Read Online The Death of King Arthur by Peter Ackroyd - Free Book Online

leave in the morning.’
    At the dawn of the next day they rode out to the court of King Pellam, where they were received with great reverence and ceremony. Balin was taken to a chamber, and clean robes were brought for him. The servant then asked him for his sword. ‘I cannot part with it,’ he said. ‘It is the custom in my country for the knight to keep his weapon.’ So they allowed him to wear it, and with the fair lady he went down into the hall of the castle where the other knights were gathered. Balin glanced around. ‘Is there a knight in this court,’ he asked one of the guests, ‘who goes by the name of Garlon?’
    â€˜Indeed there is. He is over there, the knight with the necklace of black jet. He has performed marvellous deeds.’
    â€˜Well,’ Balin said to himself, ‘so that is the man. If I were to kill him here, I would not escape this castle with my life. But if I leave him, I may never meet him again. And what mischief might he then make?’
    Sir Garlon had seen that Balin was staring at him, so he went up to him and slapped his face with the back of his hand. ‘Knight,’ he said, ‘why do you look at me for so long? Eat your meat and leave me in peace. Do what you have come for.’
    â€˜Sir, this is not the first time you have slighted me,’ Balin replied. ‘So now I will do what I have come for.’ He rose to his feet and, with his sword, he cut off the head of Garlon. As the knight lay dead on the floor, Balin called out to the lady, ‘Give me the shaft of the spear that killed Harleus!’ he cried. She carried the shaft everywhere with her, and handed it to him. With this weapon he opened a wide wound in Garlon’s side. ‘You used this against a good knight,’ he said. ‘I am glad to use it against you.’
    Then Balin shouted to his old host, ‘Now we will fetch enough blood to heal your son!’
    The knights at the other tables arose at once and drew their swords. King Pellam himself was fierce. ‘Why have you slain my brother? Prepare yourself to die.’
    â€˜If I am to die,’ Balin replied, ‘let it be at your hand.’
    â€˜Precisely so. Brother must avenge brother.’
    So the king thrust at him with his sword; Balin tried to parry the stroke, but his own sword was cut asunder. Now he had no weapon. He ran from room to room of the castle, looking for some form of blade, while all the way Pellam followed him roaring. At last he entered a costly and secluded chamber. Balin could see that a corpse lay here, covered in cloth of gold; beside this bier stood a table of pure gold, supported by silver legs, and upon it lay a strangely wrought spear.
    Balin took up the spear and turned upon Pellam. At the first stroke the king fell down in a swoon. At that moment the roof and the walls of the castle collapsed in ruin. There was a sound as of thunder, and the air became dark as pitch. A large groan issued from the depths of the earth, and the whole land trembled. The dolorous stroke had been delivered and could never be undone. The two men lay beneath the remains of the broken stone for three days, caught in a trance until Merlin came to their rescue. He took up Balin and gave him a new horse. ‘I cannot leave,’ the knight said, ‘without the fair lady.’
    â€˜Look at her lying there,’ Merlin replied. ‘She is dead. All the others are dead, too.’
    Pellam lay, wounded and wasted, for many years. He could not be cured until the high prince, Galahad, healed him in his quest for the Holy Grail. Do you wish to know the secret of the spear? It was that which entered the side of Christ as he lay upon the Cross. It had drawn out the Holy Blood that Joseph of Arimathea later brought to England. It was Joseph himself who had lain upon the bed, covered in cloth of gold, and Pellam was his kinsman. So the dolorous stroke inflicted death and dismay upon the