And Robert and Richard, scrambling up beside him, echoed the
cheer,--"Hurrah! Hurrah! Long live King Victor!"
"Our good King has come to Kisington at last!" cried Harold, turning
back into the library.
He had quite forgotten his warlike guest and why King Victor had come to
Kisington. Indeed, for the moment every one seemed to have forgotten Red
Rex. The Librarian, the Lord Mayor, and the other Leading Citizens had
disappeared, and the library seemed quite empty. But in one corner of
the alcove where the last story had been read, Red Rex was standing at
bay. He had drawn up before him a heavy table, behind which he stood,
sword in hand, one foot advanced, his red beard bristling.
"Yes, I am trapped!" snarled Red Rex. "You have caught me, boy. But you
shall pay for this!"
Harold and the Red King stood staring at one another. The _tramp, tramp_
of feet sounded on the staircase, coming nearer. Along the hall came the
tread. The door of the hall opened, and a martial group crossed the
threshold. Foremost came their King, King Victor himself, the splendid,
white-haired peace hero. The three boys dropped each on one knee before
him.
For a moment the King stood gazing about him mildly, without speaking.
He was tall and stately, but his eyes were kind, even merry, and with
all his dignity there was nothing to strike fear even into the heart of
a child. Presently his eyes caught the figure of the trapped War-Lord,
barricaded and at bay in the corner.
He stepped forward with a friendly air and held out his hand. "Welcome,
Cousin!" he said in a hearty voice.
Red Rex glared at him, fairly bristling with rage. "Do not mock me!" he
blustered. "I know well enough that I have been trapped and that the
word of the Lord Mayor of this town, given to me, will not count now.
But you shall not take me alive. I will slay the first who lays hand on
me!" He waved his sword furiously. Harold had never seen him look so
terrible.
"Nay, nay!" cried King Victor mildly. "You mistake, indeed, Cousin!"
But the enraged Red King would not listen, and went on with his wild
accusations.
"I have been trapped by children!" he raged. "Delayed by tales! Deceived
by promises! I trusted all these and disbanded my army, fool that I was!
But take me if you can!" Again he flourished his sword and ground his
teeth.
King Victor stood looking at the War-Lord without speaking. At last he
raised his hand with a grand gesture and said with emphasis and
sincerity, "You are making a great mistake, Cousin! You are not trapped.
The promise of the Lord Mayor is sacred. In my land a word is as good as
a treaty. You are quite free to go, if you list. But, indeed, we hope
you will deign to stay, as our honored guest. It is the first time you
have graced our Kingdom with your presence, Cousin. We long to be
friends with you; to see lasting peace between our neighboring lands."
"You come with an army," retorted Red Rex sullenly. "You came in
response to summons. You came to combat me."
"That is true," assented King Victor. "When we heard that Kisington was
besieged, we gathered together our peaceful army and hastened hither in
the interests of peace. But we arrive to find, instead of a bloody
siege, a peaceful King enjoying this library. We hasten to add our own
welcome to that of Kisington's Leading Citizens. We invite you to
remain, Cousin, and enjoy not only these but other treasures of our
Kingdom which it may be to your advantage to know better."
"If my army had not disbanded," blustered the War-Lord, "you would not
be speaking to me so debonairly."
"Maybe not, maybe not!" agreed King Victor.
"Yet, our volunteer police force embraces every citizen of our Kingdom.
We should have surrounded you without trouble or bloodshed, Cousin. We
could have persuaded your army by sheer force of numbers and opinion,
without doubt. But let us not think of that. Let us rather consider the
pleasanter things which surround us. Shall we not be friends, Cousin? We
know your Kingdom well. We have read and studied about it thoroughly in
our books. We have, indeed, traveled all over it in peaceful disguise.
Come, you ought to become as well acquainted with ours; then I am sure
we should never misunderstand one another again. Say, Cousin Rex, shall
it be?"
He advanced a step nearer the other, holding out his hand and smiling
genially. His sincerity was plain.
The War-Lord dropped his sword. "I believe you!" he cried, stepping
forward and grasping the proffered hand. "Cousin, Neighbor, let there be
peace between our whole kingdoms; even as we promised between myself and
Kisington."
"So be it!"
The two monarchs embraced in kingly fashion, and sat down in a retired
alcove for a pleasant chat.
It was not long before Harold was summoned to the pair. King Victor
received him kindly, and Red Rex grinned. "We have heard the tale of
your service to the State and to our Royal Friend, Harold," said King
Victor graciously. "We would fain give you a suitable reward, my brave
Bookworm. What shall it be? Tell me your wish."
Harold flushed and stammered. "I do not wish a reward for the little I
did, Sire," he said. "I had no thought of that. Indeed, it was a
pleasure to read for His Majesty."
"Yea, so we believe!" smiled the King. "Yet some reward we owe for your
true office. What shall it be?"
Harold hesitated, thinking. "Truly, for myself I ask nothing," he said.
"Yet, perhaps, Sire, you would help my mother, my dear mother, so that
she need not work so hard while I am learning to be a scholar."
"It shall be so!" cried the King. "She shall have a little maid to help
her; money to pay the rent, buy food and clothes and modest pleasures.
These shall she have. But for yourself, Harold? We must show you some
special favor, for our own comfort."
"Well," said Harold, "one thing I scarcely dare to ask. But I should
like more time to read in the library while His Majesty is here. Maybe I
could serve him better if I had not to go to school these days. May the
school children have a vacation of a week, Sire?"
"A fortnight!" cried King Victor, beaming. "It is the very pith of our
talk, my boy. For a week the King our Cousin is fain to tarry in
Kisington, and he asks no better than yourself to be his guide,
philosopher, and friend. Then for a week he will be my guest, traveling
with me over the Kingdom, visiting certain places whereabout you have
made him curious by your stories. He asks that you may go as his page.
Both these things are possible if we grant the school a fortnight's
recess. It shall be done. But still, this is little reward for your wise
doings, my boy. Ask something more."
"Then, Sire, I beg this," said Harold, with shining eyes. "Let Robert
and Richard go with me as assistant pages. That will be a merry vacation
for us all; no better boon could I ask!"
The King laughed merrily. "A boy's wish!" he said, "but it shall be
granted. Now, come hither, Harold." With these words King Victor threw
over the boy's shoulders a heavy gold chain with a cross hanging from
it. "'Blessed are the peacemakers,'" quoted King Victor. "Wear this,
Harold, a token from your grateful country. And with it goes the gift of
a hundred books, which you shall choose for yourself, to be the
beginning of a library of your own,--Book Wizard, as they call you!"
The bells of Kisington began to peal gayly and continuously, a triple
rejoicing. The beloved King being in town was sufficient reason for
festival. Therefore,--_Ding dong!_ Peace was declared forever between
the two neighboring nations. Therefore, _Ding dong! Ding dong!_ A
holiday for the school children of Kisington, Harold's friends.
Therefore,--_Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding dong!_
Harold went home to his mother with the glad news. And proud enough she
was of her lad when she heard why all the bells were ringing, and saw
his golden cross.