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175 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 1959
鈥淚鈥檓 talking to you, paladin!鈥� insisted Charlemagne. 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 you show your face to your king?鈥�
A voice came clearly through the gorge piece. 鈥淪ire, because I do not exist!鈥�
鈥淭his is too much!鈥� exclaimed the emperor. 鈥淲e鈥檝e even got a knight who doesn鈥檛 exist! Let鈥檚 just have a look now.鈥�
Agilulf seemed to hesitate a moment, then raised his visor with a slow but firm hand. The helmet was empty. No one was inside the white armor with its iridescent crest.
The whole Imperial army coughed and shook in its armor, quivering and shaking as it raced towards the Infidel dust, hearing more coughing getting nearer and nearer. The two dusts fused, and the whole plain rang with the echo of coughs and the clang of lances.
鈥淜night,鈥� says he, panting, 鈥渁t last I鈥檝e found you! Now I want to be a paladin too! During yesterday鈥檚 battle I had my revenge鈥� in the m锚l茅e鈥� then I was all alone against two鈥� an ambush鈥� then鈥� now I know what fighting is, in fact. And I want to be given the riskiest place in battle鈥� or to set off on some adventure that will gain glory鈥� for our holy faith鈥� to save women and sick and weak and old鈥� you can tell me鈥︹€�
鈥淵ou come too late, noble knight,鈥� said an old man. 鈥淭hese valleys still resound with the cries of those poor women. A short while ago a fleet of Moorish pirates landed on this coast and sacked the convent, bore off the nuns as slaves and set fire to the walls.鈥�
馃搼 Nel Cavaliere inesistente, come nei miei due precedenti romanzi fantastico-morali o lirico-filosofici come si vogliano chiamare, non mi sono proposto alcuna allegoria politica, ma solo di studiare e rappresentare la condizione dell鈥檜omo di oggi, il modo della sua 鈥渁lienazione鈥�, le vie di raggiungimento d鈥檜n鈥檜manit脿 totale. 馃搼