As Modred grew, Morgana—who had become known far and wide as the sorceress

Morgan Le Fay—passed on to him the knowledge she had learned from Merlin. She

prevailed upon the finest knights in the kingdom to teach him the skills of

physical combat. And then she brought him to Camelot, to take his place among

the Knights of the Round Table.

Arthur was always formally correct around him, but little more than mat. He

flinched visibly whenever his son came near him, and when they spoke, Arthur

was

always stiff with discomfort, distant in his tone. Modred was his shame, his

sin

come back to haunt him. And as Morgana had planned, Modred's bitter pain at

his

father's rejection of him laid the groundwork for her plot. Merlin had

revenged

himself on Gorlois through Uther, and now Morgana would revenge herself on

Uther's son through Modred. And as for Merlin, who had brought about her

mother's ruin and her father's death, Morgana had made other plans.

As his pupil she had learned all that she could from him, not only of his

thaumaturgic knowledge, but of his strengths and weaknesses as well. She took

on

pupils of her own, and from them she selected a young witch called Nimue,

whom

she had chosen for her elfin, sultry beauty and her descent from the De

Dannan

tribe. Under Morgana's guidance Nimue embarked upon a carefully conceived

plan

of seduction, and when Merlin was distracted and weakened by their lovemaking—

.

.

Billy chuckled. "You old—"

"Never mind," said Merlin. "Wizards need a little companionship, too, you

know."

"Are you sure it was just 'er company you 'ad in mind?" said Billy, grinning.

"Are you quite certain that you're only thirteen?" said Merlin.

"I'm old enough to know better an' young enough not to give a damn," said

Billy.

"Get back to the story. Sounds like we're gettin' to the good part."

"I've forgotten where we were again."

"Some bird 'ad you distracted," Billy said.

"Yes.. .I'll say she did," said Merlin. "And she was a far more clever little

witch than I ever gave her credit for."

Nimue cast a spell upon him, making him fall into a deep sleep. Morgana then

had

Merlin placed into the cleft of a giant oak tree, and mere she sealed him up,

to

sleep within a living tomb. While Merlin slept, immured in the enchanted

tree,

the world was once more plunged into barbarism. Kingdoms rose and fell. The

Dark