"
The new-comer lowted before them again, and said in a small voice,
and as one who was shy and somewhat afeared: "Lords, I can tell many
a tale concerning that Well, and them who have gone on the quest thereof.
And the first thing I have to tell is that the way thereto is
through Utterness, and that I can be a shower of the way and a leader
to any worthy knight who listeth to seek thither; and moreover,
I know of a sage who dwelleth not far from the town of Utterness,
and who, if he will, can put a seeker of the Well on the right road."
He looked askance on Ralph, whose face flushed and whose eyes glittered
at that word. But Clement said: "Yea, that seemeth fair to look to:
but hark ye! Is it not so that the way to Utterness is perilous?"
Said the man: "Thou mayst rather call it deadly, to any who is
not furnished with a let-pass from the Lord of Utterbol, as I am.
But with such a scroll a child or a woman may wend the road unharmed."
"Where hast thou the said let-pass?" said Clement. "Here," quoth
the new-comer; and therewith he drew a scroll from out of his pouch,
and opened it before them, and they read it together, and sure enough it
was a writing charging all men so let pass and aid Morfinn the Minstrel
(of whose aspect it told closely), under pain of falling into
the displeasure of Gandolf, Lord of Utterbol; and the date thereon
was but three months old.
Said Clement: "This is good, this let-pass: see thou,
Ralph, the seal of Utterbol, the Bear upon the Castle Wall.
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