The Knight Behind the Pillar by John Pateman-Gee Read Free Book Online Page A

but I had just walked into a real nightmare now.  Instead the impossible may in fact be very possible!  And I persuaded him to leave his room!
                  “Of course whatever the trick was, it might have just worn thin and the sword just came out for the boy.” Said Morvid, suggesting the very answer I needed for a rational world to return.
                  Leodegrance stepped into the light enough so that I could distinguish him now.  An older man, maybe a little older than Alain.  He had light hair, a blend of almost yellow and white.  A red cheek face, notable dense eyebrows of a darker yellow or ginger with matching moustache that stuck out at the sides of his face.  Certainly he had laughter lines that portrayed an age of enjoyment that complemented his voice. 
                  Leodegrance shocked his head, but continued to appear ecstatic “I can assure you Morvid many of us tried to pull it out having replaced the sword a number of times and it answered only to the boy, ahh,” He explained pausing to think of the name. “Arthur, isn’t it?”
                  “Yes Leodegrance it is.” Alain confirmed close by.
                  “Not a bad name for, you know, not bad name for one.” Leodegrance hinted raising his eyebrows suggestively.
                                I looked again at Arthur who despite my intent staring refused to look back at me.  He too had said others had tried to remove the sword.  The world was not rational anymore I now decided.  What he was thinking, how was he reacting to all this?  While my mind was struggling to take in the enormity of the situation, Arthur at least had the benefit of thinking about maybe being a king for the last few days that perhaps grounded him now.  Actually, perhaps not!  Thinking you’re a king all of a sudden would be the last thing to ground you! 
                  I froze when all at once I was aware of a figure approaching behind me as the light from the doorway flickered and turned into a shadow.  Turning I realised this could only be one person and even Arthur too had become aware and glanced around.   The weakness of our hiding place was if someone looked directly to the side as they entered the doorway then we would be seen for the briefest of moments.  The cloak of darkness would do nothing to hide us from that angle and we would of course look very suspicious standing there peering around the pillars.  To my disappointment the figure did exactly this.  I couldn’t avoid eye contact as the man’s eyes fell upon me for an instant and in mid step he paused.  To me this felt like an age.  He appeared old, he was completely bald, but still it was hard to judge exactly how old he was as despite the greyness of his neat short beard he had a healthy complexion and clear young bright blue eyes that contemplated our existence. 
                  Surprisingly without a word or comment on the sight of two figures hiding behind the pillars, the man swept his cloak across the floor and continued to step on into the room as if appearing to glide silently.  I questioned briefly if we had been noticed, but I was sure we had been seen and now worried why nothing was said!
                  A voice boomed and I was not looking to see whose it was, “Ah Merlin, at last you have arrived.” 
                  It was the type of voice that had one purpose.  On the outside it was to welcome someone, but its true purpose to alert the others to shut up especially if you were discussing the man in question. 
                  “As summoned my lords.” The deeper tone of Merlin answered, but with a degree of exuberance.
                  Arthur and I both spun around to watch and were released from our idleness.  At last why did Ector want to see this Merlin!  Immediately the sound of Ector’s chair