A Perfect Gentle Knight (7 page)

“You have such shiny brown hair,” Mrs. Cooper told her. “It would look lovely with the ends curled.”

Corrie took off the hat and examined her bone-straight hair in the mirror.

“Would you like me to put it in pincurls for you?” Before Corrie could object, Mrs. Cooper had fetched a comb, some water, and a dish of bobby pins. Corrie sat in a chair while Mrs. Cooper deftly fastened strands of her hair into tight curlicues, crossing each round with two bobby pins. When she had finished, Corrie's head was a helmet of pins. They prickled, but she tried not to protest.

“There you go!” Mrs. Cooper patted her head. “It should be dry in about an hour, then I'll brush it out for you.”

Corrie and Meredith went back to their dog show. “I hope you don't mind,” said Meredith when her mother had left the room. “Mum likes playing with hair, and she can't do much with
mine
because it's already naturally curly.”

“It's okay,” Corrie told her, although she was afraid of what she would look like.

When the curls were all brushed out she examined herself warily.

“Wow!” said Meredith.

“You look gorgeous,” said Mrs. Cooper.

Corrie was horrified. A stranger stared back at her, a fuzz of curls springing artificially from the ends of her hair. She looked like a teenager!

Mrs. Cooper hugged her. “Oh, sweetheart, you don't like it, do you? Don't worry, it'll be straight again in the morning. I'm sorry I did it. Do you forgive me?”

Corrie smiled. How could she not? She hated her hair, but it wouldn't last. It was almost worth going through the ordeal to get such a friendly hug.

“W
HO CURLED YOUR HAIR
?” Roz asked her in the kitchen. “I love it!”

“I don't,” said Sebastian.

Corrie rushed to the sink and ran the cold-water tap. Gasping with the shock, she soaked her hair, then dried it on the dish towel. “There!” she said with relief. “All gone!”

“Oh, Corrie, why did you do that?” Roz shook her head. “You're such a tomboy!”

“Leave her alone, Roz,” said Sebastian. “She's only eleven. She's much too young to curl her hair, and besides, knights don't care what their hair looks like.”

“
You
do,” said Roz bravely. “If you got yours cut you'd look more normal.”

“My hair is my manhood,” said Sir Lancelot. “If I cut it I will lose my courage. Pray do not ever suggest it again, Sir Gawain!”

He and Roz glared at each other. Lately the two of them had been more like a quarrelling brother and sister than fellow knights.

C
ORRIE STARTED GOING HOME
with Meredith during lunch hour. At first she took her own carelessly made, dry sandwich with her. But the homemade soup, toasted sandwiches, puddings, and cookies that Mrs. Cooper offered her were so scrumptious that she started throwing away the sandwich. This was so much better than sitting in an almost empty classroom, a bored-looking teacher at the desk, with Harry and the twins and the few other kids who had to bring their lunch to school.

When it was Harry's turn to take home Juliet and Orly, Corrie spent the afternoon at Meredith's house. Soon she was sometimes staying for dinner on those days as well. Afterwards Mr. Cooper and Meredith would walk her home.

One Saturday morning at a Round Table meeting, Corrie was called to account for this. “Sir Gareth, you are eating too many meals at Meredith's house,” Sir Lancelot told her. “It is not right. Her mother will think we are beggars.”

“She doesn't mind,” said Corrie. “She really likes cooking. Last night she made something called lasagna.” Her mouth watered at the memory.

“This will not do,” said Sir Lancelot sternly. “You and Sir Gawain are either away or late almost every night. I have to get dinner ready by myself, when we are supposed to be taking turns. I want this to stop immediately.”

Roz looked furious. “That's not fair, Sebastian!” she cried. “You know I have baton two times a week, and other days I have drama and Glee Club. It's not any trouble to serve what the Elephant makes, and I always make dinners on Saturdays. And you don't have to wait for me—I can get something later.”

“Sir Gawain, you are speaking out of turn. Kindly show more respect, and kindly address me by my proper name.”

“I'll say what I want to,
Sebastian
,” sneered Roz. “And I'll do what I want, too. School is really important to me right now. I'm not giving anything up!”

Sebastian glared at her. “The king does not like it,” he said icily. “Last night he asked where you both were.”

Roz's voice cracked, as if she were about to cry. “I'm sorry if Fa doesn't like it, but he'll have to get used to it. Things can't always stay the same, Seb.”

She stood up, gave Sebastian a pleading look, and ran out of the shed.

The others sat there stunned. Orly edged closer to Corrie and took her hand. Corrie looked at Sebastian's stricken face. “I'm sorry, sire,” she whispered. “If I'm home every night for dinner, can I still go for lunch? Mrs. Cooper really doesn't mind.”

Sebastian smiled at her. “Thank you, Sir Gareth. That seems like a good compromise.” Then he frowned. “I am wroth at Sir Gawain, who is acting strangely out of character. We will all send him to Coventry until he comes to his senses.”

“Send him
where
?” asked Juliet.

“To Coventry. That means we will not speak to Sir Gawain all evening as a punishment,” said Sir Lancelot.

“Not speak to
Roz
?” said Orly. He looked scared. “But what if she asks me something?”

“Do not answer,” said Sir Lancelot grimly. He looked at their glum faces. “Let us forget this matter. Would you like to play Bestiary?”

“Yes!” said Juliet. She pulled out the bag of cards. Sebastian had invented the game last winter. He had drawn and labelled pictures of medieval beasts, then cut each card in half. They took turns drawing a half and placing it in the middle of the table. If a match came up, the first person to slap it and say “Beast!” got the pile. The game ended when one person ended up with all the cards.

“Beast!” cried Harry as he slapped a picture of a basilisk.

“Beast!”

“Ow, Orly, that was my hand!”

“Beast!”

“I said it first!”

“No, you didn't, I did!”

The playing became more and more boisterous as pictures of dipsas, manticores, griffins, and wethers were completed. The others were completely absorbed in the game, but Corrie couldn't pay attention and went out first.

She smiled at the racket but she felt sick to her stomach. She had never seen Sebastian and Roz quarrel like this. The Round Table had always been so harmonious:
A knight is courteous
.
A knight is generous and kind
.

Corrie had managed to placate Sebastian, but she was just as guilty as Roz. Ever since she'd become friends with Meredith she had neglected her family.

How could she do
anything
to bother Sebastian and Fa? Corrie resolved to be home every evening from then on.

S
EBASTIAN WAS THE ONLY KNIGHT
who managed to send Roz to Coventry. Corrie tried, but she was so torn by Roz's hurt expression that it lasted only a few minutes. The younger ones forgot immediately and chattered to Roz as usual.

“It's too hard for them,” Corrie told Sebastian as they washed the dishes. “It's hard for me, too.” She took a deep breath. “Anyway, I don't think it's right to ask us to punish Roz like that.
We
aren't mad at her.”

She quivered inside. Would Sebastian send her to Coventry as well for defying him?

But he only looked tired. “I'm not angry with Roz any more. I just don't understand her! Sometimes she doesn't seem part of this family or the Round Table any more.”

The Round Table
was
the family, Corrie thought. That made it doubly secure and safe—but also doubly hard to include anyone or anything outside it, like Meredith or baton.

She glanced at Sebastian's discouraged face. “How's school these days?” she asked carefully. “Are those boys still being mean to you?”

He lowered his head. “I do not wish to talk about school, Gareth. I have told you before, it is not real.”

That meant he was still being bullied. If only she were really Sir Gareth and could smite Terry and his gang with her sword! But there was nothing she could do.

Sebastian tried to smile. “How's school for
you,
Corrie? Do you like your teacher?”

“Oh, yes! He's new. His name is Mr. Zelmach and he's really nice.” She told Sebastian about how Mr. Zelmach didn't believe in homework.

“You're lucky,” grimaced Sebastian. “I have tons of homework this year. I guess I'd better go upstairs and do it.” He started out of the kitchen, but Corrie stopped him. She had thought of something to cheer him up.

“I have a request, Sir Lancelot. Could we not have a feast next weekend? We have not had one for a long time.”

Sebastian's face relaxed. “An excellent idea, Gareth! A feast would do us all good. I praise your initiative for suggesting it. I will begin the preparations for it tomorn.”

R
OZ CONTINUED TO BE EDGY
with Sebastian, but to Corrie's relief, she attended the feast. Sebastian gave Corrie money to buy potato chips, crackers and cheese, salami, and pop. Sir Lancelot told them they were eating wild boar, peacock, whale, swan, and rabbits. The squire and the pages carefully served each knight, then they helped themselves. They were allowed to eat with their hands.

“Sir Lancelot, tell us how you found the naked woman!” asked Orly.

“The one in the boiling water!” added Juliet.

“That was Elaine of Corbenic,” said Sir Lancelot. After telling them the whole story he raised his glass of mead. “Let us drink a toast to the Round Table! May it last forever!”

“Forever!” they echoed. Corrie clinked her glass with Sir Gawain's, fervently wishing it could be true.

5

Sir Perceval

M
r. Zelmach was the best teacher Corrie had ever had. Her other teachers hadn't seemed to like children very much. The meanest was Miss Laird. In grade four she had beaten one of the boys over the back with a pointer while the class watched in terrified silence.

Mr. Zelmach was always kind. He called them “ladies and gentlemen,” which made them feel important. He was more enthusiastic about music and reading aloud than arithmetic and science. Several times a day he would stop everything and lead the class in a sea shanty or a ballad, whether it was music period or not. They had already begun rehearsing songs for next year's Centennial. “
Bri
tish Co
lum
bia, from the
moun
tains to the
sea
!” they shouted. Corrie's favourite was “My Country Is My Cathedral.”

Twelve of the girls in grade six were appointed monitors. To Corrie's great surprise, Mr. Zelmach told her she was to be one. That meant she wore a yellow badge and stood in the hall with the rest of the monitors, trying to get all the kids to be quiet as they walked in from recess or lunch. No one ever listened to them, and Juliet stuck her tongue out at Corrie whenever she saw her.

All the other monitors were the popular girls: the Five, plus six girls in 6B. Boys were never monitors; they were considered too irresponsible.

Every morning Corrie had to come into the school early and join the circle of the Five in the hall while they waited for the bell to ring. Corrie never said a word unless someone spoke to her. This was usually Darlene. A long time ago, in grade three, Darlene had been Corrie's best friend. Now she seemed to want to be friends again, as if Corrie's new status made her one of them.

“I really like your kilt, Corrie,” she told her one day. Corrie glanced down in surprise. She had two skirts for school that she alternated, this one and a grey pleated one. The kilt had once belonged to Roz; it had moth holes in it, but Darlene didn't seem to have noticed that.

“I really want a kilt, but my mother says she's bought enough clothes for me this fall. Plaid is cool!”

“
I
want a perm, but Mum says I have to wait until grade seven to get one,” complained Sharon.

“Grade seven!” exclaimed Gail. “Won't that be great? Is everyone going to Laburnum?”

“I have to go to Ashdown Academy,” said Marilyn.

“So do I,” said Sharon.

“You poor things!” said Gail. “I'd hate to go to a girls' school. I want to be with boys! Older boys, not the stupid ones in this school.”

Corrie wished she could walk away from this disturbing chatter, but she had to wait because she was a monitor.

“Doesn't Meredith wear babyish clothes?” said Donna. “Puffed sleeves and jumpers, as if she was six!”

“And she gets too excited. ‘Oh, Mr. Zelmach, that's
so
interesting!'” mimicked Sharon.

Corrie forgot to be shy. “That's not fair! Meredith can't help getting excited, and it's not her fault how her mother dresses her. I think you should be nicer to her! She's my friend, and she's new to this school.”

To Corrie's astonishment, they all looked ashamed. “Sorry, Corrie,” mumbled Darlene. “We forgot she was your friend, okay?” The others nodded.

The bell rang and Corrie ran to her post. Sebastian would be proud of her—she had been as brave as Sir Gareth!

C
ORRIE
'
S FAVOURITE SONG
from school was “Men of Harlech”—it sounded like a knights' song. “
Hark!
I hear the
foe
ad
van
cing!” she and Meredith shouted on their way to Meredith's house. They kept stooping to collect shiny chestnuts; by the time they arrived their pockets were heavy with them.

“Sebastian likes to use these for our catapults,” said Corrie.