Orlando in Love, Episode 37: Escape From Al-braka; or, Out of the Frying Pan... This time when skies are most serene, that dresses little trees in green, when earth and air are full of love, fair flowers, and the songs of birds, urges me, too, to longing verse and asks that I renew for you the mighty feats and valiant deeds Orlando once performed for love. Orlando, that brave paladin, who wields the great sword Durindan, has traveled far into the east. Orlando travels towards his love, the beautiful Angelica, Orlando knows Angelica's within Al-braka's lofty walls, a fortress-city, where she is~beseiged by many Saracens. The Count rides to relieve her plight. A friend now travels by his side, the warrior named Brandymart, whom he had taught the Christain faith. With them as well, is his /friend's/ love, the lady Fiordiligi. -- They reached Al-braka's walls and saw~four armies camped along the plain. Torindo, king of Turks, was there, Caraman, and king Marigotto, and Menadarb, the sultan who all Syria and Egypt ruled. The meadow overflowed with tents -- so huge a force was never seen, and all those miscreants had come to torment and to kill one maiden. All -- for one grievance or another -- advanced upon Angelica. -- Orlando saw the multitudes amassed upon the slope and plain, and though he much desired -- he burned -~ to battle (he was more than ready) he wished to see Angelica and sought to pass the camp in peace. He hid within a nearby wood~until the night grew dark, and then~Orlando, who knew well the way, went safely to the citadel. After she saw the Count, the maid~no longer cared for all the world. Don't ask me if she felt relieved, for she believed that he'd been slain. When he /returned,/ Angelica affectionately welcomed him. She told him that her fortress held~but little in the way of stores. They can't hold out for very long, and they require new strategies to liberate them from that siege. She asks the Count to get her out, and bring her with him to fair France, escaping her attackers here. The Count could hardly disagree (not that he gave it too much thought) and all prepared to leave that night. -- Around the citadel, they left~torches that burned on towers and spires, so it seemed there was still a guard. Then through the shadowy, dark air, unhindered, they traversed the camp; But after every star grew dim and the red light of day appeared, no longer covered by dark night, they ordered and arranged their flight. Their band is twenty, more or less, made up of maidens, men, and knights; all who'd remained inside Al-braka. This company divided, as~everyone chose a different path. Brandymart and Fiordiligi stayed with Angelica and the Count, and these four went their separate way. They traveled practically all day -- till three o'clock at least -- and met~no one, and no impediment. The day had heated up by then, so they dismounted from their horses under a fair field's shady pine, though neither knight removed his harness. The Count and Brandymart were armed and, not afraid of any harm,~they sat at ease. They talked of love -- then they heard pandemonium. -- They stood and saw, not far away, many men riding in formation, galloping, stretched across the plain, with banners streaming in the wind. It's the great sultan Menadarb, and Torindo with his Turkish troops, the ones who'd ringed the citadel; they'd burned it to the ground this day. After they had discerned at dawn that there was no one left inside, they entered in a mighty storm and burned that splendid fortress down. Then Menadarb had made a vow to catch that girl for some foul sport! Torindo followed him, and Caraman~trailed not too far behind. -- Orlando, watching all those men who galloped fast across the plain, found his mind greatly disconcerted: He did not fear for his _own_ life, but was concerned about the maidens. But Brandymart showed not a care. He told the Count, {Saracen knight} (R) "Now rresst assured, that ef yoo doo what I suggest, that rrabble wohn't be worth a feeg. "As yoo can see, (R) I have a steed~ass good ass any in the East, and therre'ss no knight among thosse men who iss my equal, one on one! "I'll stay behind, herre on the path; (R) Yoo and the ladiess go ahead, and I'll arrange, by worrds or deedss, some time forr yoo to get away." Orlando sees this plan is sound, though it seems wrong to leave his friend. But in the end he turned his reins to make that cavalier content. He rode between the ladies and~left Brandymart upon the path. -- Onward the endless army came -- suspecting nothing -- down the plain. King Marigotto rides out front, spurring his large and dappled horse more than an arrow's flight before~the others, his reins dangling loose. Now Brandymart, who stood and watched, when he could see him clearly, said, (R) "Thees man iss in a rrush to die! He'll pay his tab beforre the rrest." He dropped his head low, as he spoke, set his spear, and he spurred his horse. King Marigotto does the same -- lowers his lance and charges /him/ -- but Brandymart, first to attack, _pierces_ through Marigotto's back. Already Brandymart has drawn~his sword and swings without a pause. How well that baron scatters men or carves them into carrion! The ones who came so quickly, now~can see the cost of gaining ground. Now they don't seem so rushed. They don't~mind letting others take their turn. -- When Menadarb arrives, incensed~that one knight stops so many men, he hugs his lance to his right side, spurring his fast steed as he rides. He hits with full force Brandymart's ribs but barely moves him from his seat. His lance falls down in broken bits, and Brandymart swings back at him. Brandymart raised his bare sword with~both hands @ and quickly hit his head -- protected by both helm and shield. The cruel sword severed shield _and_ helmet and Menadarb fell in the forest, sliced from his forehead to his teeth: I tell you, the Turks were scared by this, but still they circle Brandymart. Some threaten, some poke -- from a distance. Brandymart has but small regard~for them: he chases these, then those, [L/R] passing most of the day like this for reinforcements still arrive -- now Caraman and Torindo come. Boldly Torindo first attacks. His lowered lance jars Brandymart -- it shatters as it hits his shield -- But Brandymart cuts /his/ shoulder and~almost slices him right to the guts; He knocks him down from his horse, dead. -- Now when king Caraman sees that stroke he turns his steed and flees the meadow. Through a dark wood for many miles he fled to find a place to hide. Flight would have been a waste of time -- even if he'd had wings to fly -- but soon the day was ended and~he slipped away into the dark. Brandymart had come after him -- but could not find him in the dark, He had no _need_ to capture him, {shrug} so he looked for the field he'd left. Brandymart could not find it, though; since dark night covered everything. He rode some distance through the forest, got lost, could not see how to leave, so he climbed down from off his steed, lay down upon the ground and slept. But soon, a scream -- to him it seemed~to be nearby -- disturbed his rest. It sounded like a woman's voice, crying and calling God for help. Who is this damsel in distress? That's something you'll hear -- if you'll wait. Enough's been said of Brandymart, back to _Orlando_ once again. -- Orlando and the maidens came~between two hills that eventide. There, in the rocks, lived _Lestrrigons,_ a heartless people, fierce and cruel. They were -- like lions -- fanged and taloned, with bearded faces -- like a man's, and noses that reached a foot in length. They drink blood; dine on human flesh. Orlando, in their valley, sees~a banquet board laid in their midst, and on it are placed food and drink, great silver plates and cups of gold. When he sees this, he spurs his horse with all his force to join the group, and the two women follow close, both hungry and the worse for thirst. They trot toward their evening meal, but shortly they'll have had enough. -- Orlando rode forth, face serene, and hailed those villains, "Your good health!" (L) Since Fortune leads me, here and now,~to this place, {Connery knight} I would ask you, please, for payment or for courtesy, let us dine in your company." The king of the Lestrrigons hears him speak. His name is Antrropofagon; his eyes were crimson, like a dragon's and a full beard enclosed his mouth. His hobby's watching dying men; he murders morning, noon, and night, quaffs down their blood, then eats the rest. When this king heard Orlando speak, and saw him on a horse, well armed, he feared he could not capture him; so he made room beside himself and asked him if he would dismount. Orlando had made up his mind~already that he'd taste that feast, as an invited guest, /or thief./ The Count dismounts but does not sit; he waits for the ladies to join him first. Orlando hears one Lestrrigon~say to another, "What a morsel!" (L) The answer: "I can't speculate (R) until he's cooked and I can taste" Orlando did not pay attention, since he was watching for the ladies. -- Then Antrropofagon arose~from table surreptitiously, and taking an enormous club, he slipped behind Orlando's back, and with a double-grip @ *pounded*~his helm and _knocked_ him to the ground. Now all the Lestrrigons approached, drawn by the maidens' radiance. No matter what, each monster wants~to stuff himself on their fine meat. The maids, unnerved by their behavior, turned round their palfreys instantly~and fled -- each went a separate way -- while close behind those villains chased. The ladies galloped and they wept, lamenting loudly, much afraid, and as they'd never seen that land, in those dark woods, each lost her way. -- Meanwhile, Orlando's almost dead, quite stunned by that blow to his head. The Lestrrigons removed his armor, and still the Count does not come to. Cruel King Antrropofagon poked him with his unholy claws and told the others, "He's all gristle -- (L) there's nothing good below the eyes!" Orlando felt that sampling squeeze @ and from the pain of it revived. He leaped up to his feet, and, as~God wished, slipped from the villain's grasp. The king pursues him and commands~the Lestrrigons to block his path. Some of them wield clubs, some throw rocks, and swarms of brutish men have _locked_~Orlando in that valley, when -- Behold! the Count spots Durindan! -- They'd left it on the ground, unsheathed: this blade Orlando quickly seized. Imagine if he is content when he has Durindan in hand! Where that vale opens on the plain, a hundred brigands block his way. Their looks and clothes are foul and low. They have no armor, shields, or swords, but they hold massive clubs, and wear~the skins of forest bears and boars. Charging among them, Count Orlando~swings Durindan, straight and reversed. He slices clubs and hacks off arms, but that foul bunch is so perverse~that, having lost their hands and feet, like dogs they _chew_ him with their teeth. Lestrrigons claw from every side. Their leader has the greatest force and bears the biggest club of all. His armor's made of heavy bark. He foams -- it's running down his beard -- and he drools from his nose and mouth (that villain) like a rabid hound. Orlando took a mighty swing and hit the middle of his head. His sword dropped through the chest and paunch, dividing him in equal halves, and on the ground the two parts fell. The Count continued with no pause. In a short time he does such damage~to that accursed fraternity that not a _single man_ remains~before him. /Pity,/ please, the slow. -- Within that vale, he was alone. The light of day was almost gone. After he'd put his armor on he felt a great desire to eat and ventured to the banquet board. It almost frightened him to see~the feast those criminals had baked: human heads, human arms and feet. Even if he'd been starving, he'd have lost _all_ of his appetite before that gruesome, heartless meal. He turned around, climbed on his steed, and he resolved to find the maidens: to search for them was his sole thought. He wept and said, "Who'll give me strength~or courage if my lady's lost? (R) If she is gone, what is the use of having killed these ugly brutes? If I don't find her, I will wish~that they had beaten me to death. "Eternal Father! Heaven's King! (RU) Mother of God in Paradise! Lend me assistance in my need! Help me to _find_ her, or I'll *die!*" Orlando was in tears, I've said. He spoke, and he went in the woods,~where, wandering until day dawned, he did not find the one he sought. -- Firstlight was shining when he heard~a voice shout, (L) "Over there! She can't~go any further than that pass, for a sheer cliff blocks off the path!" Orlando headed toward the source~of those words and soon saw their cause. He recognized the rascal rout~of Lestrrigons, that cursed tribe. They'd chased the fair Angelica and brought her to a narrow pass where she would either have to yield~to them -- or fall two hundred yards! -- Don't ask me if Orlando hurried after he saw her in that plight. His face turned crimson in his rage, and from up close it seemed like flame. He urged his horse and drew his blade~and whirled it round him rapidly, leaving reminders that, what _he_~struck, doctors could not remedy. I'd estimate that forty men hemmed in the damsel at that pass, and of them all, not one could boast~he went away without his share. Had twice as many rogues been there each would have had his money's worth~of slashes on his face and head. _Angelica,_ who'd headed /west/~in flight, was _rescued_ by that noble Count... but /Fiordiligi'd/ headed east, and still the scoundrels followed _her._ -- All night those evil characters~pursued, until the new day dawned. By now her palfrey was so weary she spurred in vain to make it flee. The woods were full of Lestrrigons, and each one rushed to capture her, and she felt faint from her great fear. Her body, she believed, was lost; to save her soul, she prayed to God. -- But _Brandymart,_ that puissant knight,~who, in the flowering grass /nearby/~was sleeping, woke; And when that baron~opened his eyes he recognized~the tearful maiden, terrified~and hunted by the Lestrrigons. He quickly leaped upon his steed and tow'rds her at full gallop rode while drawing forth his well-honed sword, with which he struck a Lestrrigon. He did not leave an inch unsliced: his sword-blade cut across both thighs. He does not linger for the first~to fall, but chops another's chest. Here there were thirty Lestrrigons and all were aiming clubs and stones at Brandymart and his fine steed. But he was slicing them to pieces, till all around him on that path~were heads and arms, and *still* he slashed: His blade grew heavy with their brains. -- When he could see no more of these~damnable, brutish creatures, he~ran to reach Fiordiligi. For half an hour they embraced~silently -- not a word exchanged -- and then, in tears, that poor girl told~the cavalier, (L) with much distress, that she had seen Orlando slain. She said this since she'd seen him fall~prostrate among the Lestrrigons. Brandymart thinks the Count /may/ live, but may be much in need of aid. He rides as quickly as he can to find the Count and bring him help. But now, the fates have ordered that each pair should go a different way; They'll meet again, but in~a very different place, another day. I thank you gentle ladies, lords, for listening, here, to my words. I wish you long life, health, and ease, but I have said enough, and cease.