The Crystal Cave
THE CRYSTAL CAVE
The Crystal Cave catapults readers into the fifth century - with all the life, colour and readability of Mary Stewart’s modern fiction. Many historical novelists can present a past age as a splendid pageant or costume play, but only a born story-teller can get inside it and move there as freely as in her own. This is not a story to be read once, however eagerly, and then forgotten. Its imaginative truth will stand the test of time.
Who was Merlin? Was he the enchanter of fairy-tale, even of the comic strips, the magician in the black robe, the pointed hat and wand? Or was he the king and prophet of the old legends of Brittany and Wales? How did a man reputed to be the son of the Prince of Darkness, and condemned to death as a child of the Devil, become the guardian of Arthur and chief architect of the first united Britain?
This is the story, told by himself, of Merlin the enchanter and of the vision which led him towards the light in a fifth century Britain torn by divided loyalties both physical and spiritual. It is the story of a man impelled by forces of which he only gradually becomes aware. It begins in the chaos of post-Roman Britain and ends with the begetting of Arthur.
MARY STEWART
The Crystal Cave
www.hodder.co.uk
First published in Great Britain in 1970 by Hodder & Stoughton
An Hachette UK company
Copyright © Mary Stewart 1970
The right of Mary Stewart to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library
ISBN 9781444737493
Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
338 Euston Road
London NW1 3BH
www.hodder.co.uk
To the Memory of
MOLLIE CRAIG
with my love
CONTENTS
Preface
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication page
MAPS
Prologue: THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS
Book I: THE DOVE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
Book II: THE FALCON
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
Book III: THE WOLF
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN