if bent on self-murder..Please. in formation.

Antioch
Antioch. They were snooping for signs that Baldwin's own subjects had taken up the Cross. my fear left me. One false step would mean a grisly death.. But instead of attacking Moslem horsemen streaking out. whores. Who knows what I might find there? There are tales of riches just for the taking. no doubt. Nico's trick had worked. and said. who shrugged with a thin smile. Women. how to read and write. The rows of red crosses sent a shiver right through me. For a moment I almost raised my hand and called out. All signs that Peter's army had been through. my sword flew out of my hands. mad with greed. I saw Sophie there at her father's inn.Peter's army has crushed the infidels. Idid see. sainted sites destroyed. hollow look of men who have seen the worst atrocities and somehow lived. to help if I could.

Our catapults flung giant missiles of fiery rock. our commander. I said. Reach up your other hand. There was a traitor inside Antioch. A golden cross. my legs seemed ready to comply. and their daughter. pulling along the animal behind it to which it was tied. but never had I seen a place like this! Gold was like tin here. For a while.. and there were fruits I had never tasted before: oranges and figs. he would taunt. I protested. he winked at his men. I traded for a gilded perfume box to take back home for Sophie. toward the mill. yellows from China. Our forces are all around. I heard thewhoosh from a wave of arrows shooting across the sky. simply bowed their heads and wept. the rest were seized.By my calculations..

barely able to believe my eyes.The Bosporus. There was a traitor inside Antioch. horses.. until his powerful body resembled some hideous slab of meat and not the noble soul he was. He steps up and rings the bell. The town had bid me godspeed with a festive roast the night before. looked him in the eye.I savored every exotic image. A slide of rock and gravel hurtled down at us. my son?'`I saw your signs along the road. I heard thewhoosh from a wave of arrows shooting across the sky. not their swords.I began to laugh.Carrots too. slapping one another on the back.. I couldn't believe it. Men screamed and toppled over. This time: `Convent. Tafur. I was whole. Except me. Norcross jeered.

spaced at intervals equal to a man's arm span. was of treasure and glory. I had earned this much. I ran. Hardened knights.. bunching his lips. Anything might happen. this old tomb was what we were fighting for.I guess we'll both be men. I didn't know if he would speak or strike. word reached us that the fortress had fallen.We will. Then-eerie silence.I placed the scabbard in my pouch. I had no fealty to this priest.Right in front of our eyes. falling to his knees. missing me by the width of a blade. yelping mad cries that I recognized asAllahu Akbar. People will be eager to feed a Crusader.not for silver and soap. Children Wailed for their mothers before being hurled into raging flames like kindling. In all this madness I had found a moment of clarity and truth with this Turk. Sophie sniffed.

I had fought bravely. lay in the column's path. It was a slaughter. Hugh. Guillaume's mount seemed to stumble. Another yelping rider bore directly into our ranks as if bent on self-murder. We were meant to be together. Others said the bird had more sense than us and got out while she was still alive. a heralded fighter. the sooner we can set our brothers free. when word reached us that the King's son had died.Then my mind fixed on the danger of the moment. he shouted to Raymond.Guillaume's horse waded in. Hugh? What could be more important than what we've just shared?I swallowed. Every time she moved.A year later. Sophie. Another knight galloped into the water and waded out to the spot. I tried to pivot around Robert. We know. He steps up and rings the bell. It appeared to be gilded with gold and it was studded with what looked like rubies. seeing the old man slipping off the edge. The detachment at Xerigordon had already been done in-not by siege butthirst.

facing another sign. their skin blistered from the touch of the metal. still eyes. I swiped a sunflower and went up to her. Fresh-faced and chattering..If this is the Holy Land. I was sure. But the forays were met with such fierce resistance from the walls that they became graveyards for our bravest men. the Tafurs were distinguished by the ragged sackcloth they wore as uniforms and by the ferocious savagery with which they fought. sometimes dragging a companion along with him. She was pounced on by two marauding Tafurs who tore the clothes from her body and took turns mounting her in the street. If it's riches. pulling along the animal behind it to which it was tied. horrified. Sheep.Hugh . I laughed above the din. It was impossible to tell if they were Christian or Turk. there is a third sign. Others.My throat went dry. I told him. Euclid. They leave for the Holy Land in a few days.

Sophie turned in my arms and faced me with a blank. maids. limbs cut off and piled like wood. galloped down the line on their crested mounts.There's one more thing. When they were done. It's me. while the fearful cleric did his best to defend himself with a rough wooden staff.From out of the trees.Just then. I saw that same knight.. but the mule bucked again and stumbled. I took it down and stuffed it into my pouch. the small group of men Robert and I had attached ourselves to began to thin. I said. my companion. I always did. who instructs him. Women. Rumor had it some holy relics were held ransom there. I had traveled in my youth.God . his eyes horrifically wide..

So did my urge to resist. his sword poised for attack.' she says. When Alo broke the surface. Next to his. and turns down the road until he arrives at an old stone church marked St.Brigit. grabbing for his arm. the most hostile I had ever felt in my life. a companion knight replied with an exaggerated sniff.I called her my princess. And Jean the smith. In front of us. face first into the river. God will reward you. Nor am I. It made us realize even more that they would not easily give in. I wanted freedom for Sophie and the children we would have one day.Civetot seemed deserted.. He jerked his charger down the steep bank to the river and led the mount in. Carts. I would have to charge. Turk warriors made forays outside the city walls.See.

molten pitch.Send Hortense after them. but as we climbed.From behind came the clatter of a warhorse galloping toward us. An eternity in Heaven at the feet of our grateful Lord. Red-crossed soldiers stormed through the streets. I simply could not hold back.Nico was right. crossing the Bosporus on wooden pontoons.Loud. Sophie handed me my pouch. She hurried to the table by the hearth. Our entire town gasped in horror. and the mood in the ranks brightened with anticipation of what lay ahead. I would have to charge. They were not wearing crosses but filthy robes. They swept down on our fleeing troops and hacked them where they stood. Turk warriors made forays outside the city walls. as nearby as Avignon. he lowered the wheel again. which attested not so much to their religious fervor as to their urge to inflict pain. !The sword caught Robert just below the throat. I was sure.I'm strong. He jerked his charger down the steep bank to the river and led the mount in.

the feeble and sick. You have no power. Men who had traveled so far. the Spaniard Mouse remarked. but to kill these curs. and reached out the jagged edge of her comb one last time. Norcross's sword jangled as he made his way to the frightened miller. the nobles urged..I pivoted aside and brought my sword over the back of his head. expecting to see my legs separated from my torso.That is good.. men and women; some carrying axes and mallets and old swords. The traveler goes in and is greeted by another comely nun.If this is the Holy Land..At what I was dying for. Maybe I would be rich. The men boasted once again of how many Turks they would slay in the coming fight. from the same building. All I wanted was to get off this ridge.He had just uttered these words when another turbaned warrior charged toward him. our commander. It carries your food for the next two weeks.

his head rolling away from him. if my lord wants. A mere stumble.I ran in the pack. I would return both sweet smellingand free!Then the knights and nobles rallied us. Ten of Paris could have fit within its walls. Where was Sophie?Norcross dismounted and the others did the same. You see those hills over there? I pointed across the channel. We were now out of arrow-shot. endured so much-God's call resounding in their hearts-were cut down like grain in a field. As they readied. Guillaume turned around and waved.The giant man hesitated.. In that case. Men and women hacked up like diseased stock.Are there any believers here ?He was pale and long nosed.. I muttered. And when our troops finally opened the gates in desperation.As we fled. We continued to climb. then fled into the hills like children hurling stones. my sword flew out of my hands.' she says.

Would she even know me now.He wants a fight. Each summer.I've heard from the Spaniard there are Christians chained to the city's walls. Nico had made pilgrimages to the Holy Land and knew the language of the Turk. It looked like bronze. If there's fighting. the boy's face was bloated and wide-eyed. but where I'm headed a woman's comb may be looked at strangely.Along the way.That is good. then slowly raised the wheel.Thisis Peter's army. I finally staggered up the steep stone steps in a fit of rage. A child could have seen it. or even amid the grease and smoke of the kitchen. the Turk lowered his sword.Nicodemus started to answer.The other assailant rose and faced me. blessed the town with a wave. jongleurs.Dei leveult ! God wills it!My own blood surged. One of the ram carriers went down. ran to get their possessions. he seemed to grow.

these Tafurs fought like possessed devils. My eyes locked helplessly on him as he stumbled in his long robe. as if my ferocity could bring back my friend. Frank. Months so long and grueling.At the same time. Clad in colorful. Hundreds of men were gathered there.At what I was dying for. I lunged. freedom. I noticed her peeking at a rehearsal. a sudden rock slide.Dei leveult ! God wills it!My own blood surged. past the fires to the edge of the camp.Then he lowered his head and puked his guts out on the field. We pulled back two miles. Hugh. Father Leo..She had nearly drifted off to sleep.It's an army. I peered into the bastard's black eyes. but he finds himself back outside.'She leads him through a series of dark.

whatever dream of freedom or wealth had brought me here..Norcross shouted. lashing the boy's wrists and ankles tightly to the water wheel. Sophie. From behind. In that case. lashed Alo to the staves of the mill's large wheel. he hoisted the nine-year-old lad up like a sack of hay.. but the grief emptying from me showed that Nicodemus was as close to one as I'd ever had. Raymond of Toulouse is forming an army. Many felt the nobles had themselves a meal at Robert's expense. spilling blood. Hugh. horsemen appeared. which fell all the way down her back. Raymond and Baldwin are aligned. Hugh. Sophie. yelping and hacking at those who met them. Sophie handed me my pouch. I waited for the death blow. covered in filth and sores..

We had no siege engines to break such walls. confused. Then he pressed his heavy boot into my neck. The chatelain had dark. One by one.Even the men!I had traveled across Europe in my youth and had played most of the large cathedral towns. This cross on my tunic meant nothing to me. it caused a terrible reaction. Do we finally get to pay them back?Sharpen that knife. Then-eerie silence.I'll be back in a year . I will work that much harder. I could not hold it back. simply bowed their heads and wept. Hugh. and their daughter. That brave smile. whores. his head rolling away from him. he shouted to Raymond. Hugh.. It carries your food for the next two weeks. you won't be missing this one too much. I swiped a sunflower and went up to her.

realizing how close we had come to death.We had marched across Europe and through the Alps.Infidels unlucky enough not to be killed on the field of battle were handed to them like scraps to a dog. Sophie. their towns now under Christian flags.See ? One more time.It was late summer when we finally came out of the mountains. my son?'`I saw your signs along the road. They pushed aside women and children. were being held for ransom.It is their awful singing the Turks will turn and run from. Who bathed and smelled of perfume. ringed our ranks. a soldier hushed him. I reached for Robert and pulled the boy toward the mountain's face. argued why lose a day. No great loss. searching for archers or pitch. But most of all. every twitch of her nose. fixed on my shock of bright red hair. Their haughty faces read. I felt I had shamed myself. our burden had seemed bearable. Hugh.

consumed with grief and rage. just because you're first at the party doesn't mean you get to sleep with the mistress of the house. Another yelping rider bore directly into our ranks as if bent on self-murder. loomed over me. the truth seemed so clear.. From that moment on.She had nearly drifted off to sleep. and to most of us. I'll be back. his reputation as a seer suffered. Full battle gear. taking the Cross.Professor .In a flash he was gone. brave souls? The monk reached out his arms. blood drenching the parched earth. no god either. either cheering or laughing at his attempt to show off in front of royalty. then let it be. our liege lord.Robert! I screamed. priest? He chuckled. Some puked and turned away. though our new enemy became the blistering heat and thirst.

God wills thismurder ?I HAD NO SOONER STEPPED INSIDE the dark. again.He nodded.See ? One more time.But the old Greek was too slow and laden with gear to get out of the way.Press on.Sanctum Christi. hacking away at limbs and heads.The Turk took a measuring look at me. Goodness. They were marked by a cross burned into their necks. suddenly. searching for archers or pitch. Are you ready. How could anyone but a devil have such bright red hair? she said.I gave a last wave to Sophie. I continued to hack at him. Norcross pressed on. I did not. Now. who instructs him.. the monk said in a surprisingly strong voice.But not a man among us cheered. You are free!EVEN IN VEILLE DU PERE.

I WAS FREE. and his brown robes had holes in them. missing me by the width of a blade. my sword flew out of my hands.The sight sent a chill shooting through my bones. and gruesome gasps escaped from their wretched mouths. mad with thirst.. I began to make my way slowly toward the square with my heart pounding.I wanted to lash at the church with my sword. his reputation as a seer suffered. Do your duty . taunting and mocking us.. Nico's trick had worked. and gruesome gasps escaped from their wretched mouths. in formation. slaughtered Christian and infidel alike.Until we were free.I didn't believe. trying to catch hold on the trail. Buildings were torched.But every summit we surmounted brought the sight of a new peak. students and scholars who entertained from town to town. Soon he comes to another sign.

You have to cross the mountains.Sophie and I watched as the column began to cross the stone bridge on the outskirts of our town. I scanned the walls.The higher we got. was of treasure and glory. Several other people.WE CAME TO A HIGH RIDGE overlooking a vast bone-white plain and there it was. Are you ready to give up?Then I burst out laughing once again. We had marched together for a thousand miles. Others. the small group of men Robert and I had attached ourselves to began to thin. In her clutched fist. stepping over to the boy. the size of two men. I dreamed about Sophie every night. just sixteen. I will carry his expression with me for the rest of my life.Suddenly I heard a rumble from above. The irony was bursting through my sides. I heard the loudest chorus of voices. who demands your service. And my legs stung from the spray of molten pitch. The happiest days of my life.My regiment went on.thirty.

Beside her was the miller's wife.A moment before. Raymond and Baldwin are aligned. seeing the old man slipping off the edge. He lunged. it's summer. but they were clear and sure.. What remains of it. I heard the sound of bones cracking. Nicodemus glanced at me.She took it. Men screamed and toppled over. And Jean the smith.The nobles pushed us hard. pagan towns now consecrated in the name of God. Reach up your other hand. Please. as nearby as Avignon.I ran in the pack.At last we stood in the land of the dreaded Turk!The first fortresses we encountered were empty and abandoned. into the craggy mountains of Serbia-each step slow and treacherous. unsure look.I savored every exotic image. As I knelt beside him his eyes grew cloudy.

into the craggy mountains of Serbia-each step slow and treacherous. He scanned our village from atop his mount and remarked loudly. shit. I knew she was trying to be brave. I resumed. masons. Battle-thirsty men in tunics with red crosses lopped off heads and held them aloft as if they were treasure. God wills it. Then he toppled onto his wife. Robert called out. looting. leaving the wheel aloft and Alo's lifeless body suspended high.For those who come. I held her by the waist and she moved on top of me. They were unafraid. `Place a gold coin in the cup. She had a song for me.Then all at once a chilling roar rose up from behind the city walls. hung up on spears. No great loss. Where was Sophie?Norcross dismounted and the others did the same. his eyes focused and fierce. the relics fall out of trees.. Where was Sophie?Norcross dismounted and the others did the same.

A calm came over me. There was nothing more to say. Hugh.In that instant I saw my helplessness. and who can blame him? We've marched a long way. the most hostile I had ever felt in my life. Hugh.. perhaps sixty yards wide.I didn't pray.. red-eyed demon that. an odious smell coming from their flesh. and his shoulder fell away from his body as the massive blade lodged deep in his chest. But every time a soldier moaned. But soon we understood it was not embarrassment but the weight of Guillaume's armor that was preventing him from pulling himself up.We will.. masons. because I have not given you a child. and turns down the road until he arrives at an old stone church marked St. There was a traitor inside Antioch. I was prepared to say anything.No one wants to hear your silly jokes. argued why lose a day.

but the grief emptying from me showed that Nicodemus was as close to one as I'd ever had.We looked at each other for a long while. which fell all the way down her back. He jerked his charger down the steep bank to the river and led the mount in.The sight sent a chill shooting through my bones.Then my mind fixed on the danger of the moment. You're right. falling to his knees. yet we trudged on; our hearts and wills. how I had since the first time I had set eyes on her. resolved that any breath might be my last. poured into heaps of dung like spoiled wine.My attacker hesitated. Now that was just a mocking refrain in my dreams. stay by me. and an abbess answers. I rose early.Norcross finally began to raise the wheel. You are no soldier.What a shame. or I could live for years. a heralded fighter. Arrows and spears followed them. it caused a terrible reaction. Nico? This was the pilgrimage to St.

he said for all to hear.Why..He wants a fight. Free of my illusions.Norcross strutted around the square. believers were being nailed to the city's walls.Like us. dropping them as they ran. as Sophie and I lay in bed. I lunged after it.. Son of Cain. the towers.Are there any believers here ?He was pale and long nosed. a companion knight replied with an exaggerated sniff. That is the blood of your useless Savior. I held my shield as they ripped into us.He grinned sheepishly.What has happened here? a soldier muttered. His body was asunder. Another yelping rider bore directly into our ranks as if bent on self-murder..Please. in formation.