Merlin Has a Secret: Excerpt from Lancelot and the Tides of Time

In Lancelot and the Tides of Time, the story takes place in three different worlds.  The Lady of the Lake's Kingdom where Lancelot serves as a bodyguard to Mabuz, the lady's son; Camelot, and a future Camelot that is about to be destroyed unless the lineage of King Rodney can be spared and the promised peace maker is born.  Lancelot and Merlin both weave their way in and out of all three worlds in both past, present, and future.  The book is an exciting science fiction/ fantasy Arthurian legend told in an entirely different way.

You can purchase it at www.buckscountypublishing.com

I'm excited.  I'm going to get a royalty check next month.  I would like for it to be bigger, so please purchase Lancelot in ebook or paperback formula.

Here's an excerpt:

“Look at me. How many people do you think would actually want to protect a brat like me?” Mabuz asked.

“I understand what you mean.” Lancelot laughed.

“Be careful. I’m a prince. I could have you executed for disrespect.”

“If you survived long enough to issue the order.”

“I realize that. Besides, I like you.”

“Didn’t you like the other guys?”

“I never got the chance. Most didn’t pass the tests. Those that did got killed soon after or arrested and then executed.”

“Executed?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Am I going to be arrested?”

“That’s up to you.”

They emerged from the woods onto a heavily traveled road.

“We’re almost there. Look.”

Mabuz pointed up the road.

“I don’t see anything.” That wasn’t entirely true. He saw a huge cliff with water cascading down the face of it  and splashing into a large lake below. Instead of gently rising banks, sheer cliffs surrounded the lake. If Lancelot had been a painter or a singer, he would have painted the place or written a song about it. However, Lancelot was really just a knight and didn’t notice any inherent beauty in the place.

“It’s the entrance to the castle.”

“Where?”

“You have so much to learn. My mother is the Lady of the Lake. You don’t think she’s going to have a

drawbridge, do you?”

“I see.” Lancelot paused but then he said, “No, no I don’t.”

“Follow me.” Mabuz broke into a run. Lancelot followed.

“Wait for me,” he called after Mabuz, but Mabuz simply sped up.

Lancelot thought the boy would stop once he got to the edge of the lake, but the little brat had another surprise for him.

He raced to the edge of the cliff and dove straight off into the water just as Lancelot caught up to him. He sliced through the air and cut cleanly into the water barely making a splash.

“Stop this idiocy,” Lancelot called out. He waited for the boy to surface, but after several minutes passed, the boy did not.

“Not again!” Lancelot looked at the sheer drop, closed his eyes, and jumped as far out from the ledge as

possible.

He swallowed his stomach as he dropped; then the cold water swallowed him. He sank for several seconds before he got his wits about him. He opened his eyes and looked everywhere for Mabuz. The child was nowhere to be seen. His lungs near bursting, Lancelot decided he would have to act fast if he were going to survive. He saw a light straight ahead and swam for it. When he swam through it, he still was underwater. Panicked now, he kicked upward not even sure if he could get to the surface even if one existed.

Suddenly, he burst through the water into air andgasped for breath.

“What took you so long?” Mabuz asked. The boy sat calmly on the bank.

“What the –“ Lancelot looked behind the boy and spied a massive, white castle.

“We’re home,” Mabuz said. “Now for the last test.”

“I’m tired of your tests,” Lancelot said.

The gate of the castle swung open. Lancelot watched as a group of six horsemen rode toward him. He reached for his sword and touched the hilt, amazed that it still hung at his side.

“My mother’s soldiers.”

The rider reigned in. One of them swung down from the horse and pulled off a helmet.

“Greetings, Lancelot. I am Bella.”

Lancelot stared. Bella was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

***

Merlin awoke sometime later. His shoulder throbbed.

He lay in an overstuffed bed in a white room. He looked down and saw a needle stuck in his hand. A clear tube was attached to the needle.

“I have work to do,” he said and jerked the needle  out of his hand. He sat up. For a second he went gray and nearly passed out, but the feeling passed. He whispered a spell and felt strength seep into his body and the pain seep out. He stood.

A woman hurried into the room. “Ambassador, you can’t leave here.”

“I’m sorry, woman, but I can’t stay here.” He brushed past her and left the building.

Within minutes, he arrived at the castle and strode through the gates toward the meeting room. Two guards at the door started to protest.

“Don’t even think about it,” he said and pushed past them into the room.

Several men sat at a round table.

One of them stood. “Ambassador. We’re surprised to see you.”

“I just bet you are. One of you tried to assassinate me. I don’t know which one, but I know why.”

“What are you talking about?” One young man glared at Merlin. “Why is it that everything with you is

some kind of political conspiracy? Thugs attacked you. If the mayors of this republic knew how to police their cities, it would never have happened.”

“I suppose your place is a paradise on earth.”  Another man growled. He stood as if he would attack the

first man. The first man stood also. “We keep our scum in prison; we don’t put them in ruling positions.”

“Shut up, both of you. I have news of the utmost importance,” Merlin said. “I have studied the prophecies.”

“Prophecies! Do we rely on black magic and the ancient myths to run our republic?” the first man asked.

“The prophecies are holy writings.” The chair of the council, Rodney, stood.

“Daddy!” A little girl’s voice rang out as an interior door swung open. A toddler walked into the room.

“Liz! What are you doing here?” He tried to be harsh but didn’t quite succeed. “Inga!” he called out, his voice sharp and agitated.

A woman hurried into the room. “I’m sorry, Rodney. She sneaked away from me.”

He smiled. “I’ll talk to you later, Liz. Right now, go with your momma.”

The girl’s lip quivered and water filled her eyes. Her mother picked her up and hurried from the room.

“You were saying?”

Merlin felt a twinge of sadness and jealousy as the door closed behind the two.

“The prophecies are true. You all know it in your hearts even if you want to ignore them. You and Inga will be the grandparents of a great and wise king, one who will bring peace to this republic.”

“Peace. I have prayed for peace, but it has not come. Even now civil unrest foments on the outer boundaries.”

“Listen to me, all of you. The council of Tolemach has within its power the ability to insure a safe and

prosperous future.”

“What must we do?”

“You must unite. You must see to it that the house of Rodney survives. If the lineage is destroyed, the world will fall into a darkness you cannot even begin to imagine.”

Rodney said, “Gentlemen, you have heard the report. As for me, I believe it. We should break so that you can contact your respective assemblies. We will meet again tomorrow. Will you be here?” Rodney’s expression as he addressed Merlin was a mixture of awe, fear, and anger.

“I don’t know. I will be where I am.”

He watched the council disperse. “Excuse me, Rodney.”

He hurried out the door after them and caught up with one of them in particular. He was a young man with dark hair and eyes like Merlin’s, so blue they looked silver.

Merlin took his arm. The man whirled around.

“What do you want?”

“I would like to see Ilsa.”

“She is sick.”

“I can help her.”

“You would make her sicker.”

“I need to talk to her.”

“You won’t get anything you need from me. If you come close to my castle, I will have you killed.”

“You don’t understand me at all.”

“I understand you perfectly.” He whirled and walked away. Depression sank over Merlin. He did not at that particular moment believe that anything in life made it worth the living.