The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck Page A

he was crying out in sorrow, and he would not answer when I asked the cause. If you wish to serve me, ride after this knight and bring him to me whether he wishes to come or not, for I am curious.”
    â€œI will bring him to you, my lord,” Sir Balin said, “or else he will be more sad than he is.”
    And Balin mounted and cantered after the knight, and after a time he found him sitting under a tree with a damsel beside him. Sir Balin said, “Sir Knight, you must come with me to King Arthur and tell him the cause of your sorrow.”
    â€œThat I will not do,” said the knight. “I would be in great danger if I did and you would gain nothing.”
    â€œPlease come with me, sir,” said Balin. “If you refuse I must fight you, and I don’t want to.”
    â€œI have told you my life is in danger. Will you promise to protect me?”
    â€œI will protect you or die in the attempt,” said Balin. And with that the knight mounted his horse and they rode away, leaving the damsel under the tree. As they came to King Arthur’s tent, they heard the sound of a charging war horse but saw nothing, and suddenly the knight was hurled from his saddle by an invisible force, and he lay dying on the ground with a great spear through his body. And he gasped, “That was my danger—a knight named Garlon who has the art of invisibility. I was under your protection and you have failed me. Take my horse. He is better than yours. And go back to the damsel—she will lead you to my enemy and perhaps you may avenge me.”
    Balin cried, “On my honor and my knighthood I will. I swear it before God.”
    And with that the knight, Sir Harleus le Berbeus, died, and Balin pulled the truncheon of the spear from his body and rode sadly away, for he was grieved that he had not protected the knight as he had promised, and he understood at last why Arthur had been enraged at the death of the Lady of the Lake under his protection. And Balin felt a darkness of misfortune hanging over him. He found the damsel in the forest and gave her the truncheon of the spear that had killed her lover, and she carried it always as a sign and a remembrance. She led Sir Balin on the quest he had accepted from the dying knight.
    In the forest they came upon a knight fresh from hunting, who, seeing Balin’s sorrow-clouded face, asked the reason for his pain and Balin curtly answered that he did not wish to speak of it.
    The knight resented the discourtesy, saying, “If I were armed against men instead of stags, you would answer me.”
    Balin answered wearily, “I have no reason not to tell you,” and he recounted his strange and fatal history. The knight was so moved by the tale that he begged leave to join him in the quest of vengeance. His name was Sir Peryne de Monte Belyarde, and he went to his house nearby and armed himself and joined them on their way. And as they rode past a little lonely hermitage and chapel in the forest, there came again the sound of charging hoofs and Sir Peryne fell with a spear through his body.
    â€œYour story was true,” he said. “The invisible enemy has slain me. You are a man fated to cause the destruction of your loved friends.” And Sir Peryne died of his wounds.
    Balin said in sorrow, “My enemy is something I cannot see. How can I challenge the invisible?”
    Then the hermit helped him to carry the dead into the chapel and they buried him in pity and honor.
    And afterward Balin and the damsel rode on until they came to a castle with strong defenses. Balin crossed the drawbridge and entered first, and as he did the portcullis rattled down and held him prisoner, with the damsel outside, where many men attacked her with knives to kill her. Then Balin ran up to the top of the wall and he leaped into the moat far below, and the water broke his fall and saved him from injury. He crawled from the moat and drew his sword, but the attackers