across, whose water had the stench of rotting things. On the other side stood an immensely tall man whose eyes glowed like coals in his shadowy face, and from whose mouth shot bright-green flames. The giant raised an axe above his head. The knight moved back far enough to get a running start, leapt over the well and caught the blow of the axe on his shield. He would have fallen into the water, had he not seized his opponent by the throat, holding him so tightly that the giant lost his footing. The White Knight turned him toward the edge of the well and threw him in.
A beautiful bronze statue of a woman now stood where the giant had been, holding two keys in her hands. An inscription on a column in the middle of the room read:
THE LARGE KEY
OPENS THIS PILLAR.
THE SMALL KEY WILL UNLOCK
THE PERILOUS CASKET.
He inserted the large key. Inside the column was the casket, from which came the anguished cries of people in torment; the whole chamber resonated with the sound. The knight crossed himself and, as he put the small key into the lock, a whirlwind erupted with terrifying force and a noise so overwhelming that he fell unconscious. When he revived, he stood up painfully, took the keys and started back. Where the well had been was only the stone floor; the three bronze figures had disappeared.
He made his way outside to where the people of the castle were all waiting. Their joy on seeing him was immeasurable. He went to place the keys on the altar of the chapel and then proceeded to the great hall.
The seneschal, stepping forward from the crowd, said, “There are no words to thank you, my lord. You have brought all our misfortunes to an end. The fortress is truly yours, and you are our undisputed lord.”
“Then the name of this fortress shall be changed,” the White Knight declared. “Henceforth it shall be known as Joyous Guard.”
The next morning there was sunlight everywhere. Gardens and orchards in bloom surrounded the castle, whose inhabitants felt that they, too, had been reborn. The days that followed were one splendid celebration.
The White Knight set out to rescue them. And he did. Alone he routed the castle’s well-armed force of more than a hundred men. By the time they realized that he was charging straight into them regardless of their number, he had killed so many that their companions simply fled. No one had seen so bold and forceful a warrior before. He had grown and changed since the Lady of the Lake had first sought to make him a knight, but, when the prisoners were released, Gawain knew to whom they owed their freedom. It was the very same youth, dressed all in white, whom he had once welcomed to King Arthur’s court. He fell to his knees before the White Knight, trying to thank him, but the knight would not allow it: “I have never forgotten your kindness to me, my lord.”
“Will you come with me now and let the court rejoice to see you again?”
“Not now, my lord. I must go and put things in order in my domain,” he answered. “Please give the king and queen my respectful greetings.” He bade them all farewell and rode away.
“Sir,” said the king, “I have had no overlord except God, and I will not accept one now.”
“Then you must lose your honor and your lands.”
“God willing, I shall not.”
“In that case, King Arthur, my lord formally challenges you, and will be in your domain within the month. Nor will he leave again before he has taken from you all that you possess, including your peerless queen.”
“Lord knight,” replied the king, “I think that I need not be unduly worried. Let both sides do their best, and we shall see what happens.”
As the knight was leaving, he turned back at the door, looked straight toward the king, and said, “I grieve for you!” Then he rode away with his company of knights.
King Arthur asked his nephew, Gawain, if he had ever seen this Galehaut. He had not, and neither had several other knights who were there. But Galegantis of Wales, who had traveled widely, came forward and said, “My lord, I have indeed seen Galehaut, and he stands taller than any knight in the world. Everyone who has met him says that no one could be nobler, more gracious or more generous than he, nor has anyone of his age been so triumphant in war. He has the love of all his people. The very kings he has vanquished are now his staunchest allies. I am not saying, of course, that he is likely to defeat you. God forbid that that should happen! I would rather die instead. But Galehaut is indeed a great and formidable foe.”
“Five thousand men.”
“Tell your lady that I will leave here tonight or tomorrow morning.”
His men advised him to wait until he could summon more knights, but he said, “I will never stand by idly when one of my vassals is attacked!” So with only seven hundred he set out, having sent messengers to all who owed him service. To reach their destination would take several days of hard riding.
Galehaut heard that King Arthur was arriving with only a small army. His own, apart from the horsemen, had many foot soldiers, well armed and equipped with iron-tipped arrows. They had surrounded themselves with iron nets, and thus could not be attacked from the rear.
