nightfall. There is a king there, who is a coward, a dunce, and as cruel as those failings can make a man. He has twelve girls by
three different wives, all of these queens now dead, and mostly due
to him. But the princesses, as we must call them, as we must call him a king—for they’re all the royalty we’ll get in such a land as this—are at a game the king is frightened of. He wants to be sure what they do, for un sure he is, and to spare. And when sure, to curb them. But he dares not take on the task himself.”
“This is the tale I heard elsewhere,” said Yannis, who had sat
forward, partly eager to forget for a while about spirits and souls and God.
• 68 •
• Tanith Lee •
“You may well have heard it, for rumors have been planted and
are growing wild. Already the king has hired mercenary men to spy
on the girls and catch them out. These mercenaries were of all types, high, low, and lowest of the lowest, even one, they say, a prince, but doubtless a prince in the same way of this king being a king. All fail, and then the king gladly has them murdered. That is his bargain. The man who spies on and renders up the princesses, him the king will
make his princely heir. But fail—and off with his head.”
“If it’s so hard to catch his daughters, then why try?”
“Because it is never hard at all. Those who watch the girls, or
would do, the princesses drug asleep, being themselves well-versed
in witchcraft. Whoever wants to find out anything must not taste a
bite nor swallow a sip in that house, unless it be from the common
dish or jug, and sampled by others. Or if he is forced, he must only pretend. And immediately after he must feign slumber or better—slip
into a trance so sleeplike, so deathlike , it will convince the sternest critic. Then he may follow those girls as he wishes, and learn all and everything. Providing, of course, none can see him.”
Yannis said, “For example, by letting his spirit free from his body.”
“Just so.”
Next a silence fell. It came down the chimney and through the
two little windows with the shutters, and sat with the witch and the soldier, timing them on its endless noiseless fingers to see how much longer they would be at their council.
At last Yannis said, “Two secrets, then. What is the third?”
“I said already, son , you must find the third secret yourself. But some call it Courage and others Arrogance, and some blind fool
Madness. You must act on what I have taught you, that is the third secret. Now, go milk my goat, who has fallen in heart’s-ease for you, and bid my chicks goodbye. Then you shall set off again, if you’re to reach the city gate by sundown.”
Yannis stood like a man distracted. Then he said, “Either you want
my death, and so have done this. Or else you mean me to prosper.
But—if that—then why ? I’m nothing to you.”
• 69 •
• Below the Sun Beneath •
“For sure perhaps, or not,” she said. “But I have been something
for you . For even when you were a warrior in the wars, you have cared for me.”
“But Missus—never ever did I meet you before . . . ”
“Not me that speaks these words, but so many others— womankind .
My sisters, my mothers, my daughters, the daughters of my
daughters—all of those. For the old woman and the young woman,
they the rest of the soldiers might have killed for uselessness, or put to a use that would have killed them too. Those women that you helped,
that you defended, and hid, that you gave up your food to. Women
young and old are dear to you, and you in the midst of turmoiled
men, blood-crazed and heartless, have where able been a savior to my kind. And so, also to me, Yannis, my son.”
Then Yannis hung his head, lost for words.
But she, as she turned in at the leather curtain, said to him, lightly,
“I will after all tell you a third thing. It is how the old beast of a king knows his daughters are at dangerous work.”
Yannis shook
three different wives, all of these queens now dead, and mostly due
to him. But the princesses, as we must call them, as we must call him a king—for they’re all the royalty we’ll get in such a land as this—are at a game the king is frightened of. He wants to be sure what they do, for un sure he is, and to spare. And when sure, to curb them. But he dares not take on the task himself.”
“This is the tale I heard elsewhere,” said Yannis, who had sat
forward, partly eager to forget for a while about spirits and souls and God.
• 68 •
• Tanith Lee •
“You may well have heard it, for rumors have been planted and
are growing wild. Already the king has hired mercenary men to spy
on the girls and catch them out. These mercenaries were of all types, high, low, and lowest of the lowest, even one, they say, a prince, but doubtless a prince in the same way of this king being a king. All fail, and then the king gladly has them murdered. That is his bargain. The man who spies on and renders up the princesses, him the king will
make his princely heir. But fail—and off with his head.”
“If it’s so hard to catch his daughters, then why try?”
“Because it is never hard at all. Those who watch the girls, or
would do, the princesses drug asleep, being themselves well-versed
in witchcraft. Whoever wants to find out anything must not taste a
bite nor swallow a sip in that house, unless it be from the common
dish or jug, and sampled by others. Or if he is forced, he must only pretend. And immediately after he must feign slumber or better—slip
into a trance so sleeplike, so deathlike , it will convince the sternest critic. Then he may follow those girls as he wishes, and learn all and everything. Providing, of course, none can see him.”
Yannis said, “For example, by letting his spirit free from his body.”
“Just so.”
Next a silence fell. It came down the chimney and through the
two little windows with the shutters, and sat with the witch and the soldier, timing them on its endless noiseless fingers to see how much longer they would be at their council.
At last Yannis said, “Two secrets, then. What is the third?”
“I said already, son , you must find the third secret yourself. But some call it Courage and others Arrogance, and some blind fool
Madness. You must act on what I have taught you, that is the third secret. Now, go milk my goat, who has fallen in heart’s-ease for you, and bid my chicks goodbye. Then you shall set off again, if you’re to reach the city gate by sundown.”
Yannis stood like a man distracted. Then he said, “Either you want
my death, and so have done this. Or else you mean me to prosper.
But—if that—then why ? I’m nothing to you.”
• 69 •
• Below the Sun Beneath •
“For sure perhaps, or not,” she said. “But I have been something
for you . For even when you were a warrior in the wars, you have cared for me.”
“But Missus—never ever did I meet you before . . . ”
“Not me that speaks these words, but so many others— womankind .
My sisters, my mothers, my daughters, the daughters of my
daughters—all of those. For the old woman and the young woman,
they the rest of the soldiers might have killed for uselessness, or put to a use that would have killed them too. Those women that you helped,
that you defended, and hid, that you gave up your food to. Women
young and old are dear to you, and you in the midst of turmoiled
men, blood-crazed and heartless, have where able been a savior to my kind. And so, also to me, Yannis, my son.”
Then Yannis hung his head, lost for words.
But she, as she turned in at the leather curtain, said to him, lightly,
“I will after all tell you a third thing. It is how the old beast of a king knows his daughters are at dangerous work.”
Yannis shook
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