the knight said. "And her name was—"
"No!" Gawain shouted. "I don't want to know! Tell the king that Sir Gawain sent you. Now go!"
Gawain remounted Guingalet, and without looking at Terence rode slowly back across the drawbridge, out of the castle. Silently Terence followed.
"Milord?" he said, when he caught up. "It wasn't your fault."
Gawain shook his head, and there was nothing else to say.
***
Two hours later they found Tor in an open field, arguing hotly with a lady. At Tor's feet knelt a knight, and the white hound sat on her haunches next to Tor's horse. On the other side of Tor's horse a dwarf sat on a beautiful black mare, aloofly watching the argument.
"Madam, I tell you, he's already yielded to me," Tor said.
"What difference does that make?" the lady demanded. "This is Sir Abelleus!"
"Well, good for him," Tor said impatiently. "And who is Sir Abelleus?"
"The falsest knight ever to ride a horse," the lady exclaimed in trilling accents. "He killed my brother before mine own eyes," she announced. "And he but livest to strike down good knights."
"Maybe this will teach him not to strike down any more," Tor said. He looked at the kneeling Abelleus. "Do you promise not to be so naughty anymore and to stop striking down good knights?"
"Oh yes," Abelleus said, nodding emphatically.
"And do you agree to let me take this hound back to the court without interfering with me anymore?"
"Yes sir. Beg your pardon for bothering you, sir."
"And do you apologize for killing this lady's brother?"
"Oh yes. Very sorry, madam."
"Right then. What reparation should he pay you, do you think?" Tor asked the lady.
"I've told you!" she said, waving her arms dramatically. "He must pay with his life."
"How about all of his lands? Do you have any lands?" Tor asked the knight.
"I have a castle in Winchelsea," he answered. "But it needs work."
"How about a run-down castle in Winchelsea?" Tor asked the lady.
"Never!" she pronounced.
"Not really run-down. As soon as the roof's repaired it will really be very nice," Abelleus contributed.
"Abelleus will even pay for the repair, won't you?" Tor added. Abelleus nodded vigorously.
"I shall never rest so long as we both live," the lady cried.
The dwarf snorted and spoke for the first time. "Well then, that solves our problem, Sir Tor. Kill the lady."
"I can't kill a lady, Plogrun," Tor protested.
"Would you like me to?" Abelleus asked eagerly.
"Oh, do be quiet," Tor said. By this time Gawain and Terence had joined the group. Tor turned to them and said, "Hallo, Gawain. Terence."
"Tor," Gawain replied.
"This is Plogrun," Tor said. "He's my squire. I picked him up earlier. He was serving a couple of real stinkers, who challenged me. I defeated them, and he said he'd prefer to follow me. I think he'll work out fine. Plogrun, this is Sir Gawain and his squire Terence."
"I am honored, sir," Plogrun said, bowing as deeply as a dwarf can bow. "Pleased to meet you, Terence."
"Hello," Terence said.
"Look here," Abelleus said. "I don't mean to interrupt, but—"
Gawain said, "Oh don't let us disturb you, Tor. You were just saying that you couldn't kill a lady." Gawain smiled, but only with his lips.
"I don't see what's so difficult about it," the dwarf commented.
"Nothing at all," Abelleus said. "Really, they're much easier than men."
Tor looked at him contemptuously. "I'm beginning to think I ought to kill you after all."
"I told you!" the lady said.
"But I've already yielded," Abelleus pointed out.
Gawain interrupted, "Look here, Tor. If it bothers you to kill a lady, you could let someone else do it."
"An excellent notion," the dwarf said approvingly.
Suddenly, Tor's lips twitched, and he said, "That would be all right, I suppose."
"You would allow this villain to kill me?" the lady asked Tor. Her eyes were as round as coins. "How could you bear such a piteous sight?"
"I'd look away," Tor explained.
"Why?" Abelleus asked.
Ignoring him, Tor said, "Unless you're
"No!" Gawain shouted. "I don't want to know! Tell the king that Sir Gawain sent you. Now go!"
Gawain remounted Guingalet, and without looking at Terence rode slowly back across the drawbridge, out of the castle. Silently Terence followed.
"Milord?" he said, when he caught up. "It wasn't your fault."
Gawain shook his head, and there was nothing else to say.
***
Two hours later they found Tor in an open field, arguing hotly with a lady. At Tor's feet knelt a knight, and the white hound sat on her haunches next to Tor's horse. On the other side of Tor's horse a dwarf sat on a beautiful black mare, aloofly watching the argument.
"Madam, I tell you, he's already yielded to me," Tor said.
"What difference does that make?" the lady demanded. "This is Sir Abelleus!"
"Well, good for him," Tor said impatiently. "And who is Sir Abelleus?"
"The falsest knight ever to ride a horse," the lady exclaimed in trilling accents. "He killed my brother before mine own eyes," she announced. "And he but livest to strike down good knights."
"Maybe this will teach him not to strike down any more," Tor said. He looked at the kneeling Abelleus. "Do you promise not to be so naughty anymore and to stop striking down good knights?"
"Oh yes," Abelleus said, nodding emphatically.
"And do you agree to let me take this hound back to the court without interfering with me anymore?"
"Yes sir. Beg your pardon for bothering you, sir."
"And do you apologize for killing this lady's brother?"
"Oh yes. Very sorry, madam."
"Right then. What reparation should he pay you, do you think?" Tor asked the lady.
"I've told you!" she said, waving her arms dramatically. "He must pay with his life."
"How about all of his lands? Do you have any lands?" Tor asked the knight.
"I have a castle in Winchelsea," he answered. "But it needs work."
"How about a run-down castle in Winchelsea?" Tor asked the lady.
"Never!" she pronounced.
"Not really run-down. As soon as the roof's repaired it will really be very nice," Abelleus contributed.
"Abelleus will even pay for the repair, won't you?" Tor added. Abelleus nodded vigorously.
"I shall never rest so long as we both live," the lady cried.
The dwarf snorted and spoke for the first time. "Well then, that solves our problem, Sir Tor. Kill the lady."
"I can't kill a lady, Plogrun," Tor protested.
"Would you like me to?" Abelleus asked eagerly.
"Oh, do be quiet," Tor said. By this time Gawain and Terence had joined the group. Tor turned to them and said, "Hallo, Gawain. Terence."
"Tor," Gawain replied.
"This is Plogrun," Tor said. "He's my squire. I picked him up earlier. He was serving a couple of real stinkers, who challenged me. I defeated them, and he said he'd prefer to follow me. I think he'll work out fine. Plogrun, this is Sir Gawain and his squire Terence."
"I am honored, sir," Plogrun said, bowing as deeply as a dwarf can bow. "Pleased to meet you, Terence."
"Hello," Terence said.
"Look here," Abelleus said. "I don't mean to interrupt, but—"
Gawain said, "Oh don't let us disturb you, Tor. You were just saying that you couldn't kill a lady." Gawain smiled, but only with his lips.
"I don't see what's so difficult about it," the dwarf commented.
"Nothing at all," Abelleus said. "Really, they're much easier than men."
Tor looked at him contemptuously. "I'm beginning to think I ought to kill you after all."
"I told you!" the lady said.
"But I've already yielded," Abelleus pointed out.
Gawain interrupted, "Look here, Tor. If it bothers you to kill a lady, you could let someone else do it."
"An excellent notion," the dwarf said approvingly.
Suddenly, Tor's lips twitched, and he said, "That would be all right, I suppose."
"You would allow this villain to kill me?" the lady asked Tor. Her eyes were as round as coins. "How could you bear such a piteous sight?"
"I'd look away," Tor explained.
"Why?" Abelleus asked.
Ignoring him, Tor said, "Unless you're
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