The Holy Grail will Cure the Land

an excerpt from my published paperback novel MERLIN'S CHARGE

“But if it’s not for the holy grail,” Baron Bearloin said, “who cares what it says? I bought a parchment for finding the holy grail and I’ve been waiting a year in impatience to hear it!”

“What’s a holy grail?” Arthur asked.

Baron Bearloin answered, “Nobody knows for sure what it is, and that’s why it hasn’t been found. But it cures the land of all its illness, brings back the green and rain and apples, and aye, mostly apples aplenty. And rain.”

Arthur smiled. “The holy grail is a luckier find than a demon bell. Merlin, do you really believe there’s such a thing as a demon bell or is it merely a monk’s fancy to keep children full of fear, to keep them all inside throughout the night?”

Merlin said to Arthur, “Something about the idea of a demon bell struck out at me. I remember one once from such a bygone time before this one.”

“The Web of… “Prince Arthur asked, nervously glancing over at Baron Bearloin and not wanting to alarm the man’s niminy-piminy sensibilities of Christendom.

“Magic… possibly,” Merlin said without care for sensibilities. “The web makes strings that go between all past and future. They have no concern at how odd that may seem to men on piddling earth.”

Arthur read more of the parchment, “A Prayer to Keep One From the Demon Bell. Save us O’ Virgin from the peel and the toll at the noon of night that cries out to sap strength and men’s blood. Tell the giant trees that they are all a part of a man’s bygone times. Save us till morning when the bell will return to nothing and life is in your Christendom. Well, this was certainly written out in full. And look,” Arthur showed both men the page. “The opening letter, the A, is so very nicely decorated with branches and leaves. It’s a very proper and splendid parchment, indeed.”

“But was it? That’s it?” Merlin scoffed. “That says nothing. Unless it’s really a poem, but I was led to believe that poems are written for great seductions and arousals.”

Baron Bearloin agreed, “It’s most certainly not how to find the holy grail. What did I buy? Oh, I wasted a gold coin!”

Arthur asked, “Who scribed these parchments out for you?”

“Abbot Babble Blaise.”

“I know of him.” Merlin chuckled. “I now see why he isn’t known to the world as Abbot Pencraft Blaise.” He chuckled louder.

“How do you know him?” Arthur asked. “Why would you know an abbot?”

Merlin explained, “I’ve used him as my secretary. He put down stories of my life but I had to make sure he did it proper; his hands became so tired. He’s had no oversight since then, I see, for some of these look like they’ve been penned with his feet.”