"If you will not enter willingly," Merlin stated, "myservant will be happy to assist you."

Launcelot spat, straightened a little and glared."Think you I fear an empty suit of armor, Juggled bysome Hell-born wight? Even now. Merlin, without thebenefit of wizardly succor, I could take that thing apart."The sorcerer laughed.

"It is good that you at least recall the boasts of knighthood when all else has left you. I've half a mind to giveyou the opportunity, for the manner of your passinghere is not important. Only the preliminaries are essential.""But you're afraid to risk your servant?""Think you so, old man? I doubt you could even bearthe weight of a suit of armor, let alone lift a lance. Butif you are willing to try, so be it!"

He rapped the butt of his staff three times upon theground.

"Enter," he said then. "You will find all that you needwithin. And I am glad you have made this choice. Youwere insufferable, you know. Just once, I longed to seeyou beaten, knocked down to the level of lesser mortals.I only wish the Queen could be here, to witness her champion's final engagement."

"So do I," said Launcelot, and he walked past themonolith and entered the circle.

A black stallion waited, its reins held down beneath arock. Pieces of armor, a lance, a blade and a shield leanedagainst the side of the dolmen. Across the circle's diameter,a white stallion awaited the advance of the hollow knight.

"I am sorry I could not arrange for a page or a squireto assist you," Merlin, said, coming around the other sideof the monolith. "I'll be glad to help you myself, though."

"I can manage," Launcelot replied.

"My champion is accoutered in exactly the same fashion," Merlin said, "and I have not given him any edgeover you in weapons."

'"I never liked your puns either."

Launcelot made friends with the horse, then removeda small strand of red from his wallet and tied it aboutthe butt of the lance. He leaned his stick against the dolmen stone and began to don the armor. Meriin, whose hairand beard were now almost black, moved off severalpaces and began drawing a diagram in the dirt with theend of his staff.

"You used to favor a white charger," he commented,"but I thought it appropriate to equip you with one ofanother color, since you have'abandoned the ideals ofthe Table Round, betraying the memory of Camelot."

"On the contrary," Launcelot replied, glancing overhead at the passage of a sudden roll of thunder. "Anyhorse in a storm, and I am Camelot's last defender."

Merlin continued to elaborate upon the pattern hewas drawing as Launcelot slowly equipped himself. Thesmall wind continued to blow, stirring the mist. Therecame a flash of lightning, startling the horse. Launcelotcalmed it.

Merlin stared at him for a moment and rubbed hiseyes. Launcelot donned his helmet.

"For a moment," Merlin said, "you looked somehowdifferent. ..."

"Really? Magical withdrawal, do you think?" he asked,and he kicked the stone from the reins and mounted thestallion.

Merlin stepped back from the now-completed diagram,shaking his head, as the mounted man leaned over andgrasped the lance.

"You still seem to move with some strength," he said.

"Really?"

Launcelot raised the lance and couched it. Beforetaking up the shield he had hung at the saddle's side,he opened his visor and turned and regarded Merlin.

"Your champion appears to be ready," he said. "SoamL"

Seen in another flash of light, it was an unlined facethat looked down at Merlin, clear-eyed, wisps of palegold hair fringing the forehead.

"What magic have the years taught you?" Merlinasked.

"Not magic," Launcelot replied. "Caution. I anticipated you. So, when I returned to the cave for my stick,I drank the rest of your elixir."

He lowered the visor and turned away.

"You walked like an old man. ..."

"I'd a lot of practice. Signal your champion 1"

Merlin laughed.

"Good! It is better this way," he decided, "to see yougo down in full strength! You still cannot hope to winagainst a spirit!"

Launcelot raised the shield and leaned forward.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"Nothing!" Merlin said. Then he shouted, "Kill him,Raxas!"

A light rain began as they pounded across the field; and staring ahead, Launcelot realized that flames wereflickering behind his opponent's visor. At the last possiblemoment, he shifted the point of his lance into line withthe hollow knight's blazing helm. There came more lightning and thunder.

His shield deflected the others lance while his wenton to strike the approaching head. It flew from the hollowknight's shoulders and bounced, smouldering, on theground.

He continued on to the other end of the field andturned. When he had, he saw that the hollow knight,now headless, was doing the same. And beyond him,he saw two standing figures, where moments before therehad been but one.

Morgan Le Fay, clad in a white robe, red hair unbound and blowing in the wind, faced Merlin from acrosshis pattern. It seemed they were speaking, but he couldnot hear the words. Then she began to raise her hands,and they glowed like cold fire. Merlin's staff was alsogleaming, and he shifted it before him. Then he saw nomore, for the hollow knight was ready for the second charge.

He couched his lance, raised the shield, leaned forward and gave his mount the signal. His arm felt like abar of iron, his strength like an endless current of electricity as he raced down the field. The rain was fallingmore heavily now and the lightning began a constantflickering- A steady rolling of thunder smothered thesound of the hoofbeats, and the wind whistled past hishelm as he approached the other warrior, his lance centered on his shield.

They came together with an enormous crash. Bothknights reeled and the hollow one fell, his shield andbreastplate pierced by a broken lance. His left arm cameaway as he struck the earth; the lancepoint snapped andthe shield fell beside him. But he began to rise almostimmediately, his right hand drawing his long sword.

Launcelot dismounted, discarding his shield, drawinghis own great blade. He moved to meet his headless foe.The other struck first and he parried it, a mighty shockrunning down his arms. He swung a blow of his own. It was parried.

They swaggered swords across the field, till finally Launcelot saw his opening and landed his heaviest blow.The hollow knight toppled into the mud, his breastplatecloven almost to the point where the spear's shaft protruded. At that moment, Morgan Le Fay screamed.

Launcelot turned and saw that she had fallen acrossthe pattern Merlin had drawn. The sorcerer, now bathedin a bluish light, raised his staff and moved forward.Launcelot took a step toward them and felt a great pain in his left side.

Even as he turned toward the half-risen hollow knight who was drawing his blade back for another blow, Launcelot reversed his double-handed grip upon his ownweapon and raised it high, point downward.

He hurled himself upon the other, and his bladepierced the cuirass entirely as he bore him back down,nailing him to the earth. A shriek arose from beneathhim, echoing within the armor, and a gout of fireemerged from the neck hole, sped upward and away,dwindled in the rain, flickered out moments later.

Launcelot pushed himself into a kneeling position.Slowly then, he rose to his feet and turned toward thetwo figures who again faced one another. Both were nowstanding within the muddied geometries of power, bothwere now bathed in the bluish light. Launcelot took astep toward them, then another.

"Merlin!" he called out, continuing to advance uponthem. "I've done what I said I wouldi Now I'm comingto kill you!"

Morgan Le Fay turned toward him, eyes wide.