"Je suis le cheval royal Abelard!".
Team 2 was cheering loudly for Pauline. Crowley was whipping tears from his cheeks. "Well done, Pauline. Team 1 scores one point!"
Halt looked stunned. "Something wrong, Halt?" Duncan asked.
Then the coin dropped. Halt turned towards Pauline: "I thought your Gallican was better, dear."
Pauline raised an eyebrow.
"For a moment, I thought you said Abelard. But you mistake cheval for chien. Le chien royal Abel!" He pointed to the two dogs lying in front of the fireplace. Ebony looked up and shook her head.
Now everyone was laughing even harder.
"It's that kind of gameā¦.". Halt glared at the others.
After everyone had calmed down, Pauline took the next note from Crowley. She took a sharp breath in and passed in on to Halt. "What? I thought this was supposed to be a fair and fun game!". Horace grabbed the note from his hands and grinned: "Don't you have fun memories about these Halt?" and passed the note to Cassandra.
"Are you ready Alyss?" Crowley asked. Alyss nodded. "The floor is yours then!"
"Pauline, can you find me in the forest?"
"I'm not much of a tracker, dear. However, I'm sure you track me."
"Halt, are you scared of me?"
"No."
"Halt..." Duncan intervened.
"Yes, your majesty?".
"May I remind you of the one rule about answering the questions?".
"Why would that be necessary? You wouldn't be so silly to fear a dead animal, would you?"
Pauline put her hand on Halt's arm. "Enough, dear."
Jenny quickly jumped in: "Horace, since Alyss is dead, I might turn her into your dinner. How would you prefer me to serve her? Cooked, grilled, in a stove, raw perhaps?"
Horace looked helplessly at Halt. Halt looked at Duncan, smiling dangerously: "Isn't that question against the yes-or-no-rule?"
But before Duncan could speak, Cassandra answered: "All no's. Put her on a barbecue!"
Will whispered something in Gilan's ear. Gilan grinned and asked Halt: "Is it difficult to kill Alyss? Or would, let's say, one arrow suffice for a decent archer?"
"Stupid apprentices. Always asking two questions at once." Halt sighted. Horace laughed. Halt glared at him: "May I remind you that the statistics for rangers are better than for knights?"
Crowley rang the bell. "Alyss, tell us, who are you?"
