Mr. Morton gave my father an apologetic look.
I did tell her I was going to Tahiti, he said. He looked very strange, sitting there in our
living room. I dont think Ill ever get used to seeing teachers outside of school. It was
incredibly arrogant of me. You see, in my wildest dreams, I never imagined
And how was making Wills mom tell him the truth about their relationship supposed to
help things? I demanded.
Ellie, my mom said, again.
But I ignored her.
It just made things worse, I said. I mean, you had to know Marco was going to find
out.
Of course, of course, Mr. Morton said. There was a cup sitting untouched in front of
him. Hed gratefully accepted my parents offer of tea when hed come through our front
door, just minutes after my parents and I had gotten home from the police station. Having
finally made it through the horrific traffic on the Beltway, my mom and dad arrived at our
house only to find a message on the answering machine (the phone and power lines
having come back on just minutes before theyd gotten home) asking them to pick me up
at the police station.
Which hadnt caused them to freak too much
Theyd met me, shivering in my wet things, outside the room theyd taken my statement
in. Will was still inside, giving his. I wasnt convinced it was sitting so long in wet
clothes that had given me the permanent shakes, so much as having had to sit there under
the stony and unforgiving gaze of Admiral Wagner, whod shown up with his wife after
Marco used his one phone call to call
Which I thought was kind of ironic, considering the fact that hed been all set to destroy
their lives a half hour earlier.
In any case, Lipton, which is what my mom brewed up for Mr. Morton, apparently
wasnt quite up to his exacting standards, since the cup had grown cold in front of him.
But after you left my place this afternoon, Mr. Morton said, I couldnt stop thinking
about what youd said, Elaine. About how Arthur would never leave me to die, the way I
was leaving him. You cant imagine the effect those words had on me. Ive spent my
whole life, you see, trying to uphold the values that the Bear taught us, and there I was,
acting as cowardly as
within Arthurs family circle, Mr. Morton went on, there was a chance they could come
to terms with the situation, and with one another
And break the cycle, my mom interrupted eagerly.
I couldnt help but roll my eyes. Mr. Morton, an actual member of the mystical Order of
the Bear, showing up on our doorstep had been like a dream come true for my mother.
Shed been hanging on the guys every word ever since hed appeared at the door and
introduced himself to my parents.
But I should have known the dark side would never allow it, Mr. Morton continued. It
not.
well, them.
well, as Mordred. I thought that if perhaps I could clear things up
must have signaled to Marco somehow that something was afoot at the schoolthe last
place I would ever have expected to see him, considering his antipathy toward the place
not to mention the restraining order keeping him from entering it.
But how did you know we were at the arboretum? I asked him.
Quite simple, really, Mr. Morton said. The lightning.
The lightning? I stared at him. What are you talking about?
You probably didnt notice, but the lightning was centered over an extremely small area
the distance between this houseyour houseand the park, to be exact. I had only to
follow the lightning to know that Id soon find the Bear. Lightning is, of course, a weapon
of the dark side.
I nearly choked on my fourth cup of hot chocolate. I glanced at my parents to see
whether or not they were swallowing this malarkey. But my mom looked enraptI could
tell she was itching to get to her office to start writing all of this down in her book. And
Dad didnt exactly look disbelieving, either.
And theyre the ones with the Ph.D.s. Go figure.
What I dont understand, my dad said, is why the sword had such an effect on
Marcoand Will, too, if what you described to me is true. That sword isnt even from the
right century to be Excalibur. Near as I can trace, the only king it ever might have
belonged to is Richard the Lionheart, but
Oh, it wasnt the sword itself that mattered, Mr. Morton said brightly. It was the
person who gave it to him that made all the difference.
All three adults turned to look at me. I blinked back at them.
What? I said intelligently.
Dont say what, Ellie, Mom said. Say excuse me.
I dont care about Image right now, Mom, I said. Why are you all staring at me?
I have wronged you, Ellie, Mr. Morton said, in his deep, rumbly voice. I dont blame
you at all for being annoyed with me. I incorrectly assumed you were Elaine of Astolat
when I learned your name and realized your connection with the Bear. But of course you
were never the Lady of Shalott.
I know, I said, a little impatiently. I told you that from the beginning.
I ought to have seen that you were someone far, far more important, Mr. Morton went
on. And powerful. Though in my own defense, I feel it ought to be stated that never in
the Orders history has the Lady of the Lake been recorded as having made an
appearance
I looked at him in some alarm.
Wait a minute, I interrupted. Lady of the what?
The Lady of the Lake, Mr. Morton said. I really think I can be forgiven for my error,
however, since the Ladybegging your pardon, Elaineis such an ambiguous character in
Arthurian legend.
Absolutely, my mother agreed. Some scholars believe she never existed at all; others
insist she was a Celtic divinity. Most agree she was at the very least a powerful high
priestess
My only comfort, Mr. Morton said, with a nod, is that the Dark mistook your
daughter for the Lily Maid as well. Had they known they were dealing with anyone as
powerful as the Lady of the Lake, they would have attempted to eliminate her early on.
Even Marco, as I understand, heard the name and put it together with her fondness for
Floating. I swallowed. Mom. Dad. Listen. You cant honestly believe all this
But my parents just looked at me like,Youve got to be kidding . Theyd fallen for it,
hook, line, and sinker. Which, given how little they actually get out of the house,
shouldnt have been so surprising.
Oh, theres no question about it, Ellie, Mr. Morton said, with a smile. I understand
that the idea will take some getting used to. But theres no getting around the fact that you
are, indeed, the reincarnation of the Lady of the Lake. It was she who gave Arthur the
weapon that he used to defend himself and the realm. And only she could have kept his
friendship with Lancelot and Guinevere from splintering, leaving him vulnerable to
attack from his mortal enemy.
I didnt do that, I protested. I just told Will hed better tell Jennifer it didnt bother
him, you know, so people wouldnt go around thinking he was upset about the whole
thing when he wasnt
Like I was saying. Mr. Morton smiled at my parents. You have a very impressive
daughter, Professors Harrison.
My mom beamed modestly back at him. I always did think she was destined for
greatness.
It seemed like a good idea to change the subject, which was creeping me out, so I asked
the room in general, Whats going to happen to Marco, anyway?
.
Jail, my mother said, in a hard voice. While the Arthurian stuff seemed to be thrilling
her, the gun thing really wasnt. Hopefully for the rest of his life.
Im afraid it wont be quite that long, Mr. Morton said. He didnt in the end actually
hurt anyone. But when he does get out, which will be fairly soon, he should be quite
harmless. The power of darkness left him when Will triumphed over it.
Oh,brother . I rolled my eyes some more.
Poor kid, my dad said, with a sigh. Hes had a tough life.
He was going to shoot our daughter, Mom reminded him. Forgive me if I dont cry.
With proper therapy and rehabilitation, Mr. Morton said crisply, he should become a
properly functioning citizen in no time.
I hated to ask it, since it was bound to get them talking about the Lady of the
And
Lake thing again. But I had to know. I hadnt seen him since the police had separated us
for questioning. I had no idea what had happened to him since.
The Bear? Mr. Morton looked thoughtful. Yes, well, Arthur is at a crossroads just at
the moment. Hes been betrayed by his brother, its true. But also by his parents. It will be
interesting to see
Will didnt get along with his dad before this, I interrupted. I mean, Admiral Wagner
wanted him to go to military school, and Will didnt want to. And now that he knows that
his dad lied to him all this time about his mom, I dont think hes going to be any more
willing to do what the guy says. And could you please not call him Arthur? Because it is
truly creepy.
Ah, Mr. Morton said. Yes, sorry. And he mentioned as much to meabout his father, I
meanwhen we talked back at the station house
Youtalked to him? I practically yelled. Youtold him? About the Arthur stuff?
Well, of course I did, Elaine, Mr. Morton said, a little testily, considering a minute ago
hed been telling me Im supposed to be a high priestess of some kind. The man has to
know his birthright.
Oh, God, I said, dropping my face into my hands. What did he say?
Not very much, actually, Mr. Morton said. Not surprisingly, I suppose. Its not every
day a young man hears that hes the reincarnation of one of the greatest leaders of all
time.
Will?
I stifled my groan in my hands.
Ill be staying here in Annapolis, of course, Mr. Morton went on, in order to help
guide his next steps. And other members of the Order will be flocking here, as well, in
order to best facilitate his needs. It was all my mother could do, I could tell, to keep from
clapping her hands with glee at the thought of dozens of members of the Order of the
Bear descending upon Annapolis
College is the next obvious move, but its got to be theright college. With
Arthursexcuse me, Elaine, I mean, Wills grades he can get in anywhere, of course, but
the question is, what university is really best for molding the mind of a man who could
well become one of the most influential leaders in modern history?
Thankfully, the doorbell rang just then.
I threw off my blanket and said, Ill get it, then hurried to see who it was, muttering,
It better not be any powers of evil
worry. Theyve all been thwarted, thanks to you.
Great, I said sarcastically. And threw open the door.
To find Will standing there, holding a gym bag in one hand, and Cavalier, on a leash, in
the other.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
But Lancelot mused a little space;
He said, She has a lovely face;
God in His mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott.
Hey, he said quietly, his eyes looking bluer than ever in the porch lightso blue, in fact,
that I was swimming in them before I even managed to get out a greeting of my own.
Hey, I croaked.
Moths beat at the door I was holding, trying to get in. Behind Will, the night-dark, rain-
soaked yard was an orchestra of chirping crickets and cicadas.
Im sorry to stop by so late, Will said. But Cav and I
Do you think your parents would mind if we crashed here for a few days? Just until I find
my own place. Things at home are
tightly. Not good.
Id have given him my own bed to sleep in, and gladly taken the floor. But I didnt admit
this out loud. Nor did I let any of my intense relief that he was still in Annapolis show. If
I had been in his place, Im not so sure that I wouldnt have packed up and left town, not
just in time for her to interview them for her book.
only to have Mr. Morton call merrily, Oh, dont
we sort of need a place to stay.
He gripped the strap to his gym bag a little more
wanting to see ever, ever again any of the people involved in what could only have been
the most painful moment of my life.
Instead, I said, as casually as I could, Come on in, and Ill check.
Will came in, Cavalier following close at his heels.
Who is it, Ellie? Mom called, from the living room.
Standing in the darkness of the foyer, I looked up at Will.
Mr. Morton is here, I whispered.
One side of Wills mouth twitched upward. I didnt know if this meant he was pleased or
the opposite.
Im not exactly surprised, he said.
I can try sneaking you upstairs, I offered.
No, he said. And this time both corners of his mouth went up. Kings dont sneak.
My mouth fell open. Youre not telling me youbelieve
Move it, Harrison, he said, and taking me by the arm, propelled me back into the living
room.
Uh, Mom, Dad, I said. Wills here.
For a second, both my parents and Mr. Morton stared up at Will as if he were some kind
of ghost. Then Mr. Morton finally pried his jaw apart to whisper, Of course. Of course
hed come here, as if he were speaking to himself.
Ignoring him, I said to my mom and dad, Will needs a place to stay for a couple of
days. Can I give him Geoffs room?
My mom looked worriedly at Will.
Oh, dear, she said. My dad was the one who asked, That bad at home, eh?
Will, still holding his gym bag, nodded. Cavalier, at his side, was eyeing Tig, whod risen
to her feet and was standing on the hearth with her tail puffed out to five times its normal
size. Neither animal, however, made a sound. They just looked at each other.
I wouldnt ask, sir, Will said to my dad, if it werent
all right. Its my dad. I Will glanced at Mr. Morton. The thing is, sir, I sort of told him
Well, JeaI mean, my mom is
I wasnt going to enroll in the Academy next year, and he blew up. I probably didnt pick
the best time to bring it up, exactly, with Marco
But I felt like it was timepasttimewe all started being honest with each other.
Andwell, long story short? My dad threw me out of the house. I was hoping I could stay
here until I can find a place of my own. But if its a problem
Of course you can stay here, my dad said, to my everlasting relief. Long as you need
to.
You must be exhausted, my mom gushed, jumping to her feet. I know I am, and I
havent been through half of what you have today. Ellie, show him up to Geoffs room.
Did you have supper, Will? Want me to heat up some ribs? Youre hungry, I suppose?
The smile Will flashed her could have electrified the Beltway all over again.
Yes, maam, he said. Always.
Ill fix you up a plate of something, my mom said, and hurried into the kitchen, while
my dad followed her, muttering, in a perfectly audible voice, Kids going to eat us out of
house and home.
Dad, I said, appalled. We canhear you.
I know, my dad called back.
To Mr. Morton, whod risen to his feet and was standing a few feet away, looking
awkward and deferential, Will said, Hello again, sir.
Sire, Mr. Morton said
I thought I was going to crack up right there in front of him, but Will grabbed my arm
and dragged me out of there and back into the hallway before I could.
Oh my God, I whispered, trying to stifle my giggles. Is he going to call you that every
time he sees you now? Like in school and everything?
I hope not, Will said. Come on, show me where I can throw this thing.
So I took himand a politely inquisitive Cavalierto Geoffs room, which was really just
a guest room now, Geoff being away at college.
All I could think the whole time I was going up the stairs was,Hes staying the night.
Maybe more than just the night. Maybe a few nights. Im going to see him last thing
before I go to sleep. And first thing every morning when I wake up .Like the rose he gave
me.
well, with Marco where he is right now.
and he actually gave a little bow.
Nancy willdie when she finds out.
Will threw his bag down onto the bed without even glancing around to see whether or
not he liked the room. Instead, he just looked at me.
And suddenly I was aware of how very alone we were together. Well, with the exception
of Cavalier and Tig, who seemed to have slunk up the stairs behind us. The two of them
carefully touched noses, then both backed into separate corners to eye each other some
more.
Theres a bathroom right next door, I said. My parents use the one off the master, and
I use the one off my room, so youll have this one all to yourself. There are clean guest
towels in it already. I was babbling. I knew I was babbling, but I couldnt seem to stop
myself. We usually have just cereal for breakfast, but my mom makes pancakes on
special occasions, and, well, this is sort of special, so maybe shell make them tomorrow
if we
Elle, Will said gently.
I blinked at him. Well, what else could I do? Every time he called me that, it made my
heart seem to swell to twice its normal size.
Yeah?
I dont care about pancakes, he said.
I blinked some more.
No, I said. I dont imagine you do. Sorry. I just
And then he pulled me to him and started kissing me.
And I realized something as we kissed. Something strange.
And thats that I was happy.Really happy. For the first time in
And I didnt think that feeling was going to go away anytime soon, either.
Hey, I said, a minute later, when he finally let me up for air. Thats no way for a king
to behave.
Will said something decidedly unaristocratic about kings, and kissed me some more.
Besides, he said, a few minutes later, his kisses finally having put an end to my
shivering, you dont believe all that stuff Morton was talking about, do you?
well, a long time.
Hardly, I said, with a snort. Because it was easy not to believe in the powers of
darkness when Will was holding me in his arms and my cheek was resting on his
shoulder.
Yeah, he said. I loved the way I could feel his voice reverberating through his body as
he spoke. Me neither. I mean, can you believe theres a whole organization of people
whove just been waiting around for King Arthur to rise again?
No, I said. Although there are worse things than being worshipped as a demigod by a
bunch of people who are apparently perfectly willing to pay your college tuition.
Thats true, Will said thoughtfully. What I cant help wondering though is
you dont think
I lifted my head. What?
Nothing. Just
sword
It had nothing to do with the sword, I said, laying my cheek back against his shoulder.
Not because of what Mr. Morton says, either. It was just
of my handing it to you just when the sky cleared up, and the fact that we might have
been shot down dead at any given time. Tomorrow, when the police give the sword back
to my dad, youll take a look at it and see. Its just an ordinary, rusty old sword.
I know. Thats what makes it even stranger. I mean, Im not saying I believe it. What
Morton said. Not all of it, anyway. But some of itlike how I knew you. That very first
day, by the ravine, when you smiled at me. Id never met you before, but I still
you.
You justwanted to know me, I said, giving him a squeeze. Because Im so cute, and
everything.
Will shook his head, his blue eyes gleaming.
Think youve got all the answers, do you? he asked. Well, riddle me this, Batgirl.
What about how similar everyones names are? Lance and Lancelot. Jennifer and
Guinevere. Morton and Merlin
I gasped at this.
No! You dont thinknotMerlin .
Hey, he said. Is it any crazier than me being Arthur, or you being the Lady of the
Lake?
Well, that was weird today, in the park. When you handed me that
the circumstances. You know,
Imnot the Lady of the Lake, I said firmly.
Oh, youre not? He was grinning now. With the amount of time you spend in the
water?
Its a pool, I pointed out. Not a lake. And Im not even on the swim team. Besides,
what if itis true? If you really are Arthur, and I really am the Lady of the Lake
this isnt how the storys supposed to go, is it? With us, I mean. Together. Like this.
It is now, he said, with a grin. And kissed me again.
And I remembered something then that I had forgotten up until that momentsomething I
knew that Mr. Morton had also realized, downstairs. Something I decided not to mention
to Will:
And that was that, in the legend of Camelot, the Lady of the Lake didnt just bring Arthur
his sword.
No, she performed one other service for him, too.
When it was all over, she brought him home.
To Avalon.