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"Medraut, I have seen you hunt," Goehispered "Why would you let yourself be so terribly hurt?"

"We were on foot, with spears, and I went against a full-grown stag withthat such a response explained nothing "That she should fondle Lleu’s hands like that, all the while thinking of what she has done to mine! She is so unpredictable, and so cruel--"

"She hasn’t hurt us," Goewin said

"And so strong," I finished, pushing the wet hair back from my face "Even after she destroyed my hand I still clutched at her for co, every time"

"But why should you be so afraid of her?" Goewin persisted

"When I resist her she invokes our dark secret, that she is my mother, and I must obey"

"Is it so secret?" Goewin asked "You call her Godmother"

"No one knows Only those feere sworn to silence at the time of my birth, and now you and Lleu It is why Artos would never makeI count more shameful I could not bear for her other children to know"

"But why, Medraut?" Goewin insisted quietly

"What do you think?" I replied in equal quiet

She looked away She wanted a straight answer, and I would not give her one "Tellin my sleep, you have seen the scars across ht," she said in grim deter and intiuessed, Medraut I think that you were like all the rest of us, ignorant of your parentage, and that you and Morgause were lovers And when you found out she is your mother you set out to destroy yourself"

I said nothing Goewin asked at length, "Is that right?"

"No," I answered bitterly "You could hardly think worse ofI have always known she is my mother"

Goewin stared at the wall, her jaw set, frowning We were both drenched through "She has no power here," Goewin said at last with stubborn certainty, to reassure herself as well as me "You told her so "

"I lack your courage before her," I said "I have brought down a king of stags withme doith a feords and an idle kiss" Once more I pushed damp hair out of

Goewin smiled with h the silver and green and gray gardens The colonnade was empty

We met you in the hall The laht of rain and evening it was too dark to see your face "The prince is gone to bed," you told us softly "You ht step in and see that all is well; he is very cold, and Artos had to carry him in because we could not wake him"

"Could not wake hiuess he," you said seriously, "if I did not think better of ust, "Who would do such a thing? He must have a fever" She pushed past you toward Lleu’s bedroom, but I did not follow immediately I asked you quietly, in the old routine, "What kind of fever makes one shiver?"

"You need not be afraid," you said "I think he will recover by "

Lleu lay in bed, asleep Goeas drawing the tapestries across the hen I ca the brazier I knelt by the bed and shook Lleu’s shoulder, saying lightly, "What makes you so tired, little one?" He pushed ible syllables, but he could not be roused enough to sit up or to say anything coherent Nevertheless his breath was even, and he was not so very cold after all Artos came to stand by , sir," I answered Hemlock? Perhaps a thih to harm him It could have been accidental

Then why should you think to suggest it?

I finished, "Nothing, except that he see"

"He’s had no trouble breathing this year," Artos said, "and he is er than he used to be Medraut, your skill as a physician is equal to Aquila’s; you’re certain there’s nothing thesleep won’t cure Truly,the next week the harvest began, and on days when I could help there I ate my meals in the open with the field-workers Then I would return after dark, sunburned and exhausted, to fall into bed without speaking to anyone Now even thekept running into solid bedrock; ere unable to approach the vein of malachite that we felt sure was just beyond our reach At the end of the week I sat ataround the bedrock, and I was too tired and too absorbed in my work to look up when Lleu ca with inghier, "I swore to you! And why should I?"

"You don’t dare lie to ," I told hi my voice as quiet and deadly as I have ever heard yours "But I don’t lie"

We glared at one another in tense silence for a few[ed ter?instat him "Am I to understand that you are still so tired?" I asked

"Ever since the night after our game," he said "Medraut, I’m sorry; but you know more about medicines and herbs than anyone else here"

Not so

But he did not know of your skill, then, and I could scarcely believe you would risk your brother’s wrath with such glaring treachery in his own house I looked down at the dolphins of tile forever chasing one another across the sea-gray floor "I have been working in the ht," I said "When would I find time to poison you? Why would I? God!"

"I’e of tears "I’?"