Elder Isles - Madouc Part 17

The wefkin pulled at the flaps of his cap and t.i.ttered as if in embarra.s.sment. "I will accept nothing of consequence. Neither silver nor gold, nor yet precious stuffs. I am happy to oblige someone so quick and pretty. If only for the joys of grat.i.tude you may kiss the end of my nose, and that will settle our account. Is it agreed?"

Madouc looked askance at the wefkin and his long pointed nose, while the wefkin made foolish and inconsequential little gestures. Madouc said: "I will take the matter under advis.e.m.e.nt. I seldom kiss strangers; on their noses or elsewhere."

The wefkin scowled and jerked his knees up under his chin. After a moment he resumed his bland demeanour. "You are unlike your mother in this regard. Well, no matter. I only thought to-but again, no matter. Have you made your gra.s.s flute? Well done. Blow softly, with kind expression-ah! That is good. Stop now, and listen to my instruction. To summon your mother you must blow into the flute and sing in this wise:

'Lirra lissa larra la.s.s Madouc has made a flute of gra.s.s.

Softly blowing, wild and free She calls to Twisk at Thripsey Shee.

Lirra lissa larra leer A daughter calls her mother dear!

Tread the wind and vault the mere; Span the sky and meet me here.

So sing I, Madouc.'

Madouc, after a diffident rehearsal, took a deep breath to settle her nerves, then blew a soft note on the gra.s.s flute and spoke the cantrap.

Nothing seemed to occur. Madouc looked here and there, then spoke to the wefkin. "Did I p.r.o.nounce the charm correctly?"

A soft voice responded from behind the foxglove foliage: "You spoke the charm in good rendition." Twisk the fairy damsel came forward: a supple creature with a casual fluff of pale blue hair bound with a rope of sapphires.

Madouc called out in awe and rapture: "Are you truly my mother?"

"First things first," said Twisk. "How did you agree to pay Zocco for his services?"

"He wanted me to kiss his nose. I told him that I would take advice on the matter."

"Quite right!" declared Zocco the wefkin. "In due course I will vouchsafe the correct advice, and that will be the end of it. We need discuss the subject no further."

"Since I am her mother, I will provide the advice, and spare you the effort," said Twisk.

"No effort for me! I am deft and alert in my thinking!"

Twisk paid no heed. "Madouc, this is my advice: pick up yonder clod of dirt, and tender it to that popeyed little imp, speaking these words: 'Zocco, with this token I both imburse and reimburse you, in full fee and total account, now and then, anon and forever, in this world and all others, and in every other conceivable respect, for each and every service you have performed for me or in my behalf, real or imaginary, to the limits of time, in all directions.'"

"Sheer rigmarole and tommyrot!" scoffed Zocco. "Madouc, pay no heed to this foolish blue-haired wiffet; you and I have our own arrangements, as you know."

Twisk came slowly forward, and Madouc was able to see her clearly: a lovely creature with skin the color of cream, features of surpa.s.sing delicacy. Her eyes, like those of Madouc, were wonderful dreaming sky-blue pools, in which a susceptible man might easily lose his wits. Twisk spoke to Madouc: "I will remark, as a matter of casual interest, that Zocco is notorious for his lewd conduct. If you kissed his nose you would be compelled into his service, and soon would be kissing him elsewhere, at his orders, and who knows what else?"

"This is unthinkable!" declared Madouc aghast. "Zocco seemed so affable and courteous!"

"That is the usual trick."

Madouc turned to Zocco. "I have now taken advis.e.m.e.nt." She picked up the clod of dirt. "Instead of kissing your nose, I tender you this token of my grat.i.tude." She spoke the disclaimer which Twisk had contrived for her use, despite Zocco's squeaks and groans of protest.

With a pettish motion Zocco cast the clod of dirt aside. "Such tokens are useless! I cannot eat them; they are flavorless! I cannot wear them; they lack style, and they provide no amus.e.m.e.nt whatever!"

Twisk said: "Silence, Zocco; your complaints are cra.s.s."

"In addition to the token," said Madouc with dignity, "and despite your horrifying plans, I extend you my thanks, in that you have united me with my mother, and no doubt Twisk feels the same grat.i.tude."

"What!" said Twisk. "I had long put your existence out of my mind. Why, may I ask, did you call me?"

Madouc's jaw dropped. "I wanted to know my mother! I thought all the time she was dead."

Twisk gave an indulgent laugh. "The error is absurd. I am surcharged with vivacity, of all kinds!"

"So I see! I regret the mistake, but I was given false information."

"Just so. You must learn to be more skeptical. But now you know the truth and I will be returning to Thripsey Shee!"

"Not yet!" cried Madouc. "I am your beloved daughter, and you have only just met me! Also, I need your help!"

Twisk sighed. "Is it not always the way? What then do you want of me?"

"I am lost in the forest! Two murderers killed Pymfyd and stole my horse Tyfer. They chased me and caused me a great fright; they wanted to kill me as well; also they called me a 'scrawny red-headed whelp'!"

Twisk stared in shock and disapproval. "You meekly stood by and allowed these insults?"

"By no means! I ran away as fast as possible and hid."

"You should have brought them a waft of hornets! Or shortened their legs so that their feet adjoined their b.u.t.tocks! Or transformed them into hedgehogs!"

Madouc gave an embarra.s.sed laugh. "I don't know how to do these things."

Twisk sighed once more. "I have neglected your education; I cannot deny it. Well, no time like the present, and we shall make a start at this instant." She took Madouc's hands in her own. "What do you feel?"

"A quiver came over me-a sensation most strange!" wisk nodded and stood back. "Now then: hold your thumb and finger thus. Whisper 'Fwip' and jerk your chin toward what ever nuisance you wish to abate. You may practice on Zocco."

Madouc pressed thumb and finger together. "Like this?"

"Just so."

"And: 'Fwip'?"

"Correct."

"And jerk my chin-like this?"

Zocco uttered a screech and jumped four feet from the ground, twirling his feet rapidly in mid-air. "Hai hai kiyah!" called Zocco. "Put me down!"

"You have worked the spell correctly," said Twisk. "See how he twirls his feet, as if dancing? The spell is known as the 'Tinkle-toe Imp-spring'."

Madouc allowed thumb and finger to separate and Zocco returned to the ground, sea-green eyes bulging from his head. "Hold hard on that mischief, and at once!"

Madouc spoke contritely. "Excuse me, Zocco! I think that I jerked my chin a bit too hard."

"That was my own thought," said Twisk. "Try again, using less force."

On this occasion Zocco jumped less than three feet into the air, and his outcries were considerably less shrill.

"Well done!" said Twisk. "You have a natural bent for such work!"