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seriously particularly when they see Dafydd, who is most obviously abowman,
even if we dressed him up in court clothes borrowed from our visitor
MacDougall."
"We'll leave him as he is," said Jim. "You can say to your Borderers he's a
Prince in disguise, and you will tell his title to them under a seal of
secrecy, since it should not be known that he is in this part of the country."
"Yes," said Herrac, "I had assumed I should do as much. But still& that
title. Your Borderer is not used to fanciful titles, or ones that come
strangely to the tongue."
"Perhaps, now," said Dafydd, "I can solve your problem for you.Prince of the
Sea-washed Mountains is how my original title would be said if you speak it in
the language we talk nowadays. Originally the name was
He uttered a string of liquid syllables that made no sense at all to Jim, and
which was obviously nothing that the rest of them could say.
"Do you suppose that you would rather the saying of that?" asked Dafydd,
smiling.
All of the rest of them, even Liseth, tried. But obviously what their tongues
produced was not what Dafydd had said.
"Sir Jamescame the closest of all of you," said Dafydd. "Perhaps you might
use what he says in addressing me."
"What was it you said?" Herrac demanded, turning in his saddle to face Jim.
"Would you say it again, Sir James?"
"Merlion" said Jim. He was aware himself that a couple of syllables were
missing, and that there was none of the musicality in his version of the word
he had just spoken that Dafydd had sounded in his. But it was something he
could say and possibly the others, if they needed to.
"Merlion" echoed Herrac. "Well, it is better than Prince of
theSea-washedMountains ; or will be, in talking to my fellow Borderers."
He brightened up suddenly.
"In fact, with your permission, noble Sir," he said, looking at Dafydd, "we
can improve upon it for the purpose of a Borderer's ear. Would you object if
we use for you the name 'Merrrlon'?"
He had extended the "r" in the word, to give it a Scottishlike roll or burr.
"It will sound, then," he went on, "more like to the normal sounds they are
used to."
"I care not what you call me," said Dafydd, smiling. "Between us all I am
still Dafyddap Hywel, master of the bow. Let me be Prince Merlon, then though
I cannot say the 'r'as you do, Sir Herrac to all other people. It makes no
difference. It is a title that is here for a moment and will be gone again
shortly."
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"Good!" said Herrac; and they all rode happily on to the castle.
Back there, Jim was relieved to find that open trouble had not broken out
between Brian and MacDougall. But Brian, having had a taste of being up on his
feet, was determined to stay there. Though, mindful of Jim's emphasis on the
fact that hecurtail his wine drinking, he had now had what he considered his
quota for the day and was working his way through some small beer.
He was seated at the high table with MacDougall when they arrived. He and
MacDougall had evidently seen a certain amount of reason in avoiding open
conflict; they were talking to each other with a fair amount of agreeableness.
Jim drew Herrac, with Dafydd, off to one side; where they could speak
privately for a second without being overheard.
"I think I would like to meet with the Borderers as soon as possible," said
Jim. "Whether they should also meet Dafydd at this time, I leave up to you to
decide, Sir Herrac."
"Our meeting with them is easily managed," said Herrac. "In fact, I have
appointed one for this evening, here in the castle. But it will not be any
open gathering. They are to come quietly and we will meet apart from the Great
Hall and they will leave after we have talked. And "
He glanced at Dafydd. " my apologies to you, Prince Merlon; but I think now
is not the time for you to meet with these Borderers. No, let me resay that. I
cannot see the good of it, but if Sir James does, then I will agree. Sir
James, himself, as a knight of repute and honor as well as a magician, will be
accepted by them without question. But I think it is best we tell them about
you first, before we introduce you, or any of the Little Men who are going to
join us for the final making of plans."
"Any plan will be welcomed by me," said Dafydd. "I will be here, about the
castle, if needed. If I may go by what Sir James has said, it will be a week
or two before we attempt to trap the Hollow Men, in any case. Is that not so?"
"Yes," said Jim, "it's so. I suggest we tell them about you tonight, only if
it seems a good time to, and then call you in if the news suits them. After my
meeting with the other Borderers tonight I'm going to have to leave again this
time for several days. Because now's close to the time I impersonate
MacDougall and meet with the leaders of the Hollow Men. Tomorrow I'll have to
leave with a horse carrying the gold; and, come to think of it, perhaps it
would not be a bad idea if you went with me, Dafydd, rather than my borrowing
some men-at-arms from Sir Herrac to act as guards. The fewer of us to meet
them, the less suspicious the Hollow Men we meet are going to be."
"Indeed, that too is welcome to me," said Dafydd.
That ended their talk, and they rejoined those at the high table. The
socializing went on through the afternoon and through dinner. Once the actual
eating was over, Brian began to show signs of tiredness; and with only a
little protest, allowed both Jim and Liseth to help him back up to his room.
They went up the stairs with him, and Jim had a chance to speak to him, away
from the Great Hall.
"Will you be able to get along with the MacDougall while I'm gone?" Jim
asked.
"If he behaves himself," said Brian, "I'll push no quarrel. Only if he
attempts to push, will I answer the man in any way necessary."
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"Now don't be foolish, Brian," said Jim. "Your wound won't let you get into
armor and have it out with this man as you would, in the ordinary way.
Besides, he's a prisoner, and shouldn't be getting into fights anyway."
"It's up to him, then," said Brian. Jim noticed that he had not promised
anything. "Between you and me, I think he'll not seek for trouble. He has had
time to take my measure; and I do not believe he would stand against me for
more than a few minutes, either with lance on horseback, or on foot with any
other weapon. I think he is aware of that fact, also."
"No doubt that's true, Brian," Jim said, as they turned down the corridor
toward his bedroom. Brian wobbled a little on the turn and grinned weakly.
"That small beer," he said, "it goes right to a man's head."
"It's not the small beer," said Jim, "it's the wine you took today: and the
fact you're still not a well man. Remember MacDougall knows that; and may
think to take advantage of it. For my sake for all our sakes, Brian do your
part to stay out of any open battle with him."
"So," said Brian on a long sigh as they entered his bedroom and headed toward
his bed. He let himself gingerly down into it,then relaxed with another deep
sigh. "I will do my best, James. You know I always do my best."
He closed his eyes and was asleep before they could leave the room. They went
back downstairs to the high table, although Jim had privately decided that he
would be disappearing himself shortly if he was going to get a good night's
sleep before leaving early in the morning to find the Hollow Men. He had
already asked Dafydd to wake him; and the bowman was an infallible alarm
clock, as long as time was expressed in the common terms of the medieval
period "daybreak"& "nightfall"& "moonrise"& etc. and the churchly hours of
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