carved to look like a part of the forest, and it was difficult to tell where Malvern left off and the house began.
A dark-haired woman opened the door before Kay had a chance to knock. “Come in an' be welcome,” she said. “David's waiting. Varden's already here.”
“Elves are always so prompt,” said Kay.
“How are Ma and Da?” said the woman.
“Fine, Charlotte, though we nearly lost a brother this morning.” In a few words, Kay told his sister of the incident at the forge.
“Why, bless her,” said Charlotte. “I knew she had a good streak in her a league wide. Mick's all right then?”
“Good as a new nail. He ate a pound of meat and a loaf of bread to settle his nerves . . . so he said.” Kay chuckled. “And now he's back at work.”
“I should go an' visit Miriam,” said Charlotte. “To thank her.”
Kay shrugged. “It might be best to wait.”
Charlotte nodded. “I understand. Go on into the shop, then. I'll have some beer for you all in a jiffy.”
Kay and Andrew went through the house and into David's workroom. The carver and Varden were standing in front of two large, canvas-draped panels, chatting.
David was a thin man with a sharp nose. “Hello, hello,” he said when he saw the new arrivals. “I'm very glad you could come.” He rubbed his hands together gleefully. “Normally, I don't show anybody my work until it's finished, but I think you'll all enjoy this.” He paused, considered, and added: “Or be dreadfully offended. I'm not sure which.”
Charlotte bustled in with the beer. She handed out the mugs, took one herself, and sat down on a bench to watch.
David began untying the ropes that held the canvas in place on the panels. “You all remember Jaques Alban and how he wanted me to carve a crucifix for the church—“
Kay spoke up from behind his beer. “It's come to my attention, David, my son, that we still have only a blank wooden cross over the altar.”
David paused. “And when the roof beams finally fall in, we'll still have only a blank wooden cross.” He spoke lightly, but the memory obviously pained him. Kay quickly apologized.
“Never mind,” said the carver, waving his hand as if to chase off an annoying fly. He pulled several knots loose. “But that's why we have a statue of the Lady in the church instead. Kay asked me, though, as a favor, if I might carve some panels to go behind the altar. And as a favor, I agreed. Providing, of course, that I chose the subject matter.”
“Being very naive and foolish,” said Kay, who was starting to worry, “I assumed David would carve something edifying. From the lives of the saints, or something like that.”
“Well,” said David. “Something like that.” He reached back to his belt, pulled out a knife, and sawed through the bindings. “Anyway, since I wound up working for the Church after all, I decided to commemorate the first attempt.” He climbed up a ladder to the top of the panels, cut the last knot, and held the canvas with his hands. “The final finishing will take a little while, but I wanted to get some opinions.” They were all waiting. David shrugged a little. “Well, here it is.”
He dropped the canvas.
Varden smiled. Kay put his hand to his mouth. Andrew laughed.
“Are you really taller than Varden?” said Andrew. “Or is that vanity?”
“I made them stand back-to-back,” said Charlotte. “David's taller.”
“How about Alban?” Andrew pointed.
“Oh,” said David. “I don't really remember how tall he was. So I guessed. Varden and I were both taller than him when Varden was through, though.”
Kay still had his hand over his mouth. He was not sure what to say.
“Kay?” David sounded worried.
Kay dropped his had after a while. “They're . . . lovely,” he said. “It will take some getting used to. And it'll remind me to watch my step.”
“I meant no offense.”
“None taken.” Kay stepped a little closer, looked at the first, then at the second
A dark-haired woman opened the door before Kay had a chance to knock. “Come in an' be welcome,” she said. “David's waiting. Varden's already here.”
“Elves are always so prompt,” said Kay.
“How are Ma and Da?” said the woman.
“Fine, Charlotte, though we nearly lost a brother this morning.” In a few words, Kay told his sister of the incident at the forge.
“Why, bless her,” said Charlotte. “I knew she had a good streak in her a league wide. Mick's all right then?”
“Good as a new nail. He ate a pound of meat and a loaf of bread to settle his nerves . . . so he said.” Kay chuckled. “And now he's back at work.”
“I should go an' visit Miriam,” said Charlotte. “To thank her.”
Kay shrugged. “It might be best to wait.”
Charlotte nodded. “I understand. Go on into the shop, then. I'll have some beer for you all in a jiffy.”
Kay and Andrew went through the house and into David's workroom. The carver and Varden were standing in front of two large, canvas-draped panels, chatting.
David was a thin man with a sharp nose. “Hello, hello,” he said when he saw the new arrivals. “I'm very glad you could come.” He rubbed his hands together gleefully. “Normally, I don't show anybody my work until it's finished, but I think you'll all enjoy this.” He paused, considered, and added: “Or be dreadfully offended. I'm not sure which.”
Charlotte bustled in with the beer. She handed out the mugs, took one herself, and sat down on a bench to watch.
David began untying the ropes that held the canvas in place on the panels. “You all remember Jaques Alban and how he wanted me to carve a crucifix for the church—“
Kay spoke up from behind his beer. “It's come to my attention, David, my son, that we still have only a blank wooden cross over the altar.”
David paused. “And when the roof beams finally fall in, we'll still have only a blank wooden cross.” He spoke lightly, but the memory obviously pained him. Kay quickly apologized.
“Never mind,” said the carver, waving his hand as if to chase off an annoying fly. He pulled several knots loose. “But that's why we have a statue of the Lady in the church instead. Kay asked me, though, as a favor, if I might carve some panels to go behind the altar. And as a favor, I agreed. Providing, of course, that I chose the subject matter.”
“Being very naive and foolish,” said Kay, who was starting to worry, “I assumed David would carve something edifying. From the lives of the saints, or something like that.”
“Well,” said David. “Something like that.” He reached back to his belt, pulled out a knife, and sawed through the bindings. “Anyway, since I wound up working for the Church after all, I decided to commemorate the first attempt.” He climbed up a ladder to the top of the panels, cut the last knot, and held the canvas with his hands. “The final finishing will take a little while, but I wanted to get some opinions.” They were all waiting. David shrugged a little. “Well, here it is.”
He dropped the canvas.
Varden smiled. Kay put his hand to his mouth. Andrew laughed.
“Are you really taller than Varden?” said Andrew. “Or is that vanity?”
“I made them stand back-to-back,” said Charlotte. “David's taller.”
“How about Alban?” Andrew pointed.
“Oh,” said David. “I don't really remember how tall he was. So I guessed. Varden and I were both taller than him when Varden was through, though.”
Kay still had his hand over his mouth. He was not sure what to say.
“Kay?” David sounded worried.
Kay dropped his had after a while. “They're . . . lovely,” he said. “It will take some getting used to. And it'll remind me to watch my step.”
“I meant no offense.”
“None taken.” Kay stepped a little closer, looked at the first, then at the second
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