, Hunch should
know Why don't you—"
"1 ain't goin' back now," Kim interrupted in as firm a tone as
she could manage while trying to follow Mairelon's erratic
path among the trees
"All right," Mairelon said to her surprise "But when Hunch
finds out—look, they're turning off!"
The coach was indeed easing its way off of the lane and
into the woods From where Kim stood, it looked almost as if
the coach were trying to force its way through the trees, but
when she and Mairelon reached the spot a moment later,
they found another lane leading into the woods
"That driver is good," Mairelon commented, eyeing the
trail "This is hardly more than a deer path "
"You goin' to stand there jawing or get on after that coacrp"
Kim asked pointedly "it's gettm' dark "
"So it is," Mairelon said "Come along "
The trail wound through the trees almost as erratically as
Mairelon had, and the curves hid the coach from sight For-
tunately the imprint of the wheels in the soft ground was easy
to follow, and they made better time now that they did not
have to worry about being seen Even so, walking became
more difficult as the light faded Kim was about to suggest
that they turn back before they lost their way completely
when Mairelon stopped
"Look there!" he said in a low voice, pointing
Kim, who had been concentrating on following the coach
tracks through the deepening gloom, looked up Light
82
danced among the trees "Some cull's lit a fire on the hill,
looks like "
"It does indeed," Mairelon said "And I'll lay you odds that's
where our coach is headed "
"Doesn't look tike it to me," Kim said, though without a
great deal of conviction The trail they followed did not, at
the moment, appear to head in the direction of the bonfire,
but that did not mean it would not shift its beanng on the far
side of the next bend
"Let's find out, shall we''" Mairelon said with his most
charming smile, and, turning, he headed for the bonfire
After a moment's hesitation, Kim followed Sticking with
Mairelon was certainly safer than trying to continue after the
coach atone and in the dark, and she was decidedly unin-
terested in going back to the camp and explaining all this to
Hunch without Mairelon's support Besides, she was at least
as curious about the bonfire as she was about the coach and
Mairelon's interest in it
"The fire was farther away than it looked, it took ten min-
utes of brisk walking to reach the foot of the short, steep hill
with the fire on top Kim was a little surprised at the way the
hill poked up out of the flat ground, but she supposed that
things were different in the country than in London The hill
was bare of trees except for a single large trunk at the top,
clearly visible in the firelight, and the grassy slope had been
recently scythed
Several young men stood around the fire in the positions of
people waiting for something and rather bored with doing so
One was staring down the far side of the hill, three others
squatted over a game of dice, while two more watched and
contributed unrequested advice, another drank surreptitiously
from a pocket flask Their voices earned clearly to the edge
of the forest
"Meredith's late again," the man with the flask commented
83
"So's Robert," one of the others said "Maybe they've got
better things to do on a cold, damp night like this "
"What, in the country''" said the man next to him
"No main," said one of the dicers "Throw again "
"It's Robert's turn to bring the girls," a fifth man spoke up
"He'll probably come along with them "
"1 told you he had something better to do'"
"Eight for a main," announced the second of the gamblers
"Shoot again "
"Robert's coach is just turning in at the lodge," said the
man who was watching the far side of the hill "He'll be here
in a minute or two I hope he has sense enough to leave the
rest of his party there We don't need any bits of muslin
giggling over the ceremony "
"Good, that's everyone but Meredith," said the man with
the flask "We can start without him "
"Not tonight," the watcher said without turning
"Burn it, jon, are you going to make us stand here all
night?" the man with the flask expostulated "Meredith may
not even come' He's missed meetings before "
'Two guineas on the fader's point," said one of the dicers
coolly
"If you don't like it, Austen, finish your flask and go," the
watcher said "But remember that you swore an oath—"
"I didn't know it was going to mean standing out in a cold
wind in the middle of the night, scorching my boots at a
great stupid fire while you prose on at me!" Austen said in
tones of deep indignation
"If your boots are scorching, you've only yourself to
blame," said a cheerful voice, and a new figure climbed over
the far edge of the hill and into the firelight His arms were
full of something that strongly resembled a very large bundle
of laundry "You don't see anyone else standing close enough
to the fire for ashes to fall on his coat, do you?"
84
"Ashes!" Austen leaped backward, brushing at his cloak He
peered closely at his garments, then gave the newcomer a
reproachful look "Burn it, Robert, if that's your idea of a
joke—"
"Don't get in a stew about it," Robert advised him "Here,
take your robe before I drop the lot of them in the mud "
This thinly veiled warning caught the attention of the rest
of the group, and for the next few minutes they crowded
around the newcomer, laughing and shoving and tugging at
the bundle in his arms Kim glanced at Mairelon, to see
whether he had had his fill of watching this strange gather-
ing By now it was too dark to make out much of his expres-
sion, but he seemed to be concentrating closely on the hilltop
group
"Who are those coves?" Kim whispered
Mairelon glanced down as if he had just remembered her
presence "A pack of imbeciles," he answered "And if I'm not
mistaken—ah, yes See for yourself "
Kim looked back at the hilltop About half of the men
were pulling long, baggy, light-colored robes over their
heads "They look like Bedlamites to me," Kim muttered
"Who—"
"Sshi" Mairelon said as the man called Jon said something
to Robert that Kim did not catch
"No, I didn't," Robert said, evidently answering Jon's ques-
tion "The girls and the robes were almost more than I could
manage as it was I left it with Meredith after the last meet-
ing "
"And Meredith's still not here " Jon's voice sounded gnm
"If he doesn't come, you're for it, Robert"
"How much longer are you planning to wait, Jon?" one of
the white-robed men asked "Have we got time for a few
more throws?"
"Can't you think of anything but your dice?" Jon snarled
85
The man gave a cheerful, unrepentant shrug "Well, there's
the doxies at the lodge, but I have the feeling you wouldn't
like that much of a delay "
Some of the others laughed Jon looked as if he were about
to explode, but before he could deliver whatever rebuke he
had in mind, Austen said, "There! Isn't that him?"
Heads turned, and someone said, "That's Freddy, all right
Nobody else sits a horse that badly, you can spot him even in
the dark "
"Hurry it up, Meredith'" Austen shouted
"Quiet, you foot'" Jon said, rounding on him "Do you
want to be heard from here to the village? Do you want peo-
ple to come spying on our Sacred Rites'?"
"Oh, really, Jon, don't get carried away," Robert said
"There's a dozen light-skirts in the lodge who can see us from
the windows if they want to bother"
"They are here by our permission," Jon said loftily
His dignified effect was spoiled by someone at the back of
the group, who snickered and said audibly, "I should hope
so'"
Jon glared around him, but could not locate the speaker
He turned away, and a moment later another figure came
panting over the crest of the hill Robert handed him the
last of the robes, and he struggled into it hastily while the
others pointed out the difficulties his tardiness had caused
them
"Didn't mean to be so late," said the newcomer in a muffled
voice from halfway inside his robe "i had to make a stop
on the way here "
"There will be time to hear your explanations later, Mer-
edith," Jon said "Now we must begin To your places, gen-
tlemen'"
The white-robed figures spread out in a circle around the
fire and drew the hoods of their robes up over their heads It
86
made them look suddenly eerie, almost terrifying, and Kirn
shivered slightly One of the anonymous figures raised his
arms above his head, and Jon's voice cried loudly, "By the
Sacred Oak, and Ash, and Thorn' By the Three Wise Birds
and the Three Generous Kings' By the Ineffable Name Itself'
The rites of the Sons of the New Dawn are now begun'"
87
NINE
'^•w-^' •-I— he white-robed figures lowered their
JS^L^^ 1 heads and began a strange, droning chant.
f ' Kim shuddered again as sonorous phrases
drifted down the hill, and she jumped when Mairelon
touched her arm.
"I'm going to see if 1 can get a little closer," Mairelon said,
looking at her quizzically. "You can wait here, if you're feel-
ing jumpy."
"Wait here, with them frog-makers up there mumblin'
spells?" Kim whispered indignantly- "What do you take me
for?"
Mairelon snorted. "Spells? Don't be ridiculous. That's the
most preposterous rigmarole I've ever had the misfortune to
have to listen to Don't let it worry you."
"Why not?"
"Because they're mixing magic at random, from the sound
of it Half of it's Welsh, half of it's Scottish, and half of it's
cribbed from someone's classical education, with a few things
that are entirely out of someone's imagination thrown in for
88
good measure- They'll never get anywhere if that's the tack
they're taking "
"That's too many halves," Kim said, frowning- "And what-
ever it is, it sounds pretty impressive to me." The words
didn't have the crystalline quality of Mairelon's magic, but
they had a portentous power of their own that was just as
striking.
"That's because you've never read Homer in the original
Creek," Mairelon said. His attention had returned to the hill-
top, where the white robes were now marching solemnly
around the fire. Kim reached for his arm, anticipating his next
move, but she was an instant too late, Mairelon slipped out of
the trees and started up the hill, crouching low to avoid the
firelight. With a sigh and a string of mental curses, Kim fol-
lowed-
To her relief, Mairelon did not try to sneak all the way up
slope, near enough to hear every word clearly but still well
below the level where a casual glance might see a careless
silhouette. Kim stopped beside him and flattened herself
against the ground. Mairelon looked at her, then, with visible
reluctance, did the same-
The cold and damp seemed to penetrate Kirn's clothes al-
most instantly. She ignored the discomfort as best she could,
knowing from years of Mother Tibb's somewhat irregular
training that an unnecessary movement was likely to attract
unwanted attention. Beside her, Mairelon lay Just as mo-
tionless, and Kim tried to distract herself by wondering where
he had learned the trick. Had someone told him about it
when he went off to spy on the French, or had he figured it
out for himself the hard way?
The chanting stopped at last, and Kim heard Jen's voice
89
announce, "So is the beginning ended, and the Central Mys-
teries begun "
A murmur of agreement rose from the assembled figures As
the muttering died, Jon went on in a much brisker tone,
'Tonight we are to dedicate the Sacred Dish, the first of the
Four Holy Things Austen, you're the Bearer; George, you
and Quembly-Stark can do the Escorts, and Robert can act
as—"
"Uh, Jonathan, I'm afraid there's a bit of a problem," some-
one put in tentatively
"You forgot to bring the dish, didn't you?" Jon snapped
"Well, I'm not putting off the ceremony again just because
you have a bad memory, Meredith This time you can just
nde home and bring it back "
"That'll take hours'" someone else objected "Especially
if he came on that broken-down nag of his; the creature
can't move above a trot even with a good nder in the
saddle "
"As long as we can wait down at the lodge instead of
up here in the wind, who cares?" another of the men re-
torted
"No reason to wait at all," Meredith said. Cautiously Kirn
raised her head As she had expected, all eyes were on the
bland and rather foolish-looking Meredith "I can't get the
thing, you see," Meredith explained "So there's no point in
my going back, and no reason to wait "
"Can't get it?" Jon's voice rose He put back his hood
and glared at Meredith "What do you mean, you can't
get it?"
"I just can't," Meredith answered with dogged stub-
bornness
"That's all, and there it is No use going on at me
about it, might as well finish up and go on down to the
lodge"
"Explain this this recalcitrancel" Jon commanded
90
"Yes, Freddy, just why is it that you can't bring the dish out
tonight?" Robert asked
"If you must know, I haven't got it any more," Meredith
said "Now can we go down to the lodge and eat?"
Jon goggled at him, all but speechless with rage. "You
haven't got it?"
"Got a problem with your ears, Jon?" Meredith asked with
interest "M'grandfather's been having a bit of trouble that
way, but you expect it in a man his age "
"What have you done with the Sacred Disb?" Jon grated
"Lost it in a card game," Meredith said "Debt of honor,
pay or play, you know So it's gone "
"How dared you'" Jon shouted, waving his arms for empha-
s'ls "That dish was ours, the property of the entire Order'
How dared you even think to appropriate it for your own
uses'"
"Actually it wasn't," Meredith said almost apologetically
"Wasn't what, Freddy?" Robert asked
"Wasn't the property of the Order Bought it myself, never
been paid Logically the thing was mine All quite in order "