The Excalibur Murders: A Merlin Investigation by J.M.C. Blair

Author:J.M.C. Blair [Blair, J.M.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780425222539
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2010-07-27T05:00:00+00:00

SIX

THE LAND OF WOULD-BE WITCHES

Petronus's wounds turned out not to be too serious; they were more bloody than dangerous. But he was badly shaken, too much so to ride a horse. Captain Dalley arranged for a carriage to transport the four of them back to Camelot, and an armed escort to ensure their safety.

Merlin was grateful. "At my age, riding a horse is not fun. My back is still aching from the journey down here."

Brit oversaw preparations for the trip; Merlin spent time alone, thinking over the events they'd witnessed. Nimue suspected he knew who the killer was, or had a strong suspicion; but when she asked, he put her off. "It's too early. There is still no proof."

They traveled swiftly and were careful to avoid London and Caesar's Bones. Thankfully, there was no more rain or snow, and they made good time. The party arrived at Camelot two nights later; it was nearly midnight and most of the residents were already asleep. They installed Petronus in an unused room in Merlin's tower, and Nimue offered to check on him periodically. There were candles to light the room. "No smoke. No awful smell. It's good to be home," she said.

Arthur was not happy. It was the next morning; he paced his study, trying a new sword. "This is no good. It doesn't have the right heft or the right balance. I want Excalibur back." Arthur glared at Merlin then struck at the stone windowsill with his sword. The blade broke neatly in half. "I've tried three of these. None is as good as Excalibur. I want you to find it for me."

"That means finding the killer. You know we're doing what we can. But we have to be realistic. Excalibur may well have been melted down by now. Or shipped to the mainland and sold on the international market. The same for the stone and the shrine."

Arthur listened to Merlin's account of the events at Corfe and frowned ever more deeply. Merlin laid it all out, coolly, dispassionately. Ganelin's chart was on the table in front of him.

"Our villain would have killed again, Arthur, and the victim would have been Britomart this time."

"And this boy, this--what is his name?"

"Petronus."

"Petronus. How is he?

A slight smile crossed Merlin's lips. "His wounds weren't terribly deep, despite all the blood. Nothing vital was pierced. But it was quite traumatic for him. He can't understand why someone would attack him so viciously."

Arthur slashed the air with the broken sword. "He doesn't know about the murders, then?"

"No. It was . . . awkward. I suppose that would be the word. He thinks Camelot is a peaceful, harmonious court. He'll be over it in a few weeks, possibly less."

"Splendid. The boy is lucky you were there to tend him."

"As I said, it looked worse than it actually was. I'm planning to have Colin take care of him while Brit and I are off in the lake country."

"Well, we have that to be thankful for, at least. There's been enough death.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.