The Worm Ouroboros | Page 9

up beyond measure is he in his own
conceit, and folk say it is a grief to him that none hath been found this
long while that durst wrastle with him, and wofully he pineth for the
hundredth. He shall wrastle a fall with me!"
Now this seemed good to them all. So when they had talked on it

awhile and concluded what they would do, glad of heart the lords of
Demonland turned them back to the lofty presence chamber. And there
Lord Juss spake and said: "Demons, ye have heard the words which the
King of Witchland in the overweening pride and shamelessness of his
heart hath spoken unto us by the mouth of this Ambassador. Now this
is our answer which my brother shall give, the Lord Goldry Bluszco;
and we charge thee, O Ambassador, to deliver it truly, neither adding
any word nor taking away."
And the Lord Goldry spake: "We, the lords of Demonland, do utterly
scorn thee, Gorice XI., for the greatest of dastards, in that thou basely
fleddest and forsookest us, thy sworn confederates, in the sea battle
against the Ghouls. Our swords, which in that battle ended so great a
curse and peril to all this world, are not bent nor broken. They shall be
sheathed in the bowels of thee and thy minions, Corsus to wit, and
Corund, and their sons, and Corinius, and what other evildoers harbour
in waterish Witchland, sooner than one little sea-pink growing on the
cliffs of Demonland shall do thee obeisance. But, that thou mayest, if
so thou wilt, feel our power somewhat, I, Lord Goldry Bluszco, make
thee this offer: that thou and I do match ourselves singly each against
other to wrastle three falls at the court of the Red Foliot, who inclineth
neither to our side nor to thine in this quarrel. And we will bind
ourselves by mighty oaths to these conditions, that if I overcome thee,
the Demons shall leave you of Witchland in peace, and ye them, and
the Witches shall forswear for ever their impudent claims on
Demonland. But if thou, Gorice, win the day, then hast thou the glory
of that victory, and withal full liberty to thrust thy claims upon us with
the sword."
So spake the Lord Goldry Bluszco, standing in great pride and
splendour beneath the starry canopy, and scowling terribly on the
Ambassador from Witchland, so that the Ambassador was abashed and
his knees smote together. And Goldry called his scribe and made him
write the message for Gorice the King in great characters on a roll of
parchment, and the lords of Demonland sealed it with their seals, and
gave it to the Ambassador.

The Ambassador took it and made haste to depart; but when he was
come to the stately doorway of the presence chamber, being near the
door and amongst his attendants, and away from the lords of
Demonland, he plucked up heart a little and turned and said: "Rashly
and to thy certain undoing, O Goldry Bluszco, hast thou bidden our
Lord the King to contend with thee in wrastling. For be thou never so
mighty of limb, yet hath he overthrown as mighty. And he wrastleth not
for sport, but will surely work thy life's decay, and keep the dead bones
of thee with the bones of the ninety and nine champions whom he hath
heretofore laid low in that exercise."
Therewith, because Goldry and the other lords scowled upon him
terribly, and the guests near the door fell to hooting and reviling of the
Witches, the Ambassador went forth hastily and hastily down the
shining stairs and across the court, as one who fleeth along a lane on a
dark and windy night, daring not to turn his head lest his eye behold
some fearsome thing prepared to clasp him. So speeding, he was fain to
catch up about his knees the folds of his velvet cloak richly worked
with crabs and creeping things; and huge whooping and laughter went
up among the common lag of people without, to behold his long and
nerveless tail thus bared to their unfriendly gaze. Insomuch that they
fell to shouting with one accord, "Though his mouth be foul he hath a
fair tail! Saw ye not his tail? Hurrah for Gorice who hath sent us a
monkey for his Ambassador!"
And with jibe and unmannerly yell the crowd hung lovingly upon the
Ambassador and his train all the way down from Galing castle to the
quays. So that it was like a sweet homecoming to him to come on board
his wellbuilt ship and have her rowed amain out of Lookinghaven. So
when they had rounded Lookinghaven-ness and were free of the land,
they hoisted sail and voyaged before a favouring breeze eastward