She didn't say anything; neither did the naked man.
And leave I did, pushing back through the forest, or woods or park, or whatever the hell it was, hitting my head once or twice on thick, unseen branches. Branches that I was sure weren't there when I had first set out upon the trail.
I found my way back onto the curving path, took a right, and headed all the way back to the Number Three Hotel.
* * *
There, I stripped off my wet clothes, and headed straight for the shower, where I let the piping hot water hammer me for a long, long time, and tried desperately to empty my mind of the image of the man in the forest.
No luck. He was still standing there front and center, in all his naked glory.
After my shower, I crawled into bed and was asleep, as they say, before my head hit the pillow.
* * *
I tossed and turned.
Gone were the dreams of the Holy Grail and Christ on the Cross, replaced now by creepy, torch-lit tunnels, a silver-haired man trapped inside a tree, a beautiful dark-haired girl, a fearless warrior king, and one amazing sword.
When I opened my eyes again, the sun was shining through the curtained windows. I sat up and yawned loudly, feeling tired yet still oddly refreshed, and the strange events of the night before seemed only a distant and disturbing memory. In fact, I had to fight hard to recall if I had, in fact, dreamed the events of the night before. A part of me believed I had. Hell, a part of me wished very much that I had.
A naked King Arthur?
I chuckled, and as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, Marion and King Arthur materialized before me, sitting together in the love seat at the foot of the bed. I screeched like a howler monkey and yanked the plaid comforter up over my bare torso.
Was I still asleep? What the hell was going on?
Arthur was now dressed in local tourist garb: a sweatshirt that said "I Heart Glastonbury," baggy cargo shorts, and a new pair of open-toed leather sandals.
"You left your door unlocked, Mr. Private Dick," said Marion in her cute Icelandic accent.
"But last night was..."
"Last night wasn't a dream, I'm afraid," said Arthur, finishing my thought.
The man had a touch of an accent himself. Just a touch. He sat easily on the sofa, leaning forward on his elbows, which were propped up on his bony knees. His hair was dark and straight, and he was sporting a hint of stubble. Strangely, there was dirt under his fingernails, as if he had just clawed his way up out of the ground. A disturbing thought, at best. His skin looked remarkably healthy, the skin of a young man. The skin of a very young man, in fact. More than anything, Arthur appeared to be a man who radiated power, but I could just be making that up.
After all, more than likely I was making all of this up.
Marion stood. "Get dressed, sleepy head." She tossed me my jeans. And since I was still busy staring at Arthur, they draped over my head, one of the buttons thunking against my forehead.
"Get dressed, why?" I asked, pulling them down.
"Because we have a sword to recover," said Arthur.
"A sword? What sword?" I asked, but the moment the words left my lips I knew the answer. "No, no, no. You cannot be serious."
But Arthur only leaned back and winked.
Marion said, "Just get dressed, James. We'll explain on the way."
Chapter Thirteen
Fumbling awkwardly, I changed under the comforter with Arthur looking oddly amused and Marion making a half-hearted attempt to look away. I think I was blushing.
Bare-chested but sporting my rumpled jeans, I went to my suitcase and pulled out a favorite Old Navy thermal sweatshirt. With socks and shoes in hand, I marched back to the foot of the bed and sat before the two love birds. I made no effort to put my socks and shoes on.
"Unless you plan on searching for the Grail barefoot," said Marion. "You're going to need your socks and shoes."
"No," I said.
"What do you mean 'no'?"
"I mean, no, I'm not going anywhere until someone tells me what the hell is going on, and let's start with you." I pointed at Arthur.
He acknowledged me with a nod and a grin. I had a feeling that whoever he was, he was having a heck of a good time. "What would you like to know, old chap?" he asked, eyes twinkling.
"Who are you?"
"I believe we've been properly introduced," he said pleasantly enough, cocking his head slightly to one side and smiling. His eyes kept twinkling.
I looked over at Marion. She looked impatiently down at her watch. I looked back at Arthur. I said, "No, we haven't. Marion introduced you as King Arthur. That, to me, doesn't sound like a proper introduction. That, to me, sounds like an insane introduction."
"Insane or not, I'm known by many names to many different people, but King Arthur, in this context, will certainly do."
"No, it won't do," I insisted, looking back at Marion. "And you can look at your watch all you want, woman, but I'm not moving until I have some answers."
"Woman?" she said, and I couldn't tell if she sounded pissed or amused. Arthur, on the other hand, was having the time of his life.
Marion was about to speak again - and the flashing in her eyes told me she was, in fact, pissed - but Arthur (or the man who called himself Arthur) placed a gentle hand on her forearm, quelling her. He smiled at me so warmly that I nearly forgot why I was irritated in the first place. He said, "What answers do you seek, my friend?"
I took some air. Oh, yeah. Now I remembered. "Why the hell were you in the woods naked last night? Seriously. I'm mean, what the hell was that all about?"
"The hell," said Arthur, pausing, seemingly testing the word. He frowned, made a face. Apparently, it had tasted bad. "I'm not entirely sure you will accept my answers, my good man."
"Try me, my good man."
He studied me some more, then nodded. "Okay, then. Last night, in the woods, not very far from where we first met, I was re-born in the flesh."
I looked at him. He looked at me. I looked at Marion. She looked at her watch. I looked back at Arthur.
"What?" I said.
"Is there any chance we can explain this to you on the way, James?" asked Marion, making a small movement toward the door.
"On the way to where?" I asked.
"To get my sword, of course," said Arthur.
"Of course," I said. "I mean, no. Definitely not. I'm not going anywhere until I know what the heck this is all about." I pointed at Arthur. "Until I know what the heck you're talking about."
"I see," he said.