The Indigo King - James A. Owen [107]
“Rule wisely and fare thee well,” the Indigo Dragon said again, “Arthur Pendragon, King of the Silver Throne.”
The companions gathered together their few belongings and followed Arthur and Merlin to the water, where the river began opening itself up to the sea.
Taliesin remained behind so that a semblance of order might be maintained at the castle. Hugo and Rose took responsibility for the damaged Archimedes. Arthur agreed that the bird would need repairing, and also that he might be a good and eminently appropriate teacher for Rose.
Jack carried the Little Whatsit and the Serendipity Box, and John, acting as Arthur’s squire, carried the scabbard and broken sword Caliburn.
Arthur rode to the rear in silence, with Merlin close at his side. There was little that could be said between them, or perhaps little they felt that they were capable of saying.
At the water, they left the horses near the tree line and walked down to the sand on foot. There, standing starkly against the rays of the setting sun, was a sight that reassured John and Jack even more so than the dragons themselves had.
It was the ship, the Red Dragon. And at the helm stood Ordo Maas.
John started to wave at the old shipbuilder before Jack reminded him that Ordo Maas would not know them any more than Samaranth had. So it was particularly surprising when the old man, still carrying his long staff with the eternal flame, disembarked from the ship and came straight toward them.
“Which of you is John?” he asked pleasantly.
“That would be me,” said John.
“Here,” said Ordo Maas as he handed something to the Caretaker. “I was told you misplaced something very like this a long time past, and a friend didn’t want you to go too much longer without.”
It was a silver watch with a matching chain and fob, and on the back was a red engraving of Samaranth.
“Is it a time machine?” Jack asked. “Will it let us travel through time?”
“I believe it will,” Ordo Maas replied. “I’ve found for every minute I watch it, I move a full minute farther into the future.”
The shipbuilder turned to Arthur. “I am to be your first teacher, High King. And tonight we go for the first of your many lessons.”
“I understand,” Arthur said. “May I attend to some business first?”
Ordo Maas bowed. “As you wish.”
Arthur took the broken pieces of Caliburn from John and walked to the water’s edge. “I drew this sword,” he murmured, “and thought I had become a king. Then it broke, and only by going without it at my side, and in my hand, did I truly prove myself to be a king.
“I should like to give it over to the safekeeping of another, until such time as I shall need it again, or until another more worthy than I chooses to seek it out.”
“Who is he talking to?” John whispered.
“I have no idea,” Jack whispered back. “This is new ground for me, too.”
The water near the banks of the river, just past the rushes, began to roil, and a figure rose, spectral-like, out of the water.
She was beautiful in a stern fashion; her eyes were cold for all but Arthur, and she spoke to him alone.
“Will you take it, Mother?”
Nimue reached out and took the shards of Caliburn from her son, then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek before sliding swiftly and silently back into the depths.
John noticed that during the entire encounter, Merlin had kept his back to the woman and stayed far from the water’s edge.
“I have one more matter to attend to,” said Arthur. “Merlin. Come to me.”
The would-be king approached the younger man and dropped to one knee, but to everyone’s surprise, Arthur pulled him to his feet. “You do not kneel to me,” he said blithely. “Never do you kneel to me.” And then, even more surprisingly, he pulled Merlin in for a tight hug, which Merlin reluctantly returned.
“You understand what I must do?” Arthur said.
Merlin nodded.
“I know you still love your maps,” said the High King. “Do you still carry the tools to make them?”
Merlin nodded again. “I have a quill, and ink, and a bundle of parchments,” he said, “but I have not used them in almost a century.”