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THE KING, IN PRIDE, SET SWORD ASIDE,
TO BARGAIN WITH THE DEER.
King Peris responded, waving his sword in time to the
music:
"THERE IS NO HUNT FOR ME," SAID HE,
OF ANY CREATURE BORN,
UNLESS I COULD IN SHADOW WOOD
HUNT DOWN THE UNICORN."
After a moment's hesitation, the stag responded:
"NONE KNOWS SO WELL WHERE SHE MAY DWELL
AS I WHO DID HER WILL,
IF YOU WILL HEED, THEN I WILL LEAD,
AND YOU MAY HAVE YOUR KILL."
The king resumed his search in the weeds. "Imagine
hearing that old thing again, clumsy meter and all. What
made you think of it?"
The stag made no move to help the king. "I heard parts
of it being sung last night."
"Well, well. Folk art endures amazingly, wouldn't you
say? I wouldn't have thought anyone alive would remember
it." He looked sharply at the stag. "It was, I assume,
someone alive."
"It was. One of the centaurs - you remember them;
they replaced you as guardians? - still knows some of the
song. But you shouldn't be surprised; scandal always
outlives honor"
"True. For example, look at us - though we can hardly
be said to be outliving anything."
Presently the spirit grunted in satisfaction and raised a
timeworn crown on his sword-point
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