Sirius and Perseus looked at Inuyasha in surprise even as the rest of the group looked tactfully away.
Kagome looked at Inuyasha as though she was stung.
Why was he making her out to be the bad person?
Come to think of it, Inuyasha had been acting strange ever since they had started on the trip.
Could it be that he's worried about Kikyou? Is he holding me responsible for leaving her in danger?
They had all agreed to help Sirius didn't they? Why single her out?
"Come now, Inuyasha," Miroku came forward, "I'm sure all of us are on the same side here."
"I, for one, am at a loss," Inuyasha snarled at Sirius, "If this Arthur person is as bad as you're making him out to be, why bother saving him at all?"
Sirius sighed.
"The King is no saint; I'll be the first to admit. But he is the only one who can command the Round Table – who can unite Britain, and rid this territory of the vile Saxons. Under his rule, this country has acquired Ireland, Iceland and the Orkney Islands. Norway and Gaul are all but annexed. He even plans to march against Tiberius, who is sitting upon the throne of Rome as we speak. A monarch has seldom brought such power, such glory to our people. When the borders are secure, trade will flourish; when the people are at peace, the economy will prosper. See you not, that the King is greater, much greater than his vices? Aye, Britain will have much to lose by losing her King."
Sirius looked earnestly at Inuyasha, who became silent but still wore a frown on his face.
"And just who is the Black Lady?" Sango asked Sirius.
A dark shadow marred the latter's handsome face. "She is a sorceress. Lives at the edge of the forest, by the river. Forbidden Tower, the place is called – the one I showed you earlier from the roof. No man that has entered the Tower has come out of it alive."
"Not just men, Sirius!" protested Perseus, "There were child murders – of the most heinous sort. It all started with little Johannes and Margaret. Stepmother used to make them work on the fields all day. Didn't come home one day. Whole neighbourhood was out searching for them. Under the copper beeches they were found, two days later. Strangled, they'd been. It makes me shiver still to think of it. And then there were others. Not for a month or two sometimes. And then there'd be another one. Sometimes they found the children at once and sometimes they wouldn't find them for weeks, sometimes not at all. Just half-rotten corpses, bloody clothes, bones – that sort."
A cloud was passing over the moon. Kagome shivered.
"It is said that the Black Lady is the one controlling Mordred," Sirius resumed in a grave tone of voice, "Power is what she desires, limitless power. Her birds feed on the creatures of the forest, but they dare not hunt the humans – at least not on a large scale – while the knights are on guard. That's why she wants to take over the kingdom and make it a feasting ground for the beasts. Legend has it, that the day those birds feed upon a thousand souls, she will sacrifice them and drink their blood in order to become immortal."
"Why does she murder the children? As offerings to the birds?" Kagome asked.
Sirius could only shrug.
"What religion do the people follow here?" Miroku asked Kagome in sotto voce.
"This is the sixth century, so Christianity has probably been introduced to England, but the people by and large still follow their pagan rituals," Kagome replied.
"Ugh! Arthur, Mordred, the unfaithful queen and the adulterous knight, murdered children, children sent on a ship, the Dark Lady and her demon birds – it's all mixed up in the most glorious kind of hasty pudding!" Inuyasha complained, clutching his head.
Sirius gave a low chuckle. Kagome drew her breath sharply – the care-worn face had in a moment transformed into a youthful, handsome one. Inuyasha followed her glance, his scowl deepening.
"I'm afraid Perseus and I have imparted too much information at once. Pray, do not tax your brains." Sirius paused for breath. "Mordred journeys forth to Rome in three days. Once there, he will have his hands full, for Tiberius is a mighty foe. Nobody knows if he will even return to Camelot. The danger, therefore, lies in these intervening days. If somehow we can keep Mordred from exposing Her Majesty…will you lend me your support?"
Sirius looked directly at Inuyasha. Molten gold met dark amber, an unspoken message passing silently between the two.
Inuyasha nodded his head in the affirmative.