Try was the operative word here.
The stench of garbage was strong on the air. The rain was coming down harder, driving straight into the alley, pounding some of the smell into submission. Just some of it.
But Arthur was right, dammit. I indeed wanted to see this thing through to the end. I indeed wanted to see what my dreams were all about. I mean, how often does one get to traipse through England with King Arthur himself?
Yes, I wanted to see this through to the end, as long as it didn't kill me.
What had Arthur said about wanting?
Oh yeah, something about choosing.
And so, as I stood there with my face halfway out into the night, with a small wind making its way down the narrow alley, I silently proclaimed:
I choose to see this through to the end.
Now what the heck was I thinking?
Chapter Twenty-eight
"We need to leave soon, James," said Marion when I returned.
"I don't want to," I said. "Not yet. Please. I like it in here. It's warm and cozy and there's no one chasing us with swords. Besides, I'm just working up an appetite to try some of this sticky pudding." I pointed to the menu where there was a picture of something gooey covered in cream.
I reached for my hot cocoa, but it was gone.
"Sorry, old boy," said Arthur sheepishly, wiping his mouth. There was still some whipped cream in his mustache. "I assumed you didn't want it, and, well, we really should be going." He motioned to the table where the couple had been sitting. The table was now empty. "I'm fairly certain our friends here have reported us to the proper authorities."
"And why would they report us to the proper authorities?" I asked, except I knew the answer the moment the words left my mouth.
Arthur said, "No doubt a fair amount of people have reported seeing knights wielding swords." He pointed to his hip where Excalibur was hanging from the hammer loop of his cargo shorts. "We fit that description. At least the sword part."
"Maybe the authorities are too busy running down a fire-breathing dragon to worry about us."
"For now, the dragon is gone," said Arthur. "It served its purpose."
I blinked. "Its purpose?"
"Yes, to strike fear in the hearts of those who saw it. Fear is a valuable weapon for those who wish to control others."
"And Merlin seeks to control others?"
"Yes, apparently."
"Why?"
"That," said Arthur, "remains to be seen."
"You don't know?" I asked, surprised.
"I don't know everything, my friend. I am but a spirit, a soul, like yourself. Neither greater nor less."
"Just more highly evolved," piped in Marion.
"Oh, thank you for reminding me of that," I snapped at her. I turned back to Arthur. "So you know some things, but don't know others? That's convenient."
"Merlin's plan will be revealed to me at the appropriate time. Then again, it may not."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you may desire everything in the world, but you may not always be given everything in the world. That is the great paradox we talked about before. Appreciate the paradox, and appreciate what you are given, and always thank God for what you already have."
"And so you have not been given Merlin's plans?" I asked.
And for the first time - the very first time - I saw a dent in Arthur's invincibility. "No," he said, looking away. "I have not."
"And how do you know our friends over there called the police?" I asked, looking at Marion. "Did you read their auras?"
"No," said Marion. "I overheard one of them calling the operator."
"Oh," I said.
And, as if on cue, I heard the sound of approaching sirens.
"I suggest," said Arthur. "We find a back exit."
Chapter Twenty-nine
We had just exited the alley and were making our way down a side street when a wailing police cruiser skidded around a corner, lights flashing. Arthur yanked Marion and I back into a recessed doorway, where we stayed until the police cruiser had passed us by.
I almost - almost - wished we had been pulled over. Jail, I figured, had to be safer than this.
We continued on, and as the sky darkened into late evening, we soon found ourselves huddled together in a copse of trees across the street from the Glastonbury Abbey.
The abbey was relatively famous. After all, it was the legendary final resting place of King Arthur himself, who had supposedly been buried in a tomb beneath the high altar. That is, until the tomb was excavated and found to be empty. I glanced at Arthur crouched next to me. Go figure.
"So what's the game plan?" I asked to no one in particular.
"Game plan?" asked Arthur.
"You know, the plan," I said, surprised again that some American idioms were lost in translation while others he seemed to grasp instantly.
"The plan. Yes, the plan. Hmm." Arthur scratched his beard. "You see the nearby hill?" Arthur pointed to Glastonbury Tor, of course, with its single, solitary tower prominent against the cloud-filled evening skies. The tower, a phallic symbol if ever there was one, was all that was left of an ancient church, and was visible for many dozens of miles in every direction. Perhaps even hundreds of miles.
I nodded. "Yes."
"That, my friend, is our destination."
"Then why are we hiding here?"
"Because our destination, in fact, lies under the hill."
"Under?"
"Indeed, and the secret entrance is found here in the Abbey. More precisely, in my tomb."
I found it a bit disconcerting at best listening to someone talking about their now empty tomb. I said, "And why would we want to go under the hill?"
The wind was picking up now, moaning through the copse and whipping branches. I also might have heard the sounds of distant hoof beats. Might have. It was hard to tell with all the rustling leaves.
Arthur said, "Because under the hill is where the Grail is hidden."
"Of course," I said, perhaps more sarcastically than I had meant. "I should have known."
Arthur put his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder affectionately. I could feel his electric energy. "Relax, James. Don't look so worried. You've been there before, my friend. After all, you helped me hide it. Now, let's get out of here. Time is of the essence!"
I helped him hide it?
"Come along, James," he said, taking hold of Marion's hand and leading her across the street. "The game is afoot!"