Doctor Who_ Wolfsbane - Jac Rayner [62]
„But George the Sixth is going to be king,‟ said Harry, completely forgetting that he shouldn‟t be telling people that sort of thing.
„No, no, you‟re getting it all wrong. Understandable mistake, but I won‟t be using that name. I‟ve been waiting over a thousand years to be Mordred the First.‟
„Mordred the First?‟ echoed Harry.
„Well, just Mordred, actually. I don‟t know if you‟ve noticed
- Mother explained it to me - but you don‟t have to be a
“First” until there‟s more than one of you. Of course, by rights I should be Mordred the Second.‟
„Oh yes?‟ said Harry, faintly.
„Yes, but then if I was Mordred the Second now, that means I would have been Mordred the First - or rather, just Mordred
- back in my original life, and then I probably wouldn‟t have felt all aggrieved and needed to come back for a second go. So I wouldn‟t be Mordred the Second anyway. If you see what I mean.‟
„Oh yes,‟ said Harry, who didn‟t. „But look here, George -‟
George raised his eyebrows indignantly.
„- your majesty, I mean, the thing is, you seemed a bit shocked by all the goings on yesterday morning.‟
„Oh, the trees, you mean? Yes, you see, at that point, my destiny had not been revealed to me. Or to the trees, come to that. Mother was trying to tell them, you know, but they didn‟t listen. Going to have them cut down now. Made into tables or something. Lese-majeste, you see.‟
„Oh,‟ said Harry again. He didn‟t think he was doing very well at this. On the one hand, he seemed to be finding out a lot. But on the other hand, he wasn‟t finding out anything at all. „Er... would you excuse me for a moment? Got to... er, got to see a man about a dog?‟ he said hopefully.
George waved a gracious hand. Harry hurried from the room, relieved.
Harry hurried to where the others were waiting. His mouth opened and closed a few times while his brain tried to decide what to say. The Doctor smiled at him patiently.
„George says he‟s the reincarnated son of King Arthur, he‟s going to be King of England when Edward the Eighth abdicates, his mother‟s got a plan that‟s happening tonight but I don‟t know what it is, he‟s going to have the trees made into tables, and he didn‟t know any of this until yesterday.‟
„Hmm,‟ said the Doctor, creasing his brow. „That‟s exceptionally interesting. Well done, Harry.‟
„He thinks he is the son of King Arthur?‟ said Godric, bewildered.
Harry nodded. „Mudwort, or something.‟
„Mordred,‟ corrected the Doctor. „Or Modred, depending on what you read.‟
Godric looked even more puzzled. „But Mordred is the son of the King‟s sister, the sorceress Morgan,‟ he said.
Harry decided he didn‟t really want to go into all that. „Er, yes, that‟s right,‟ he said. „I wouldn‟t worry about that bit.
The point is, he thinks he‟s going to be king. Or is king, I should say, he‟s just got to wait for everyone else to realise it.‟
The Doctor was hmming to himself. „So...‟ he said after a moment, „if George thinks he‟s Mordred, and his mother is going around casting spells in Morgan le Fay‟s wood, are you thinking what I‟m thinking?‟
„That Hester thinks she‟s the reincarnation of Morgan le Fay?‟ said Harry, who was pleased to get an easy question for a change.
„Yes. I wonder.‟
„Would it make any difference if she does think that?‟ said Harry. „I mean, it doesn‟t change anything.‟
„Knowing your enemy is always helpful,‟ said the Doctor. „I think it would be as well to find out. Harry, just pop back and ask him, would you?‟
Harry shot the Doctor an anguished look.
„Go on,‟ said the Doctor. „He won‟t bite.‟
Harry put his head round the dining room door. George had polished off his plate of ham, and was now rounding off his breakfast with a piece of cheese and a glass of brandy.
„I say, your majesty,‟ said Harry, mock cheerily, „if you‟re the reincarnation of this Mordred, does that mean your mum is the reincarnation of Morgan le Fay?‟
George looked up from his cheese. „Of course she is.‟
„Right-ho,‟ said Harry, and withdrew.
„Apparently she is,‟ Harry told the Doctor.
„This is not possible!‟ said