magician who, in return for Mag-an-Mag's services against his enemies, offered to put back his limbs and make him as good as new. Mag-an-Mag had accepted on condition that the sorcerer find Jhakor-Neelus a new head. The sorcerer had agreed and furnished Jhakor-Neelus with the head of a crane, which seemed to please everyone. The pair then left the island loaded down with the sorcerer's gifts and went on to fight his enemies.
Corum could find no origin for this legend in the knowledge of his own folk. It did not seem to fit with the others.
At first he dismissed his obsession with the legend as being fired by his own wish to get back the hand and the eye he had lost, but he remained obsessed.
Feeling embarrassed by his own interest, he said nothing of the legend to Rhalina for several weeks.
Autumn came to Moidel's Castle and with it a warm wind that stripped the trees bare and lashed the sea against the rocks and drove many of the birds away to seek a more restful clime.
And Corum began to spend more and more time in the room where hung the tapestry concerning Mag-an-Mag and the wonderful sorcerer. Corum began to realize that it was the text that chiefly interested him. It seemed to speak with an authority that was elsewhere lacking in the others he had seen.
But he still could not bring himself to tax Rhalina with questions concerning it.
Then, on one of the first days of winter, she sought for him, and found him in the room and she did not seem surprised. However, she did show a certain concern, as if she had feared that he would find the tapestry sooner or later.
"You seem absorbed by the amusing adventures of Mag-an-Mag," she said. "They are only tales. Something to entertain us."
"But this one seems different," Corum said.
He turned to look at her. She was biting her lip.
"So it is different, Rhalina," Corum murmured. "You do know something about it!"
She began to shake her head, then changed her mind. "I know only what the old tales say. And the old tales are lies, are they not? Pleasing lies."
"Truth is somewhere in this tale, I feel. You must tell me what you know, Rhalina."
"I know more than is on this tapestry," she said quietly. "I have been lately reading a book that relates to it. I knew I had seen the book some years ago and I sought it out. I find quite recent reports concerning an island of the kind described. And there is, according to this book, an old castle there. The last person to see that island was an emissary of the Duchy, sailing here with supplies and greetings. And that was the last emissary to visit us . . ."
"How long ago? How long ago?”
"Thirty years."
And then Rhalina began to weep and shake her head and cough and try to control her tears.
He embraced her.
"Why do you weep, Rhalina?"
"I weep, Comm, because this means you will leave me. You will go away from Moidel's Castle in the wintertime and you will seek that island and perhaps you, too, will be wrecked. I weep because nothing I love stays with me."
Corum took a step back. "Has this thought been long in your mind?"
"It has been long in my mind."
"And you have not spoken it."
"Because I love you so much, Corum."
"You should not love me, Rhalina, And I should not have allowed myself to love you. Though this island offers me the faintest of hopes, I must seek it out."
"I know."
"And if I find the sorcerer and he gives me back my hand and my eye—"
"Madness, Corum! He cannot exist!"
"But if he does and if he can do what I ask, then I will go to find Glandyth-a-Krae and I will kill him. Then, if I live, I will return. But Glandyth must die before I can know complete peace of mind, Rhalina."
She said softly, "There is no boat that is seaworthy."
"But there are boats in the harbor caves that can be made seaworthy."
"It will take several months to make one so."
"Will you lend me your servants to work on the boat?"
"Yes."
"Then I will speak to them at once."
And Corum left her,
Corum could find no origin for this legend in the knowledge of his own folk. It did not seem to fit with the others.
At first he dismissed his obsession with the legend as being fired by his own wish to get back the hand and the eye he had lost, but he remained obsessed.
Feeling embarrassed by his own interest, he said nothing of the legend to Rhalina for several weeks.
Autumn came to Moidel's Castle and with it a warm wind that stripped the trees bare and lashed the sea against the rocks and drove many of the birds away to seek a more restful clime.
And Corum began to spend more and more time in the room where hung the tapestry concerning Mag-an-Mag and the wonderful sorcerer. Corum began to realize that it was the text that chiefly interested him. It seemed to speak with an authority that was elsewhere lacking in the others he had seen.
But he still could not bring himself to tax Rhalina with questions concerning it.
Then, on one of the first days of winter, she sought for him, and found him in the room and she did not seem surprised. However, she did show a certain concern, as if she had feared that he would find the tapestry sooner or later.
"You seem absorbed by the amusing adventures of Mag-an-Mag," she said. "They are only tales. Something to entertain us."
"But this one seems different," Corum said.
He turned to look at her. She was biting her lip.
"So it is different, Rhalina," Corum murmured. "You do know something about it!"
She began to shake her head, then changed her mind. "I know only what the old tales say. And the old tales are lies, are they not? Pleasing lies."
"Truth is somewhere in this tale, I feel. You must tell me what you know, Rhalina."
"I know more than is on this tapestry," she said quietly. "I have been lately reading a book that relates to it. I knew I had seen the book some years ago and I sought it out. I find quite recent reports concerning an island of the kind described. And there is, according to this book, an old castle there. The last person to see that island was an emissary of the Duchy, sailing here with supplies and greetings. And that was the last emissary to visit us . . ."
"How long ago? How long ago?”
"Thirty years."
And then Rhalina began to weep and shake her head and cough and try to control her tears.
He embraced her.
"Why do you weep, Rhalina?"
"I weep, Comm, because this means you will leave me. You will go away from Moidel's Castle in the wintertime and you will seek that island and perhaps you, too, will be wrecked. I weep because nothing I love stays with me."
Corum took a step back. "Has this thought been long in your mind?"
"It has been long in my mind."
"And you have not spoken it."
"Because I love you so much, Corum."
"You should not love me, Rhalina, And I should not have allowed myself to love you. Though this island offers me the faintest of hopes, I must seek it out."
"I know."
"And if I find the sorcerer and he gives me back my hand and my eye—"
"Madness, Corum! He cannot exist!"
"But if he does and if he can do what I ask, then I will go to find Glandyth-a-Krae and I will kill him. Then, if I live, I will return. But Glandyth must die before I can know complete peace of mind, Rhalina."
She said softly, "There is no boat that is seaworthy."
"But there are boats in the harbor caves that can be made seaworthy."
"It will take several months to make one so."
"Will you lend me your servants to work on the boat?"
"Yes."
"Then I will speak to them at once."
And Corum left her,
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