The Ruby Knight

took real pleasure in it – not havin’ nothin’ else to do, him bein’ so crippled up an’ all, don’t y’ know. An’ he passed all the old tales down t’ me – me bein’ his favourite an’ all, on accounta I used t’ bring him his bucket of beer from this very tap-room.’ He looked at Ulath. ‘No, sir,’ he said. ‘None of the old stories I ever heard say nothing about no king such as you described, but like I say, it was a awful big battle, an’ the local folk stayed a long way back from it. It could be that this here king of yers was there, but nobody I ever knew mentioned it.’
    ‘And this battle took place a couple or so leagues north of here, you say?’ Sparhawk prompted.
    ‘Maybe as much as seven mile,’ the old fellow replied, taking a long drink from the fresh tankard the broad-hipped serving-wench had brought him. ‘T’ be downright honest with ’ee, young master, I been a bit stove up of late, an’ I don’t walk out so far no more.’ He squinted at them appraisingly. ‘If y’ don’t mind me sayin’ it, young masters, y’ seem t’ have a powerful curiosity about that there long ago King of Thalesia an’ what not.’
    ‘It’s fairly simple, grandfather,’ Ulath said easily. ‘King Sarak of Thalesia was one of our national heroes. If I can track down what really happened to him, I’ll get a great deal of credit out of it. King Wargun might even reward me with an earldom – that’s if he ever gets sober enough.’
    The old man cackled. ‘I heered of him,’ he said. ‘Does he really drink as much as they say?’
    ‘More, probably.’
    ‘Well, now – an earldom, y’ say? Now, that’s a goal that’s worth goin’ after. What y’ might want to do, yer earlship, is go on up t’ that there battlefield an’ poke around a bit. Might could be that ye kin turn up somethin’ as’ll give ’ee a clue. A man seven feet tall – an’ a king to boot – well, sir, he’d have some mighty impressive armour an’ such. I know a farmer up there – name of Wat. He’s fond of the old tales same as me, an’ that there battle-ground is in his back yard, so t’ speak. If anybody’s turned up anythin’ that might lead ye t’ what yer lookin’ fer, he’d know it.’
    ‘The man’s name is Wat, you say?’ Sparhawk asked, trying to sound casual.
    ‘Can’t miss him, young master. Wall-eyed feller. Scratches hisself a lot. He’s had the seven year itch fer about thirty year now.’ He shook his tankard hopefully.
    ‘Ho there, my girl,’ Ulath called, fishing several coins out of the pouch at his belt. ‘Why don’t you keep our old friend here drinking until he falls under the table?’
    ‘Why, thankee, yer earlship,’ the old man grinned.
    ‘After all, grandfather,’ Ulath laughed, ‘an earldom ought to be spread around, shouldn’t it?’
    ‘I couldn’t of put it better meself, Me Lord.’
    They left the tap-room and started up the stairs. ‘That worked out rather well, didn’t it?’ Kurik said.
    ‘We were lucky,’ Kalten said. ‘What if that old fellow hadn’t been in the tap-room tonight?’
    ‘Then someone would have directed us to him. Common people like to be helpful to the ones buying the beer.’
    ‘I think we’ll want to remember the story Ulath told the old fellow,’ Tynian said. ‘If we tell people that we want the king’s bones to take back to Thalesia, they won’t start speculating about our real reason for being so curious about where he’s buried.’
    ‘Isn’t that the same as lying?’ Berit said.
    ‘Not really,’ Ulath told him. ‘We do plan to rebury him after we get his crown, don’t we?’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘Well, there you are, then.’
    Berit looked a little dubious about that. ‘I’ll go see about supper,’ he said, ‘but I think there’s a hole in your logic, Sir Ulath.’
    ‘Really?’ Ulath said, looking surprised.
    It was still raining the following morning. At some time during the night, Kalten had slipped from the room he shared with Sparhawk. Sparhawk had certain suspicions about his friend’s absence in which the broad-hipped and very friendly barmaid Nima figured rather prominently. He did not press the issue, however. Sparhawk was, after all, a knight and a gentleman.
    They rode north for the better part of two hours until they came to a broad meadow dotted with grass-covered burial mounds. ‘I wonder which one I should try first,’ Tynian said as they all dismounted.
    ‘Take your pick,’