THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
into his hands, so that he may not kill you before I do.” Troyan answered: “By my faith, you are in
haste to get me killed. But I intend to prove that you are a liar.” Then he summoned one of his
soothsayers and said to him: “This Christian here says that he has slain Anglant and that a boy has
slain Almont.” Yes,” cried Clare, “and he unarmed but for the shaft of a lance.” The soothsayer
stood like a dead man. Troyan said: “Speak up, at once.” At last the soothsayer said: “Anglant and
Almont and Triamides and Gorant are dead, and so are all those who accompanied your father,
except the Mustapha and Balant.” Troyan would let him speak no more but rode toward him and
gave him a blow with his gauntlet that shattered his skull and stretched him dead on the ground. He
said, “You did not foresee rightly this time.” Then he turned to Clare and said: “You killed them by
treachery, but I shall wreak a bitter vengeance. And I will not fight you alone. Go bring that other
one, who slew Almont, for I will fight you both at once.” Clare answered: “On your guard, for you
have to fight me first.” And so, defying each other, the took their ground and exchanged terrible
lance thrusts. Each broke the other’s shield and both were somewhat shaken in the saddle, but there
was little vantage on either side. Their lances shattered and their horses charged past each other.
Then, drawing their swords, they returned to combat. Said Troyan: “I will not use my lance shaft to
kill you. I would not like that knight over there to take fright and run.”
111-112: A Pact [summary]
They resumed their combat and fought for a long time. It soon appeared the at Troyan was stronger and that Clare
was tiring. During a pause in the fight Clare told Troyan once more of Almont’s death at Roland’s hands. “Where
were Maldachin and Ulien and Aliadas when he died?” asked Troyan, and Clare told him that they were at Reggio
at the time. He continued by telling him of his own fight with Anglant, and of Balant’s conversion and the queen’s.
Troyan said: “Even if it took twenty men to kill Almont, I will be avenged on them all.” He attacked Clare once
more, and Clare grew ever weaker. Then Troyan thought, “If I kill this knight, I will be unable to avenge Almont.
But if I come to terms with him, he might bring that other knight to me, and then I call kill them both and become
master of all France.”
As the sun sank westward, Troyan said to Clare: “You would be dead long ago if I did not fear that that knight over
there who killed Almont would escape me. If you promise to come tomorrow and bring him with you, I will let you
return to the city.” Clare knew that he was having the worst of the battle, and agreed to come back the next morning