'Those two are confused,' I suggested quickly. 'It is dark. They were asleep when it started. They could not possibly have seen everything that happened.'

'Truly,' agreed Cai. 'Maybe they caught sight of Llenlleawg riding off in pursuit of the attackers, and assumed he had done it.'

'Aye, he rode off,' asserted Bedwyr, his voice an ugly sneer, 'taking the Grail with him.'

'What of Gwenhwyvar?' Cador wondered.

'Gwenhwyvar was with me,' Arthur said bluntly.

'Llenlleawg could not have done it,' Cai insisted. 'Anyway, Llenlleawg was sworn to protect the Grail with his life. If he rode in pursuit of the killer, he could never leave it behind.'

Bedwyr dispatched this lame suggestion without mercy. 'Then why not ride to the Tor? He could bring the Grail for protection and raise the alarm. If word of the massacre had not been brought to us by those confused people down there, we still would not know of it.'

'Since the queen was with Arthur,' Cador suggested, 'it must have been Morgaws with him.'

Arthur glared hard in the dim light. 'Yes,' he agreed sourly. Turning to Cador, the king said, 'Ride to the Tor and tell the queen what has happened; then find Morgaws – if she is there, bring her to me.'

Cador leapt to the saddle at once and raced away into the darkness. Swinging towards Bedwyr, Arthur commanded, 'You and Rhys take eight men and see if you can raise the trail.'

Bedwyr made to protest, but the look on Arthur's face warned him off and he departed, calling for men and torches.

'Gwalchavad,' the king ordered, 'you and Cai see what is to be done for those who have been wounded, then take word to Elfodd and remove the dead to the abbey.'

'I do not like this, Arthur,' Cai muttered under his breath.

Arthur ignored him, saying, 'I will talk to the people here. Someone may have seen something more.'

The king stalked off towards the distraught crowd. Cai made to follow, but I put a hand on his arm and said, 'Come, there are injured needing help. If you would go to the monastery, I will see to matters here.'

'You go to the monastery,' Cai said, staring at Arthur as he walked away. 'I want to talk to some of the others and see if anyone saw anything different.'

Thus, I found myself hurrying to the abbey to summon Bishop Elfodd. Owing to the fact that a few monks had been at the shrine tending folk through the night, word had reached the abbey before me. I rode into the yard to meet the bishop and five or six monks as they rushed from their lodging hall.

'I pray there has been a wicked mistake,' Elfodd said.

'It is no mistake,' I told him. 'There are dead and wounded. The king wants you.'

'Yes, yes,' Elfodd replied quickly. 'We will do whatever we can. Are you returning to the shrine?'

'At once.'

'I will go with you.' Laying a hand on the shoulder of the nearest monk, he said, 'Brother Hywel, I leave you in authority.' He then ordered the monks to fetch balms and bandages and hasten to the shrine.

'Ride with me,' I said, putting down a hand for him. 'The way is short and we are soon there.'

Two monks hurried to the bishop's aid, and we were soon hastening back across the night-dark valley. Upon dismounting, we proceeded directly to the shrine, where Arthur was holding council with Myrddin and Bors by fluttering torchlight.

'As much as it pains us,' the Erne's was saying, 'it may be the truth.'

The High King stared at his Wise Counsellor, his face grim in the fluttering light of hissing torches.

'At least,' Bors said, softening Myrddin's pronouncement, 'what passes for the truth – until we find Llenlleawg and learn why he has behaved like this.'

Then it is true?' I asked. 'Llenlleawg is gone?'

Myrddin replied, 'He is not at the Tor.'

'It is a tragedy,' Bishop Elfodd said, breaking in. 'I am shocked beyond reason. I thought the shrine well protected. I never imagined one of the Guardians – '

'We are no less dismayed than you, bishop,' Myrddin said pointedly. 'What this moment requires, however, is your sympathy and support, not your reproach.'

The bishop accepted his reprimand with good grace. He inclined his head in acknowledgment of his error and said, 'I am deeply sorry, Lord Arthur, and I want you to know that I am placing myself and my brothers under your command. We will do all in our power to assist you in any way we can.'

Arthur thanked him and said, 'Your skills would best be employed aiding the wounded and praying for Llenlleawg's swift return.'

'The wounded will be cared for, of course,' the cleric replied, 'and I will immediately establish perpetual prayer for the recovery of the Holy Cup.' Glancing at Bors and Myrddin, he said, 'Please, send word if you need anything.' With that he hurried off to direct the monks who were helping with the injured and dead.

Cador returned from the Tor, lashing his horse up the hill at full gallop. Without even pausing to dismount, he leaned from the saddle, putting his head to Arthur's ear. Even while he spoke, the Pendragon's face changed. Now, I have seen the Bear of Britain in his rage before, but have never seen him like this: his face darkened, his jaw bulged, and the veins stood out on his neck and brow.

Seizing Cador by the arm, the king almost hauled him bodily from the saddle. 'My wife – gone?' he cried.

'She is nowhere to be found,' Cador replied, trying to keep his saddle. 'I stopped at the stables – the queen's horse is gone, along with Morgaws' and another.' He hesitated. 'The stablers were asleep, but one of them says he thinks he saw the queen take the horses. Mind, he was half asleep at the time.'

Added to what Myrddin had already said, it seemed the two witnesses were right: the king's champion had murdered his swordbrothers and stolen the Most Holy Grail. What is more, it appeared he had been aided in this atrocity by none other than the queen.

That Llenlleawg could perform such a treacherous act was unthinkable; that Gwenhwyvar should be party to it was impossible. Yet there it was – a double betrayal of such abhorrence the mind shrank from contemplation of it. There must be some other explanation, I determined. Morgaws is involved somehow; find her, and no doubt all would be explained.

I stepped quickly to join those at Arthur's side and await his command. Cador was saying, 'Avallach wanted to come here, but I persuaded him to remain at the palace. He instructed me to say that he will await the Pendragon's return in his chamber. Charis has gone on to the abbey to help the monks.' Duty discharged, Cador continued. 'It cannot be what it seems, Bear. We will find them, but until we do, we cannot know what really happened.'

'He speaks my thoughts entirely,' I said, speaking up. 'We should not judge by the appearance of the thing alone. It cannot be what it seems.'

'I pray you are right,' said Bors. 'God knows, I have trusted that man in the thick of the fight more times than I remember, and I cannot find it in my heart to doubt him now.'

'Until we find Llenlleawg,' said Myrddin, 'we will not discover what happened. Therefore, our best efforts are given to the search.'

'Rhys and Bedwyr have already begun,' snapped Arthur angrily.

'It will be daylight soon,' Bors observed, striving to sound brisk and confident. 'They will raise the trail, never fear. We will learn the truth before the day is out.'

Away in the east, the sky was greying with the dawn. 'Come, Arthur,' said Myrddin, taking the king by the arm, 'I want to see the shrine.' Together they started towards the shrine to examine the empty building and, I believe, to speak to each other alone.

'What would you have us do now?' Cador called after them.

'Bury the dead,' came Arthur's terse reply.

Silent with our own thoughts, we stood and watched the thin grey line turn to silver, and then blush bright red as the sun rose on the worst day I have known since Baedun Hill.