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I wait upon the charitable attention of three strangers.
The young peasant came forward.  How many have assisted you to date?
 You are the first to pass.
 As it happens, I am a man of compassion. Your plight has aroused my pity, and
something else besides. If you will dispose yourself comfortably, we shall
spend a merry interval, before I am obliged to return home to my cows and
their milking.
 Step a bit closer, said Madouc.  What is your name?
 I am Nisby of Fobwiler Farm.
 Just so, said Madouc.  Come just a bit closer.
Nisby stepped bravely forward. Madouc touched the pebble to his chin. Nisby at
once became rigid.
 Follow me, said Madouc. She led him off the road and behind a copse of bay
berry trees. On the turf she laid the pink and white kerchief.
 Aroisus!
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The kerchief became a pavilion.  Enter, said Madouc.  Sit down on the floor;
make neither sound nor disturbance.
Madouc returned to Idilra Post and seated herself as before. The hours passed
slowly, and once again Sir Pom-Pom could not restrain his curiosity; Madouc
saw the shine of his face through a growth of mullein plants. Pretending not
to notice, she hissed softly through her teeth and activated the Tinkle-toe
Imp-spring. Up from the mullein leapt Sir Pom-Pom, to bound a full three feet
into the air. Madouc called out:  What are you up to now, Sir Pom-Pom, with
your wild leaps?
Did I not beg you to remain out of sight until I called?
 I only wanted to make sure of your safety! declared Sir Pom-Pom in a surly
voice.  I did not intend to disturb you, no matter what you were up to; still,
for some reason, I was forced to leap into the air.
 Please do not trouble yourself again, said Madouc.  Go back to where you
left Travante.
Sir Pom-Pom departed with poor grace, and again Madouc disposed herself to
wait.
Fifteen minutes passed. A jingling sound reached her ears. She rose to her
feet and stood waiting.
Down Wamble Way from the north came a creature running on eight splayed legs.
Its head was like that of a great sea-horse, rearing high from a torso
segmented of dark yellow plates. Astride the creature sat a faun with a crafty
brown face, small horns, and lower limbs over grown with coarse brown fur.
From his saddle and bridle hung a hundred small bells, which jingled to the
gait of his bizarre steed.
The faun brought the creature to a halt and stared at Madouc.  Why do you sit
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so calmly by Idilra
Post?
 I am calm by nature.
 It is as good a reason as any. What do you think of my noble mount?
 I have never seen such a creature before.
 Nor I, but it is docile enough. Will you ride at my back? I am bound for the
isle in Kallimanthos
Pond, where the wild grapes hang in purple tumbles.
 I must wait here.
 As you wish. The faun urged his steed into motion. He was soon out of sight,
and his jingling gone from hearing.
The sun declined into the west. Madouc began to fret and wonder; she had no
wish to sit by Idilra
Post during the long hours of night.
From eastward along Munkins Road came the rumpety-tump rumpety-tump of
galloping hooves. Just short of the crossroads the sound diminished as the
horse slowed to a walk. A moment later a knight in half-armour, mounted on a
fine bay horse, rode into view.
The knight drew up his horse. For a moment he studied Madouc, then dismounted
and tied the horse to a tree. He lifted the helmet from his head and hung it
to the saddle. Madouc saw a gentleman somewhat past his first youth, with lank
yellow hair hanging beside a long mournful face. Heavy-lidded eyes droopedr at
the corners; long yellow mustaches dangled to either side of his mouth,
creating an impression of amiable impracticality.
He turned to face Madouc and performed a courtly bow. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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