"Ha--then you'll know nought of their nature and use, lord?"
"Nought, Giles. Ne'er have I seen their like until now."
"Say ye so, brother?" cried Giles full eager, his brown eyes a-kindle, "say ye so in very truth? Then--an it be so thy wish--I might instruct thee vastly, for there is no man in the world to-day shall discourse you more fluent and learned upon siege-craft, engines and various tormenta than I. So--an it be thy wish, lord--?"
"It is my wish: say on, Giles."
"Why then firstly, lord, firstly we have the great Mangon or mangonel, fundis fundibula, that some do also term catapultum, the which worketh by torsion and shall heave you great stones of the bigness of a man fully two hundred yards an it be dry weather; next is the Trebuchet, like to the mangon save that it swingeth by counterpoise; next cometh the Balista or Springald that worketh by tension--a pretty weapon! and shall shoot you dart or javelin so strong as shall transpierce you six lusty fellows at a time, hauberk and shield, like so many fowl upon a spit--very sweet to behold, brother! Then have we the Bore or Cat that some again do name musculus or mouse for that it gnaweth through thick walls--and some do call this hog, sow, scrofa or sus, brother, and some again, vulpes.
"And this Cat is a massy pole that beareth a great and sharp steel point, the which, being mounted within a pent-house, swingeth merrily to and fro, much like to a ram, brother, and shall blithely pick you a hole through stone and mortar very pleasing to behold. Then we have the Ram, cancer testudo, that battereth; next we have the Tower or Beffroi that goeth on wheels--yonder you shall see them a-building. And these towers, moving forward against your city, shall o'ertop the walls and from them archers and cross-bowmen may shoot into your town what time their comrades fill up and dam your moat until the tower may come close unto your walls. And these towers, being come against the wall, do let fall drawbridges over which the besiegers may rush amain and carry your walls by assault. Lastly, there be Mantlets--stakes wattled together and covered with raw-hide--by the which means the besiegers make their first approaches. Then might I descant at goodly length upon the Mine and Furnace, with divers and sundry other stratagems, devices, engines and tormenta, but methinks this shall mayhap suffice thee for the nonce?"
"Aye, verily--'twill suffice!" said Beltane, rising. "Truly war is even more terrible than I had thought."
"Why lord, 'tis an art--a notable art and--ha! this doth mind me of my heart, heigho! And of all terrible things, of all the woes and ills man-hearts may know is--love. O me, alack and woe!"