Domnei - James Branch Cabell (top 50 books to read TXT) 📗

to bribe me into living as this Perion’s debtor.”

So when the ship touched at the Needle, a half-hour later, that spur of rock was vacant. Demetrios had untethered his horse, had thrown away his sword and other armour, and had torn his garments; afterward he rolled in the first puddle he discovered. Thus he set out afoot, in grimy rags⁠—for no one marks a beggar upon the highway⁠—and thus he came again into the realm of King Theodoret, where certainly nobody looked for Demetrios to come unarmed.

With the advantage of a quiet advent, as was quickly proven, he found no check for a notorious leave-taking.

XVII How a Minstrel Came

Demetrios came to Megaris where Perion lay fettered in the Castle of San’ Alessandro, then a new building. Perion’s trial, condemnation, and so on, had consumed the better part of an hour, on account of the drunkenness of one of the Inquisitors, who had vexatiously impeded these formalities by singing love-songs; but in the end it had been salutarily arranged that the Comte de la Forêt be torn apart by four horses upon the St. Richard’s day ensuing.

Demetrios, having gleaned this knowledge in a pothouse, purchased a stout file, a scarlet cap and a lute. Ambrogio Bracciolini, head-gaoler at the fortress⁠—so the gossips told Demetrios⁠—had been a jongleur in youth, and minstrels were always welcome guests at San’ Alessandro.

The gaoler was a very fat man with icy little eyes. Demetrios took his measure to a hair’s breadth as this Bracciolini straddled in the doorway.

Demetrios had assumed an admirable air of simplicity.

“God give you joy, messire,” he said, with a simper; “I come bringing a precious balsam which cures all sorts of ills, and heals the troubles both of body and mind. For what is better than to have a pleasant companion to sing and tell merry tales, songs and facetious histories?”

“You appear to be something of a fool,” Bracciolini considered, “but all do not sleep who snore. Come, tell me what are your accomplishments.”

“I can play the lute, the violin, the flageolet, the harp, the syrinx and the regals,” the other replied; “also the Spanish penola that is struck with a quill, the organistrum that a wheel turns round, the wait so delightful, the rebeck so enchanting, the little gigue that chirps up on high, and the great horn that booms like thunder.”

Bracciolini said:

“That is something. But can you throw knives into the air and catch them without cutting your fingers? Can you balance chairs and do tricks with string? or imitate the cries of birds? or throw a somersault and walk on your head? Ha, I thought not. The Gay Science is dying out, and young practitioners neglect these subtle points. It was not so in my day. However, you may come in.”

So when night fell Demetrios and Bracciolini sat snug and sang of love, of joy, and arms. The fire burned bright, and the floor was well covered with gaily tinted mats. White wines and red were on the table.

Presently they turned to canzons of a more indecorous nature. Demetrios sang the loves of Douzi and Ishtar, which the gaoler found remarkable. He said so and crossed himself. “Man, man, you must have been afishing in the mid-pit of hell to net such filth.”

“I learned that song in Nacumera,” said Demetrios, “when I was a prisoner there with Messire de la Forêt. It was a favourite song with him.”

“Ay?” said Bracciolini. He looked at Demetrios very hard, and Bracciolini pursed his lips as if to whistle. The gaoler scented from afar a bribe, but the face of Demetrios was all vacant cheerfulness.

Bracciolini said, idly:

“So you served under him? I remember that he was taken by the heathen. A woman ransomed him, they say.”

Demetrios, able to tell a tale against any man, told now the tale of Melicent’s immolation, speaking with vivacity and truthfulness in all points save that he represented himself to have been one of the ransomed Free Companions.

Bracciolini’s careful epilogue was that the proconsul had acted foolishly in not keeping the emeralds.

“He gave his enemy a weapon against him,” Bracciolini said, and waited.

“Oh, but that weapon was never used. Sire Perion found service at once, under King Bernart, you will remember. Therefore Sire Perion hid away these emeralds against future need⁠—under an oak in Sannazaro, he told me. I suppose they lie there yet.”

“Humph!” said Bracciolini. He for a while was silent. Demetrios sat adjusting the strings of the lute, not looking at him.

Bracciolini said, “There were eighteen of them, you tell me? and all fine stones?”

“Ey?⁠—oh, the emeralds? Yes, they were flawless, messire. The smallest was larger than a robin’s egg. But I recall another song we learned at Nacumera⁠—”

Demetrios sang the loves of Lucius and Fotis. Bracciolini grunted, “Admirable” in an abstracted fashion, muttered something about the duties of his office, and left the room. Demetrios heard him lock the door outside and waited stolidly.

Presently Bracciolini returned in full armour, a naked sword in his hand.

“My man,”⁠—and his voice rasped⁠—“I believe you to be a rogue. I believe that you are contriving the escape of this infamous Comte de la Forêt. I believe you are attempting to bribe me into conniving at his escape. I shall do nothing of the sort, because, in the first place, it would be an abominable violation of my oath of office, and in the second place, it would result in my being hanged.”

“Messire, I swear to you⁠—!” Demetrios cried, in excellently feigned perturbation.

“And in addition, I believe you have lied to me throughout. I do not believe you ever saw this Comte de la Forêt. I very certainly do not believe you are a friend of this Comte de la Forêt’s, because in that event you would never have been mad enough to admit it. The statement is enough to hang you twice over. In short, the only thing I can