The Story of the Glittering Plain, Page 6

  CHAPTER VI: OF A DWELLING OF MAN ON THE ISLE OF RANSOM

  When he awoke again the sun shone on him, and the morning was calm andwindless. He sat up and looked about him, but could see no signs of Foxsave the lair wherein he had lain. So he arose to his feet and soughtfor him about the crannies of the rocks, and found him not; and heshouted for him, and had no answer. Then he said, "Belike he has gonedown to the boat to put a thing in, or take a thing out." So he went hisways to the stair down into the water-cave, and he called on Fox from thetop of the stair, and had no answer.

  So he went down that long stair with a misgiving in his heart, and whenhe came to the last step there was neither man nor boat, nor aught elsesave the water and the living rock. Then was he exceeding wroth, for heknew that he had been beguiled, and he was in an evil case, left alone onan Isle that he knew not, a waste and desolate land, where it seemed mostlike he should die of famine.

  He wasted no breath or might now in crying out for Fox, or seeking him;for he said to himself: "I might well have known that he was false and aliar, whereas he could scarce refrain his joy at my folly and his guile.Now is it for me to strive for life against death."

  Then he turned and went slowly up the stair, and came out on to the openface of that Isle, and he saw that it was waste indeed, and dreadful: awilderness of black sand and stones and ice-borne rocks, with here andthere a little grass growing in the hollows, and here and there a drearymire where the white-tufted rushes shook in the wind, and here and therestretches of moss blended with red-blossomed sengreen; and otherwherenought but the wind-bitten creeping willow clinging to the black sand,with a white bleached stick and a leaf or two, and again a stick and aleaf. In the offing looking landward were great mountains, some verygreat and snow-capped, some bare to the tops; and all that was far away,save the snow, was deep-blue in the sunny morning. But about him on theheath were scattered rocks like the reef beneath which he had slept thelast night, and peaks, and hammers, and knolls of uncouth shapes.

  Then he went to the edge of the cliffs and looked down on the sea whichlay wrinkled and rippling on toward the shore far below him, and long hegazed thereon and all about, but could see neither ship nor sail, noraught else save the washing of waves and the hovering of sea fowl.

  Then he said: "Were it not well if I were to seek that house-master ofwhom Fox spake? Might he not flit me at least to the Land of theGlittering Plain? Woe is me! now am I of that woful company, and I alsomust needs cry out, Where is the land? Where is the land?"

  Therewith he turned toward the reef above their lair, but as he went hethought and said: "Nay, but was not this Stead a lie like the rest ofFox's tale? and am I not alone in this sea-girt wilderness? Yea, andeven that image of my Beloved which I saw in the dream, perchance thatalso was a mere beguiling; for now I see that the Puny Fox was in allways wiser than is meet and comely." Yet again he said: "At least I willseek on, and find out whether there be another man dwelling on thishapless Isle, and then the worst of it will be battle with him, and deathby point and edge rather than by hunger; or at the best we may becomefriends and fellows and deliver each other." Therewith he came to thereef, and with much ado climbed to the topmost of its rocks and lookeddown thence landward: and betwixt him and the mountains, and by seemingnot very far off, he saw smoke arising: but no house he saw, nor anyother token of a dwelling. So he came down from the stone and turned hisback upon the sea and went toward that smoke with his sword in itssheath, and his spear over his shoulder. Rough and toilsome was the way:three little dales he crossed amidst the mountain necks, each one narrowand bare, with a stream of water amidst, running seaward, and whether indale or on ridge, he went ever amidst sand and stones, and the weeds ofthe wilderness, and saw no man, or man-tended beast.

  At last, after he had been four hours on the way, but had not gone veryfar, he topped a stony bent, and from the brow thereof beheld a widevalley grass-grown for the more part, with a river running through it,and sheep and kine and horses feeding up and down it. And amidst thisdale by the stream-side, was a dwelling of men, a long hall and otherhouses about it builded of stone.

  Then was Hallblithe glad, and he strode down the bent speedily, his war-gear clashing upon him: and as he came to the foot thereof and on to thegrass of the dale, he got amongst the pasturing horses, and passed closeby the horse-herd and a woman that was with him. They scowled at him ashe went by, but meddled not with him in any way. Although they weregiant-like of stature and fierce of face, they were not ill-favoured:they were red-haired, and the woman as white as cream where the sun hadnot burned her skin; they had no weapons that Hallblithe might see savethe goad in the hand of the carle.

  So Hallblithe passed on and came to the biggest house, the hallaforesaid: it was very long, and low as for its length, not over shapelyof fashion, a mere gabled heap of stones. Low and strait was the doorthereinto, and as Hallblithe entered stooping lowly, and the fire of thesteel of his spear that he held before him was quenched in the mirk ofthe hall, he smiled and said to himself: "Now if there were one anigh whowould not have me enter alive, and he with a weapon in his hand, soonwere all the tale told." But he got into the hall unsmitten, and stoodon the floor thereof, and spake: "The sele of the day to whomsoever isherein! Will any man speak to the new comer?"

  But none answered or gave him greeting; and as his eyes got used to thedusk of the hall, he looked about him, and neither on the floor or thehigh seat nor in any ingle could he see a man; and there was silencethere, save for the crackling of the flickering flame on the hearthamidmost, and the running of the rats behind the panelling of the walls.

  On one side of the hall was a row of shut-beds, and Hallblithe deemedthat there might be men therein; but since none had greeted him herefrained him from searching them for fear of a trap, and he thought, "Iwill abide amidst the floor, and if there be any that would deal with me,friend or foe, let him come hither to me."

  So he fell to walking up and down the hall from buttery to dais, and hiswar-gear rattled upon him. At last as he walked he thought he heard asmall thin peevish voice, which yet was too husky for the squeak of arat. So he stayed his walk and stood still, and said: "Will any manspeak to Hallblithe, a newcomer, and a stranger in this Stead?"

  Then that small voice made a word and said: "Why paceth the fool up anddown our hall, doing nothing, even as the Ravens flap croaking about thecrags, abiding the war-mote and the clash of the fallow blades?"

  Said Hallblithe, and his voice sounded big in the hall: "Who callethHallblithe a fool and mocketh at the sons of the Raven?"

  Spake the voice: "Why cometh not the fool to the man that may not go tohim?"

  Then Hallblithe bent forward to hearken, and he deemed that the voicecame from one of the shut-beds, so he leaned his spear against a pillar,and went into the shut-bed he had noted, and saw where there lay along init a man exceeding old by seeming, sore wasted, with long hair as whiteas snow lying over the bed-clothes.

  When the elder saw Hallblithe, he laughed a thin cracked laugh as if inmockery and said: "Hail newcomer! wilt thou eat?"

  "Yea," said Hallblithe.

  "Go thou into the buttery then," said the old carle, "and there shaltthou find on the cupboard cakes and curds and cheese: eat thy fill, andwhen thou hast done, look in the ingle, and thou shalt see a cask of meadexceeding good, and a stoup thereby, and two silver cups; fill the stoupand bring it hither with the cups; and then may we talk amidst ofdrinking, which is good for an old carle. Hasten thou! or I shall deemthee a double fool who will not fare to fetch his meat, though he behungry."

  Then Hallblithe laughed, and went down the hall into the buttery andfound the meat, and ate his fill, and came away with the drink back tothe Long-hoary man, who chuckled as he came and said: "Fill up now forthee and for me, and call a health to me and wish me somewhat."

  "I wish thee luck," said Hallblithe, and drank. Said the elder: "And Iwish thee more wits; is luck all that thou mayst wish me? What luck mayan
outworn elder have?"

  "Well then," quoth Hallblithe, "what shall I wish thee? Wouldst thouhave me wish thee youth?"

  "Yea, certes," said the Long-hoary, "that and nought else."

  "Youth then I wish thee, if it may avail thee aught," said Hallblithe,and he drank again therewith.

  "Nay, nay," said the old carle peevishly, "take a third cup, and wish meyouth with no idle words tacked thereto."

  Said Hallblithe raising the cup: "Herewith I wish thee youth!" and hedrank.

  "Good is the wish," said the elder; "now ask thou the old carle whatsothou wilt."

  Said Hallblithe: "What is this land called?"

  "Son," said the other, "hast thou heard it called the Isle of Ransom?"

  "Yea," said Hallblithe, "but what wilt thou call it?"

  "By no other name," said the hoary carle.

  "It is far from other lands?" said Hallblithe.

  "Yea," said the carle, "when the light winds blow, and the ships sailslow."

  "What do ye who live here?" said Hallblithe. "How do ye live, what workwin ye?"

  "We win diverse work," said the elder, "but the gainfullest is robbingmen by the high hand."

  "Is it ye who have stolen from me the Hostage of the Rose?" saidHallblithe.

  Said the Long-hoary, "Maybe; I wot not; in diverse ways my kinsmentraffic, and they visit many lands. Why should they not have come toCleveland also?"

  "Is she in this Isle, thou old runagate?" said Hallblithe.

  "She is not, thou young fool," said the elder. Then Hallblithe flushedred and spake: "Knowest thou the Puny Fox?"

  "How should I not?" said the carle, "since he is the son of one of mysons."

  "Dost thou call him a liar and a rogue?" said Hallblithe.

  The elder laughed; "Else were I a fool," said he; "there are few biggerliars or bigger rogues than the Puny Fox!"

  "Is he here in this Isle?" said Hallblithe; "may I see him?"

  The old man laughed again, and said: "Nay, he is not here, unless he hathturned fool since yesterday: why should he abide thy sword, since he hathdone what he would and brought thee hither?"

  Then he laughed, as a hen cackles a long while, and then said: "What morewilt thou ask me?"

  But Hallblithe was very wroth: "It availeth nought to ask," he said; "andnow I am in two minds whether I shall slay thee or not."

  "That were a meet deed for a Raven, but not for a man," said the carle,"and thou that hast wished me luck! Ask, ask!"

  But Hallblithe was silent a long while. Then the carle said, "Anothercup for the longer after youth!"

  Hallblithe filled, and gave to him, and the old man drank and said: "Thoudeemest us all liars in the Isle of Ransom because of thy beguiling bythe Puny Fox: but therein thou errest. The Puny Fox is our chiefestliar, and doth for us the more part of such work as we need: therefore,why should we others lie. Ask, ask!"

  "Well then," said Hallblithe, "why did the Puny Fox bewray me, and atwhose bidding?"

  Said the elder: "I know, but I will not tell thee. Is this a lie?"

  "Nay, I deem it not," said Hallblithe: "But, tell me, is it verily truethat my trothplight is not here, that I may ransom her?"

  Said the Long-hoary: "I swear it by the Treasure of the Sea, that she isnot here: the tale was but a lie of the Puny Fox."