demetrios and perion, by the quick turn of fortune previously recorded, were allied against all christendom. they got arms at the hôtel d'ebelin, and they rode out of the city of megaris, where the bonfires lighted over-night in perion's honour were still smouldering, amid loud execrations. fra battista had not delayed to spread the news of king theodoret's dilemma. the burghers yelled menaces; but, knowing that an endeavour to constrain the passage of these champions would prove unwholesome for at least a dozen of the arrestors, they cannily confined their malice to a vocal demonstration.
demetrios rode unhelmeted, intending that these snarling little people of megaris should plainly see the man whom they most feared and hated.
it was perion who spoke first. they had passed the city walls, and had mounted the hill which leads toward the forest of sannazaro. their road lay through a rocky pass above which the leaves of spring were like sparse traceries on a blue cupola, for april had not come as yet.
"i meant," said perion, "to hold you as the ransom of dame melicent. i fear that is impossible. i, who am a landless man, have neither servitors nor any castle wherein to retain you as a prisoner. i earnestly desire to kill you, forthwith, in single combat; but when your son orestes knows that you are dead he will, so you report, kill melicent. and yet it may be you are lying."
perion was of a tall imperious person, and accustomed to command. he had black hair, grey eyes which challenged you, and a thin pleasant face which was not pleasant now.
"you know that i am not a coward—." demetrios began.
"indeed," said perion, "i believe you to be the hardiest warrior in the world."
"therefore i may without dishonour repeat to you that my death involves the death of melicent. orestes hates her for his mother's sake. i think, now we have fought so often, that each of us knows i do not fear death. i grant i had flamberge to wield, a magic weapon—" demetrios shook himself, like a dog coming from the water, for to consider an extraneous invincibility was nauseous. "however! i who am demetrios protest i will not fight with you, that i will accept any insult rather than risk my life in any quarrel extant, because i know the moment that orestes has made certain i am no longer to be feared he will take vengeance on dame melicent."
"prove this!" said perion, and with deliberation he struck demetrios. full in the face he struck the swart proconsul, and in the ensuing silence you could hear a feeble breeze that strayed about the tree-tops, but you could hear nothing else. and perion, strong man, the willing scourge of heathendom, had half a mind to weep.
demetrios had not moved a finger. it was appalling. the proconsul's countenance had throughout the hue of wood-ashes, but his fixed eyes were like blown embers.
"i believe that it is proved," said demetrios, "since both of us are still alive." he whispered this.
"in fact the thing is settled," perion agreed. "i know that nothing save your love for melicent could possibly induce you to decline a proffered battle. when demetrios enacts the poltroon i am the most hasty of all men living to assert that the excellency of his reason is indisputable. let us get on! i have only five hundred sequins, but this will be enough to buy your passage back to quesiton. and inasmuch as we are near the coast—"
"i think some others mean to have a spoon in that broth," demetrios returned. "for look, messire!" perion saw that far beneath them a company of retainers in white and purple were spurring up the hill. "it is duke sigurd's livery," said perion.
demetrios forthwith interpreted and was amused by their common ruin. he said, grinning:
"pious theodoret has sworn a truce of twenty-four hours, and in consequence might not send any of his own lackeys after us. but there was nothing to prevent the dropping of a hint into the ear of his brother in-law, because you servitors of christ excel in these distinctions."
"this is hardly an opportunity for theological debate," perion considered. "and for the rest, time presses. it is your instant business to escape." he gave his tiny bag of gold to his chief enemy. "make for narenta. it is a free city and unfriendly to theodoret. if i survive i will come presently and fight with you for melicent."
"i shall do nothing of the sort," demetrios equably returned. "am i the person to permit the man whom i most hate—you who have struck me and yet live!—to fight alone against some twenty adversaries! oh, no, i shall remain, since after all, there are only twenty."
"i was mistaken in you," perion replied, "for i had thought you loved dame melicent as i do. i find too late that you would estimate your private honour as set against her welfare."
the two men looked upon each other. long and long they looked, and the heart of each was elated. "i comprehend," demetrios said. he clapped spurs to his horse and fled as a coward would have fled. this was one occasion in his life when he overcame his pride, and should in consequence be noted.
the heart of perion was glad.
"oh, but at times," said perion, "i wish that i might honourably love this infamous and lustful pagan."
afterward perion wheeled and met duke sigurd's men. then like a reaper cutting a field of wheat sire perion showed the sun his sword and went about his work, not without harvesting.
in that narrow way nothing could be heard but the striking of blows on armour and the clash of swords which bit at one another. the comte de la forêt, for once, allowed himself the privilege of fighting in anger. he went without a word toward this hopeless encounter, as a drunkard to his bottle. first perion killed ruggiero of the lamberti and after that perion raged as a wolf harrying sheep. six other stalwart men he cut down, like a dumb maniac among tapestries. his horse was slain and lay blocking the road, making a barrier behind which perion fought. then perion encountered giacomo di forio, and while the two contended gulio the red very warily cast his sword like a spear so that it penetrated perion's left shoulder and drew much blood. this hampered the lone champion. marzio threw a stone which struck on perion's crest and broke the fastenings of perion's helmet. instantly giacomo gave him three wounds, and perion stumbled, the sunlight glossing his hair. he fell and they took him. they robbed the corpses of their surcoats, which they tore in strips. they made ropes of this bloodied finery, and with these ropes they bound perion of the forest, whom twenty men had conquered at last.
he laughed feebly, like a person bedrugged; but in the midst of this superfluous defiance perion swooned because of many injuries. he knew that with fair luck demetrios had a sufficient start. the heart of perion exulted, thinking that melicent was saved.
it was the happier for him he was not ever destined to comprehend the standards of demetrios.
