The Mezentian Gate. E. Eddison R.

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СКАЧАТЬ out again; and with our help, God save the mark!’ Emmius raised an eyebrow, then fell to tracing with his pen-point little jags and stars on the paper before him. Keriones repeated his question. ‘Briefly so,’ said Supervius, and thrust out his jaw.

      ‘Will you stand upon that, my Lord Emmius Parry?’ said the prince. And, upon Emmius’s shrugging his shoulders and saying, ‘At least it conveniently brings us back to a base on which we can, maybe, by further debate frame some mean toward agreement’, ‘Then,’ said the prince, gathering up his papers, ‘our work is but waste work, for we will not for our part any longer endure this thing.’

      Supervius opened his mouth for some damageful rejoinder, but his brother, checking him with a hand upon his arm, made for both: ‘I pray you yet have patience awhile. Nor I nor my brother desire troubles in the land. But if, spite of that, troubles be raised, we are not unprepared; men may wisely beware how they stamp upon our peaceful stockinged feet, be it in the north there or nigher home.’

      ‘You think to cow us,’ said Keriones violently, ‘with threats of war? seeing that by fraud, art and guile you can no further? But you shall find that neither are we unprepared. Neither are we without friends to fight beside us, if needs must, in our just quarrel. Yea, friends right high and doubtable: out of Fingiswold, if you goad us to that. We will call in King Mardanus to aid us.’

      There was a silence. One or two startled as if a rock had fallen from the sky. The Lord Emmius smiled, drumming delicately on the table with his fingers. ‘Our words, of both sides,’ he said at last, ‘out-gallop our thoughts: sign we are hungry. These be not matters to be swept up in a rage, as boys end a game of marbles. Let’s dine and forget ’em awhile. Then, with minds refreshed, chance our invention may devise a picture shall please us all.’

      Kresander said beneath his breath, but Supervius, as catching the sense of it, reddened to the ears, ‘He that shaketh hands with a Parry, let him count the fingers a receiveth back again.’

      But Keriones, his brow clearing (as though that rude discourtesy, contrariwise to its sense and purpose, wrought in him but to second Emmius’s pleasant words and with potenter force than theirs), said to Emmius, ‘You have counselled well, my lord. Truly, he that will argue matters of state on an empty belly hath his guts in his brains.’

      While they waited for dinner, there were brought in spice-plates and wines. Emmius said, ‘I pray you do me that favour as to taste this wine. I brought it north on purpose for our entertainment. It is of Meszria, of their famousest vintage: a golden wine of Armash.’ With his own hand he filled round the goblets from the jewelled silver flagon. ‘Prince Kresander, I’ll pledge you first: I know not why, unless ’tis because you and I have, of all of us, journeyed farthest to this meeting-place.’ With that, he drained his cup: ‘To our soon agreement.’ Kresander, flushing in the face with an awkward look, drained his. And now, carousing deep healths, the whole company pledged one another.

      They dined lightly on what the inn afforded: capon, neats’ tongues, bacon pies, sallets, and round white cheeses pressed in the hill-farms above Killary. These things, with much quaffing down of wine, soon warmed them to quips and merriment, so that, dinner being done, they came again, with minds cleared and blood cooled, to their chief matter subject.

      ‘Ere we begin,’ said Emmius, ‘I would say but this. With what intent came we to this place, if not to seek agreement? Yet we spent the morning upon a dozen prickly questions, most of them not worth the reward paid to a courtesan for a night’s lodging, and yet each enough by itself to stir up the gall of some or other of us and set us by the ears. How were it now if we set about it another way: talk first on those matters whereon we are at one? And, most worth of all, this: that we will have no foreign hand meddling in Rerek. That is an old tried maxim, profitably observed by us in all our private differences whatsoever, and by our fathers, and fathers’ fathers.’

      ‘Your lordship has well and truly said,’ said Kresander; ‘as myself, most of all, should feel the mischief, were outlanders to come in upon us from that quarter. So much the more, then, behoveth some not to bring things to that pass that others may think it a less evil to fetch in help from without than to abide the injustices put upon them within the land.’

      Emmius said, ‘Our private differences it is for us to untangle and set in order as we have had wont to: not by war, nor by threat of war, but by wise policy, giving a little back when need be, between ourselves. They cannot, unless we have ta’en leave of our sober wits, to be let hunt counter to that cardinal trending of our politic.’

      ‘What of Kessarey?’ said Keriones. ‘Was not that by war-stirring or war-threat? What of Telia? Nay, I cry you mercy, finish your say, my lord. I desire our agreement as much as you desire it.’

      ‘As much as that?’ Alvard said, behind his hand. ‘Mich ’em God dich ’em! Fine agreement there, then!’

      ‘Kessarey,’ replied Emmius Parry, ‘was anciently of Laimak; we but fetched it back where it belonged. Telia, by full franchise and liberties, chose their governor. We are here not to treat of things over and done with, but of this late unhappy accident in Lailma.’

      ‘Good,’ said Prince Keriones. ‘There’s yet comfort, if you say that. Afore dinner, it seemed you would have but one way in Lailma, and that your own way.’

      ‘No, no. I never said so. I never thought so.’

      ‘My Lord Supervius said it.’

      Supervius shook his head. ‘I would not be taken altogether thus. Some way, there’s ne’er a doubt, we shall patch matters together.’

      ‘As for Lailma,’ said Emmius, ‘we shall be easily set at one, so we but hold by that overruling maxim of no foreign finger. If we are to treat, it must be upon that as our platform. We can affirm that, my lords? that, come what may, we will have no foreign finger in Rerek?’

      ‘I have been waiting these many minutes,’ said Supervius, looking across the table with a cold outfacing stare, ‘to hear Prince Keriones say yea to that principle.’

      The prince frowned: first time since dinner. ‘It is a principle I have resolutely stood upon,’ he said, ‘since first I had say in the affairs of this land. And that’s since I first had a beard to my chin; at which time my Lord Supervius Parry was but a year or two out of’s swaddling-clothes. And will you thus ridiculously pretend that I and my friends would go about to undo this wholesome rule and practice? When in truth it is you who, seeking to perturbate these towns in our detriment and to undercreep my might and title in Lailma, hope so to drive us into a corner where we have the choice but of two things: either to give way to you at every turn and so be made at last your under-men in Rerek, either else (if we will maintain our right) to take a course which you may cry out against as violating the very principle we ourselves have made our policy and have urged upon you.’

      Emmius said, ‘Nay, pray you, my lords, let’s stick to our tacklings. Mutual imputations of working underhand do but put true matters aback. Let’s pledge ourselves to Prince Keriones’s policy: this knotty question of Lailma we shall then easily undo. Are we accorded so far?’

      ‘No,’ answered Keriones. ‘And, in frank plainness, for this reason. You have levies of armed men (we know this by our espials) in a readiness to march north and set upon us. I say not we are afeared of what you may do to us, but we mean not to tie our own hands and so fall in your hazard. Let’s talk, if you please, of Lailma. But if in that obstinacy my Lord Supervius remains, then we sit out. And then will we assuredly bring in Fingiswold to help us, and the rebuke and damage of that will be yours, not ours.’

      ‘It will be your СКАЧАТЬ