Madouc

"It is the usual reason. I need a mother's advice."

"Proper and normal! Describe your trouble! Surely it is not an affair of the heart!"

"No, Mother! I only want to find my father, so that I can finally define my pedigree."

Twisk gave a plangent cry of displeasure. "The topic lacks interest! I have long put the circumstance out of my mind! I remember nothing!"

"Surely you remember something!" cried Madouc.

Twisk made an offhand gesture. "A moment of frivolity, a laugh, a kiss; why should anyone wish to catalogue these in terms of place, date, phase of the moon, details of nomenclature? Rest content with the knowledge that one such event was conducive to your being; that is enough."

"For you, but not for me! I am intent upon my identity, which means the name of my father."

Twisk gave a gurgle of mocking laughter. "I cannot even name my own father, let alone yours!"

"Still, my father brought you a lovely child; surely that impressed your memory!"

"Hmm. One would so imagine." Twisk looked off across the meadow. "You have tickled my recollection! The occasion, so I recall, was unique. I can tell you this-" Twisk looked past Madouc into the forest. "Who are these solemn vagrants? Their presence obtrudes upon the mood of the festival!"

Madouc turned to find that Sir Pom-Pom had crept through the forest and now stood close at hand. Not far behind, but well back in the shadows, lurked Travante.

Madouc turned back to Twisk. "These are my companions; they are also embarked upon serious quests. Sir Pom-Pom seeks the Holy Grail; Travante searches for his youth, which was lost when he was not paying heed."

Twisk said haughtily: "Had you not avouched for them, they might have come to grief!"

Sir Pom-Pom, despite Madouc's glare of annoyance, stepped forward. "Dame Fairy of the Silver Eyes, allow me to put you a question, which is this: where should I seek the Holy Grail?"

"Determine its location and go to that spot; that is my wise advice."

Travante spoke tentatively: "If you could guide me to my lost youth, I would be most grateful."

Twisk jumped high in the air, pirouetted, settled slowly to the ground. "I am not an index of the world's worries. I know nothing either of Christian crockery nor truant time! And now: silence! King Throbius has appeared and will fix his amnesty upon Falael!"

Sir Pom-Pom muttered: "I see nothing but wisps and blurs." Travante whispered in amazement: "Look again! All is coming clear! I see the castle, and a thousand colored delights!"

"Now I see the same!" whispered Sir Pom-Pom in amazement.

"Hist! Not another sound!"

At the castle tall doors of pearl and opal swung apart; King Throbius stepped forward at a stately pace, a dozen roundfaced imps hopping behind holding the hem of his long purple train. For the occasion he wore a crown of sixteen tall silver prongs, curving outward and terminating in sparkling points of white fire.

King Throbius advanced to the balustrade, and halted. He looked out over the meadow, where all was hushed, and even Falael desisted from his scratching long enough to look around in awe.

King Throbius held up his hand. "Today marks a significant epoch in our lives, in that it celebrates the regeneration of one of our ilk! Falael, you have erred! You have contrived ills and wrongs by the dozen, and put many of these schemes into effect! For such offenses, you have been visited with a remedial condition which at the very least has occupied your attention and brought about a welcome cessation of mischief! Now then, Falael! I asked you to address this company, and tell them of your redemption! Speak! Are you ready to have the ‘Curse of the Itch' removed?"

"I am ready!" cried Falael with fervor. "In all aspects, up and down, right and left, in and out: I am ready."

"Very well! I hereby-"

"One moment!" called Falael. "I have one particularly vexing itch I wish to subdue before the curse is removed." With great zeal Falael scratched an area along his belly. "Now then, Your Majesty. I am ready!"

"Very good! I hereby lift the curse, and I hope, Falael, that the inconveniences of your punishment will have persuaded you to forbearance, kindliness and restraint, as well as a full terminus to your penchant for wicked tricks!"

"Absolutely, Your Majesty! All is changed! Henceforth I shall be known as Falael the Good!"

"That is a noble aspiration, which I endorse and applaud. See that you keep it always to the fore! Now then! Let the festival proceed! All must participate in Falael's joy! One last word! Yonder, so I notice, stand three wights from the world of men - two mortals and the beloved daughter of our own dear Twisk! In the spirit of festival we give them welcome; let there be neither molestation nor prank, no matter how amusing! Today jocundity is rife, and all shall share!"

King Throbius held up his hand in salute and returned into the castle.

Madouc had been politely listening to the remarks of King Throbius; when she turned back she found Twisk had started to saunter off across the meadow. Madouc called out in distress: "Mother, where do you go?"

Twisk looked around in surprise. "I go off to rejoice with the others! There will be dancing and a great drinking of fairy wine; you have been allowed to join us; will you do so?"

"No, Mother! If I drank fairy wine, I would become giddy and who knows what might happen?"

"Well then, will you dance?"

Madouc smilingly shook her head. "I have heard that those who dance with the fairies are never able to stop. I will neither drink wine nor dance, nor will Sir Pom-Pom nor Travante."

"As you like. In that case-"

"You were about to tell me of my father!"

Sir Pom-Pom stepped forward. "You might also specify how I am to find the location of the Holy Grail, that I may go to this spot and find it."

Travante spoke more hesitantly: "I would welcome even a hint in regard to my lost youth!"

"It is all a nuisance," said Twisk fretfully. "You must wait until another time."

Madouc turned toward the castle and cried out: "King Throbius! King Throbius! Where are you? Come here, if you please, and at once!"

Twisk jerked back in consternation. "Why do you act so strangely? You lack all convention!"

A deep voice spoke; King Throbius himself stood at hand.

"Who calls my name with such unseemly shrieks, as if at the imminence of peril?"

Twisk spoke in a silken voice: "Your Majesty, it was only an excess of girlish excitement; we are sorry you were disturbed."

"Not so," declared Madouc.

"I am puzzled," said King Throbius. "You were not excited or you were not sorry?"

"Neither, Your Highness."

"Well then-what sent you into such frantic transports?"

"In truth, Your Highness, I wished to consult my mother in your presence, so that you might help her recollection when it faltered."

King Throbius nodded sagely. "And what memories did you wish to explore?"

"The identity of my father and the nature of my pedigree." King Throbius looked sternly at Twisk. "As I recall, the episode was not altogether to your credit."

"It went neither one way nor the other," said Twisk, now crestfallen. "It occurred as it occurred and that was the end to it."

"And how went the details?" asked Madouc.

"It is not a tale for immature ears," said King Throbius. "But in this case we must make an exception. Twisk, will you tell the story, or must I assume the task?"

Twisk's response was sullen. "The incidents are both ridiculous and embarrassing. They are nothing to blazon about, as if in pride, and I prefer to stand in detachment."

"Then I will recount the episode. To begin with, I will point out that embarrassment is the other face of vanity."

"I have a profound admiration for myself," said Twisk. "Is this vanity? The point is debatable."