"T. H. White - The Once and Future King" - читать интересную книгу автора (White T.H)

"I think the King goes with Sir Gawaine because he is trying to be just. He thinks that the Orkneys have
a right to demand justice for Gareth's deathтАФand I suppose they have. Besides, if the King didn't cling
to Sir Gawaine he would have nobody left. He was prouder of the Round Table than of anything, and
now it is splitting up and he wants to keep somebody."
"It is a poor way to keep the Table together," said Agnes, "by fighting Sir Lancelot."
"Sir Gawaine has a right to justice. At least, they say he has. And the King's choice is not free either. He
is swept along by the peopleтАФby men who want conquest in France and have made a claim to it, or who
are sick of the long peace he has managed to keep, or who are anxious for military promotion and a
killing in return for those who died in the Market Square. There are the young knights of Mordred's
party, who believe in nationalism, and who have been taught to think that my husband is an old fogey,
and there are the relatives of the ones who were in the fight on the stairs, and there is the clan Orkney,
with their ancient hatreds on their minds. War is like a fire, Agnes. One man may start it, but it will
spread all over. It is not about any one thing in particular."
"Ah, these high and mighty matters, madamтАФthey are beyond us poor women. But come now, what did
it say in the letter?"
Guenever sat for some time, looking at the letter without seeing it, while her mind revolved the problems
of her husband. Then she said slowly: "The King likes Lancelot so much that he is forced to be unfair to
himтАФfor fear of being unfair to other people."
"Yes, ma'am."
"It says," said the Queen, noticing the letter she was looking at with a start, "it says that Sir Gawaine
rode in front of the castle every day, and called out that Lancelot was a coward and a traitor. Lancelot's
knights were angry, and went out to him one by one, but he charged them all down, and hurt some of
them badly. He nearly killed Bors and Lionel, until at last Sir Lancelot had to go himself. The people
inside the castle made him. He told Sir Gawaine that he was driven to it, like a beast at bay." "And what
did Sir Gawaine say?"


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"Sir Gawaine said: 'Leave thy babbling and come off, and let us ease our hearts.""
"And did they?"
"Yes, they had a duel in front of the castle. Everybody promised not to interfere, and they began at nine
o'clock in the morning. You know how Sir Gawaine can always fight better in the mornings. That was
why they began so early."
"Mercy on Sir Lancelot, to have him as strong as three! For I did hear tell that the Old Ones have the
fairy blood in them, through the red hair, you know, madam, and this makes the laird as strong as three
people before noon, because the sun fights for him!"
"It must have been terrible, Agnes, But Sir Lancelot was too proud not to give the advantage,"
"I wonder he was not killed,"
"He nearly was. But he covered himself with his shield and parried slowly all the time and gave ground.
It says he received many sad brunts, but he managed to defend himself until midday. Then, of course,
when the fairy strength had gone down, he was able to take the offensive, and he ended by giving
Gawaine a blow on the head which knocked him over. He could not get up."
"Alas, Sir Gawaine!"
"Yes, he could have killed him there and then."
"But he didn't."
"No. Sir Lancelot stood back and leaned on bis sword. Gawaine begged him to kill him. He was more
furious than ever and called out: "Why do you stop? Come on then: kill me and finish your butchering. I