Page 37 of Gwen and Art Are Not in Love

Arthur immediately flopped down on to it, and Gabriel walked carefully around the table to pull out his chair and sit down. He seemed to lock into it, his spine curving forward, shoulders hunching up around his neck as he pulled the book at the top of the pile towards him. It was as if he had shed his outside self; in the library, he was the real Gabriel.

The real Gabriel hadterribleposture.

‘What are you reading?’ said Arthur, pulling the next book on the pile down into his lap. It expelled quite a lot of dust; he promptly sneezed on it, and then wiped it apologetically on his tunic.

‘They’re first-hand accounts of how the early cultist factions formed,’ Gabriel said. Arthur flipped open the cover of the book he was holding and found that it had been meticulously transcribed in dark brown ink that looked unnervingly bloody. ‘It’s useful to understand the original context, but it’s also a bit of a – a personal project of mine.’

‘Go on then,’ Arthur said.

‘Go on – what?’

‘Tell me how the early cultist factions formed,’ he said. Gabriel turned a page, and Arthur put his own book down on the table, and then rested his head on it, so that he could listen in the least taxing way possible.

‘Well,’ said Gabriel, clearing his throat. ‘You’ll know this part. Arthur Pendragon fell at the Battle of Camlann, at Mordred’s hand. The cultists believe that Morgan le Fay oversaw the transportation of Arthur’s body to Avalon, an uncharted island and the source of all of England’s magic – and that one day he’ll return.’ Arthur could tell that Gabriel was much more comfortable recalling events from a book than having to come up with the words on his own; the awkwardness between them had dissipated almost immediately.

‘After all your father’s peacekeeping,’ Arthur said, ‘what would he do if they were right? If the bastard returned? He could hardly hop off the throne and say, “Sorry, old chap, Iwas just keeping it warm for you” – but the only other option is all-out war with King Arthur himself and all his cultist pals.’

‘What would my father do,’ Gabriel said slowly, ‘if a man who’s been dead for hundreds of years appeared and asked for his throne back? To be honest, I don’t think he’s really thought about it.’

‘I bet you all the money in my pocket that somewhere in the depths of his war room there’s a contingency plan for that exact occasion. OperationRex Undeadus.’

‘I can assure you, there isn’t,’ said Gabriel, but he didn’t look entirely convinced.

‘All right,’ said Arthur. ‘What’s next? After the bit about the magic island.’

‘Well, it’s interesting – you would have thought that with all this magic supposedly out in the open,everybodywould have believed in it, but plenty of people were sceptical at the time. Most of them only heard about it through stories, you see – it wasn’t like Merlin was standing in the town square doing tricks for all and sundry. Then after the Saxons invaded, there was a bit of a muddle with lots of old gods in the mix, and then the country was Catholicised very rapidly. It wasn’t until about a hundred years later that cultists really started practising in earnest; by that time it had been long enough for Arthur Pendragon to have become legend. A myth, not a man.’

‘Well,’ Arthur said. ‘I suppose it’s much easier to devote yourself to the idea of somebody, instead of the flesh-and-blood person. Much neater.’

‘Exactly,’ said Gabriel. ‘What I’m reading now is thisman – this sort of Arthurian thought leader – talking about the power of people. The theory that with magic gone, it’s up to the cultists to stand up for Merlin and Morgana’s ideals, while they await the second coming of their king, and the magic that’ll return with him.’ He was talking earnestly, moving his hands; Arthur had never seen him so animated. It was clear that he didn’t ensconce himself in the library out of a sense of duty – he actually really enjoyed this, all the reading and the learning and the inhaling of vast quantities of dust. ‘Because the magic isn’t enough, on its own. It doesn’t just fix everything. They need people who are open to it, people who want to channel that power for good. And back when Arthur was king … he was that person.’

‘So they follow a man they believe was Merlin’s puppet,’ Arthur said. ‘Why not just worship the wizards?’

‘Well, they are very fond of them,’ Gabriel said, ‘but look – read this.’ He pushed the book towards Arthur again, and this time Arthur actually sat up properly to read it.

‘This is written in Old English,’ he said. ‘IhateOld English. It’s almost as bad as Common Brittonic. My father made me learn both.’

‘Well, this man was hardly going to write it in Latin,’ said Gabriel, pointing to a line of text.

‘Arthur …hygeclœne. I don’t know that one – what’shygeclœne?’

‘Roughly translated, “pure of heart”,’ Gabriel said, using his finger to trace the word without ever actually touching the page. ‘He wasn’t their puppet – he was theirchosen one. The only one good enough to take on all that power andnot be corrupted by it. Cultists believe that Arthur’s downfall came not because he wasn’t strong enough, orgoodenough, but because of the people around him. I mean – in half the stories, Morgan le Fay is pitted against him, although the more progressive think that she took him to his final resting place, so they must have reconciled in the end.’

‘Ah,’ said Arthur. ‘But they don’t believe it was his final resting place, if he’s coming back. Finalnappingplace, maybe.’

‘Well,’ Gabriel said. ‘Opinion is divided about whether he’ll come back in body, or in spirit. Plenty of cultists believe that Arthur’s return will be more of a … a rebirth. An awakening, inside somebody else who is as pure – ashygeclœne– as him. And then Merlin will return in some form too, and probably Morgana, and we’ll have magic again in England and a true ruler on the throne.’

‘But … you don’t believe any of this,’ Arthur said slowly. ‘Right? Because that would be potentially problematic, seeing as your father is our true ruler. And, you know … because soonyou’llbe the one on the throne.’

‘No,’ Gabriel said, running a hand through his hair. ‘I don’t believe it. Or – no, not in the magic. But it is fascinating. And I suppose I do want to be … the kind of king these people want. Worthy. Even if the Catholics in this country don’t believe that Merlin really existed, or that Arthur had some spiritual significance, they do all think he did a pretty good job of being king.’

‘But it’s like you said. They devote themselves to theideaof somebody. You can’t live up to a legend. Not even the legend himself could do it, if he were here.’

‘Maybe not,’ said Gabriel, but Arthur wasn’t buying it.

‘Hang on – so you’re modelling yourself onArthur Pendragon? Is that what you’re doing shut away in here all the time? Trying to read enough about him by the time you ascend to the throne that you can become the – I don’t know – the chivalric ideal?’ Gabriel didn’t say anything, but he did look slightly embarrassed. Arthur let out a huff of laughter and collapsed back against his chair. ‘Well, that’s – that’s nonsense, Gabriel. And entirely unattainable.’

Gabriel sighed, and rubbed at his cheekbone irritably. ‘By all accounts, King Arthur was a good man. He truly cared about his people. People thought of him as fair. And, yes, he was the embodiment of chivalry – or at least, he tried. He knew what kind of England he wanted to live in. I don’t see what’s so wrong about trying to be a king like that.’