Hail ( exerpt from The Once and Future King)

[greenstorm]

They were lying under a beech tree in the Forest Sauvage.
"Here we are," said Merlyn. "Get up and dust your clothes.
"And there, I think," continued the magician, in a tone of satisfaction because his spells had worked for once without a hitch, "is your friend, King Pellinore, pricking to ward us o'er the plain."
"Hallo, hallo," cried King Pellinore, popping his visor up and down. "It's the young boy with the feather bed, isn't it, I say, what?"
"Yes, it is," said the Wart. "And I am very glad to see you. Did you manage to catch the beast?"
"No," said King Pellinore. "Didn't catch the beast. Oh, do come here, you brachet, and leave that bush alone. Tcha! Tcha! Naughty, naughty! She runs riot, you know, what. Very keen on rabbits. I tell you there's nothing in it, you beastly dog. Tcha! Tcha! Leave it, leave it! Oh, do come to heel, like I tell you.
"She never does come to heel," he added.
At this the dog put a cock pheasant out of the bush, which rocketed off with a tremendous clatter, and the dog became so excited that it ran round its master three or four times at the end of its rope, panting hoarsely as if it had asthma. King Pellinore's horse stood patiently while the rope was wound round its legs, and Merlyn and the Wart had to catch the brachet and unwind it before the conversation could go on.
"I say," said King Pellinore. "Thank you very much, I must say. Won't you introduce me to your friend, what?"
"This is my tutor Merlyn, a great magician."
"How-de-do," said the King. "Always like to meet magicians. In fact I always like to meet anybody. It passes the time away, what, on a quest."
"Hail," said Merlyn, in his most mysterious manner.
"Hail," replied the King, anxious to make a good impression.
They shook hands.
"Did you say Hail?" inquired the King, looking about him nervously. "I thought it was going to be fine, myself."
"He meant How-do-you-do," explained the Wart.
"Ah, yes, How-de-do?"
They shook hands again.
"Good afternoon," said King Pellinore. "What do you think the weather looks like now?"
"I think it looks like an anti-cyclone."
"Ah, yes," said the King. "An anti-cyclone. Well, I suppose I ought to be getting along."
At this the King trembled very much, opened and shut his visor several times, coughed, wove his reins into a knot, exclaimed, "I beg your pardon?" and showed signs of cantering away.
"He is a white magician," said the Wart. "You need not be afraid of him. He is my best friend, your majesty, and in any case he generally gets his spells muddled up."
"Ah, yes," said King Pellinore. "A white magician, what? How small the world is, is it not? How-de-do?"
"Hail," said Merlyn.
"Hail," said King Pellinore.

Comments

[petter-haggholm.livejournal.com]

I read this book—for the first time—just a couple of weeks ago. I was initially rather taken aback: With the title and the blurbs promising a “classic epic”, the whimsicality of the first book, and of Merlyn in particular, was grossly at odds with what I had settled in to read. I’m still not quite sure whether I like it or not—not that it was not very well-written.

Having been thus surprised by the first book, I was equally surprised by the change in tone throughout the other books. (The talking-to-animals stuff was referred back to…once, I think, in the last book?) I think most of the rest was in fact rather brilliant, and makes me want to read Le Mort d’Arthur and then re-read The Once And Future King.

It’s funny, though, how every time now that I read about a triangle like that I can’t help but think that the characters would have had much more pleasant lives if they’d only considered opening up their relationship. (And as someone who has recently taken up swordplay as a hobby, arms and armour really, really aren’t as heavy and clumsy as he makes them sound!)

…I do wonder, though, where I can find an edition of Le Mort d’Arthur that I’d enjoy. I’m thinking not the library; it looks too long and slow a read; I want to intersperse other books without worrying about renewal dates…