Dusts of Avalon - Beastwithin.org

And there were lile else to offer beside that, except for goodbyes and admirations.e Knights didn't want to wait for endless celebration and ceremonies;they had a work to do elsewhere.Dr. Grovepath and Daleworth hugged shoulder to shoulder, with Daleworthnot minding at all that Dr. Grovepath took a gentle hold of her waist. It was over.e war was over. It was time for happiness, time for everything that Daleworthnever had time for before.e doctor and the soldier wated as the Knights boarded the Steeds. edoors closed slowly — it seemed slower than usual to the waters, and maybethe Knights were not in the hurry to go.e Knights had no faces. ey never had faces. ey were maines. Sayingthey would have had faces would have been strange; saying they had facesevoked youthful memories of Timbert the Singing Boat and Bale-Robot LogicusOne, almost a blasphemous notion when one considered the Knights and theirappearance. ey were vehicles, not persons. Yet, for the first time in his life —first time in his long career as a spacecra and aircra expert — Dr. Grovepathhad a curious epiphany. He was a theoretical man, and had just assumed his theorieswere directly related, one to one, to practice. A maine had no emotion onblueprints, therefore maines had no emotion in real life. But for a fleeting moment,when wating the knights wating them from beyond the closing doorsof the Steeds, Dr. Grovepath just knew that these maines had emotion, theyhad aracter, more than just the aracter of their designers or their pilots. eywere Knights. e maines might have been just maines, the Knights of theRound might have been just a pile of organic dust in a lead-titanium coffin, but henew that the total was more than the sum of its components. e maines facedthem, and showed them fond longing, honour and dedication. And promise.e doors finally shut, the engines roared one last time, blasting the Steedsoff. A lone tear came to Daleworth's eyes as he wated the Steeds roet up onthe hill, with her close friend, who too seemed unaracteristically emotional.As the streaks of smoke climbed up the sky toward the reaes of Avalononce again, Daleworth sat down, bringing Dr. Grovepath to sit beside her. As thesmoke climbed higher, Daleworth just stu her hands behind her head and gotto her ba, wating the skies, smiling and few tears on her face. She was here,with the good doctor, knowing that the humanity was safe forever.Dr. Grovepath and Daleworth both knew that the Knights would rea NewAvalon soon. ey'd once again disappear, just as strangely as they appeared inthe first place. But one thing seemed certain: If King Arthur had come to save theworld once, it could happen again. It would happen again.Daleworth closed her eyes. By the time she opened her eyes again, Avalonwould be gone from the orbit. She could hear the radio aer to that effect fromher headset, but didn't care. When she'd open the eyes, the world would be the