The Circle of the Gods (26 page)

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Authors: Victor Canning

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He raised his eyes in wonder at the sight and saw that Merlin, too, had seen the colouring. They looked at each other without words and then Merlin smiled gently. The White One, suddenly raising her head, whinnied high and fiercely and cantered across the marjoram- and thyme-laced turf.

From the dip in the land to the east there rose then the sharp, echoing call of a horn. Over the crest of the land came the leading troop of Arturo's companions with Lancelo at its head, the white-horse banner streaming in the rising morning breeze, and behind him, cloaked and scarved and helmeted, moved the ranks of the companions with scarlet and white plumes tossing and swaying.

Merlin, speaking almost as though to himself, said, “Your people come and there is no more need of me. But there will come a day when I shall be with you in an hour of your own choosing when the war horns shall blow neither for victory nor for defeat, but to set echoes rolling forevermore over this land to give your name everlasting life while you take the long sleep which the gods have decreed for you.”

But as he spoke, a great weariness and weakness seized Arturo and the chalice fell from his hands as he passed into the first sleep which would stage him well on the road to full force and proud intent again.

List of Place and Tribal Names

ANCIENT MODERN

Abona
Abonae
Abus
Anderida
Antivestaeum
Aquae Sulis
Ariconium
Atrebates

R. Avon
Bristol
R. Humber
Pevensey
Land's End
Bath
Weston-under-Penyard
Middle Thames Valley tribe

Belerium

Land's End

Belgae

West Country tribe

Brigantes

Tribe holding lands north of York
from coast to coast

Caer Sibli

Lundy Island

Calcaria

Tradcaster

Calleva

Silchester

Camulodunum

Colchester

Cantawarra

Canterbury

Cantiaci

Kent tribe

Catuvellauni

Essex tribe also holding lands
northwest of London

Clausentium

Bitterne

Corinium

Cirencester

Coritani

Cornovii
Crococalana
Cunetio
Cymro

Cheshire-Staffordshire tribe
Brough
Mildenhall
Wales

Demetae
Deva
Dubglas
Dumnonia
Durnovaria
Durobrivae
Durocornovium
Durolipons
Durotriges
Durovernum
Durovigutum

Eburacum
Erin
Eurium

York
Ireland
Usk

Southwest Wales tribe
Chester
R. Witham
Cornwall and Devon
Dorchester
Rochester
Wanborough
Cambridge
Somerset-Dorset tribe
Canterbury
Godmanchester

Lincoln-Leicestershire tribe

Glevum
Gobannium

Gloucester
Abergavenny

Hercules'Promontory Hartland Point

Iceni
Ictis
Isca
Ituna

Norfolk-East Anglia tribe
St. Michael's Mount
Exeter
Solway Firth

Lactodorum
Lavobrinta
Lemanis
Lindinis
Lindum

Towcaster
Forden Gaer (Wales)
Lympne
Ilchester
Lincoln

Londinium
Lugovalium
Luteria

London
Carlisle
Paris

Metatis
Mona
Moridunum

The Wash
Anglesey
Carmarthen

Nemetostatio
Nidum
Novantae
Noviomagus

North Tawton
Neath
Dumfries tribe
Chichester

Ocelli
Olicana
Ordovices

Flambrough Head
Ilkley
North Wales tribe

Parisi
Petuaria
Picts
Pontes
Protus Adurni

East Yorkshire tribe
Brough (Humber)
The Scots
Staines
Porchester

Ratae
Regnenses
Rutupiae

Leicester
Hampshire-Sussex tribe
Richborough

Sabrina
Salinae
Scotti
Segontium
Sorviodunum
Spinis.

Tamarus
Tamesis

R. Tamar
R. Thames

R. Severn
Droitwich
The Irish
Caernarvon
Old Sarum (Salisbury)
Speen

Tanatus
Tisobis
Trinovantes
Turius

Thanet
R. Glaslyn
Essex-East Anglia tribe
R. Towy

Vectis
Venta
Verlucio
Verulamium
Vindocladia
Vindolandia

Isle of Wight
Winchester
Sandy Lane
St. Albans
Badbury Rings
Chesterholm.

Yyns-witrin Glastonbury

Copyright

First published in 1977 by Heinemann

This edition published 2012 by Bello an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR Basingstoke and Oxford Associated companies throughout the world

www.panmacmillan.com/imprints/bello
www.curtisbrown.co.uk

ISBN 978-1-4472-3466-1 EPUB
ISBN 978-1-4472-3465-4 POD

Copyright © Victor Canning, 1977

The right of Victor Canning to be identified as the
author of this work has been asserted in accordance
with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Every effort has been made to contact the copyright holders of the material reproduced in this book. If any have been inadvertently overlooked, the publisher will be pleased to make restitution at the earliest opportunity.

You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The Macmillan Group has no responsibility for the information provided by any author websites whose address you obtain from this book (‘author websites').

The inclusion of author website addresses in this book does not constitute an endorsement by or association with us of such sites or the content, products, advertising or other materials presented on such sites.

This book remains true to the original in every way. Some aspects may appear out-of-date to modern-day readers. Bello makes no apology for this, as to retrospectively change any content would be anachronistic and undermine the authenticity of the original.

Bello has no responsibility for the content of the material in this book. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not constitute an endorsement by, or association with, us of the characterization and content.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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