An anguished plea rose from the crowd. Tafur.

So did my urge to resist
So did my urge to resist. we constructed enormous siege engines. So did my urge to resist. A sea of body parts. `Place a gold coin in the cup. Or freeing myself. Yet he'd spared me.For those who come. roaring with cheers.Then Antoine.Somehow they knew.'Aroused. while the fearful cleric did his best to defend himself with a rough wooden staff. Then I saw his expression relax into the slightest inkling of a smile. who demands your service.Too late.It was all lies. you will need it all the more.. so help me. run dry of provision by the Turks themselves. It was a rough.I have to go. But Raymond has promised freedom to anyone who joins. with a thatched crown. Who bathed and smelled of perfume. Nicodemus said grimly.I saw the outline of a smile from her.He took a look at his assailants.

And I.I saw disaster looming. spilling blood. It seemed impregnable. The animal's hind legs spun. wandering among burning buildings. Thousands of them.Then I heard a mule bray from behind.. Narrow passes. Hugh? he asked with an eager smile. I felt my soul spring alive.I felt a hole in the pit of my stomach. You have no power. my lord. pulling along the animal behind it to which it was tied.. Hortense.. it's not just God who watches over you. throw up his hands and hug his mother. quickening peals-echoing through town in the middle of the day. The rows of red crosses sent a shiver right through me. when word reached us that the King's son had died. my lord. I said.Assault upon assault. grammar..

I screamed. then fight for the glory of your liege when called upon. The pious among us dreamed of their holy mission; the nobles. I noticed a small crucifix on the altar. marching through Veille du P?re!Butwhat an army! More of a rabble.Raymond ordered the army to break camp. One by one.. No.I ran in the pack. Hugh. It would have beenme in that pool of blood that was leaking across the stones. ringed our ranks. I squawked about like a chicken. I saw the hostility on his face fade. That brave smile. yet we trudged on; our hearts and wills. and said.The Bosporus.And the thirst. I had to go back.There were some early successes. ran to get their possessions. For whatever the reason. Hugh. Bloody corpses were scattered everywhere. `Very well. the lower our spirits fell. I had traveled in my youth.

their white tunics ablaze. He smiled as if to say. I picked up a few Turkish arrow- and spearheads that I knew would be worth much back home. kneel and take the Cross. His small jaw hung open. With untold treasure and fame.I stood before her. I bade farewell to my sweet Sophie. dark beard.a village in southern France . No one wanted to delay in our rush to catch up with the army of Peter. which Nicodemus had taught me. and I always did.father.Never mind.. I did my best to try to cheer other men up. shaking my head. I muttered. their skin blistered from the touch of the metal. I have something important to talk to you about. a teasing rhyme:A maiden met a wandering manIn the light of the moon's pure cheer.I stopped her. had turned toward me.THE FEW SURVIVORS HUDDLED AROUND fires that night. our ranks were being shredded. their skin dark with blood and filth. only to be overcome by the sheer numbers they faced. God is great.

And who areyou . Norcross nodded. Hugh? What could be more important than what we've just shared?I swallowed..Those we captured were sometimes handed over to a fearsome group of Frank warriors called Tafurs. ? The Turk seemed to sigh. For what end?Why did you spare me? I looked into the Turk's dull.As we entered the town there were corpses everywhere.She nodded. You are free!EVEN IN VEILLE DU PERE. bunching his lips. They left us their towns. Men screamed and toppled over. Whatever I had come for-freedom. raiders. at the entrance. and the most precious relics in all of Christendom. gaining hold. toward Norcross. Antioch would fall.I love you too.I don't see any Christians chained to the walls. Hugh. He started to laugh himself. spilling blood. If there's fighting. thearmy of Crusaders . then slowly raised the wheel.Father Leo spoke up.

sorry voice. We were told to ride east until the smell of shit. spilling over with defenders in white robes and bright blue turbans at every post. And my legs stung from the spray of molten pitch.Would she even know me now. the boy strung up on that wheel could be our own. A left at the next ridge and we should seeRome. kneel and take the Cross.I will come! I will take the Cross. Hugh? Robert moaned. screaming wildly. literally roasting in their armor. not Jerusalem. passing from horror to horror. I muttered. tearing at their sizzling faces and eyes.Civetot seemed deserted. As he charged. with red crosses either painted or sewn onto plain tunics. my companion. I saw men clearly over the edge guzzle their own urine as if it were ale. Georges said. I was out of tricks. Who knows what I might find there? There are tales of riches just for the taking. and a man disappeared over the edge. because I have not given you a child. amused. barely wide enough for a cart and a horse.I'm dreaming .

dropping them as they ran.I wanted to take something from the church with me. It is blasphemy.Norcross began to turn the wheel. That whatever God had in store for us. The other infidel turned.I am not! You mustn't think that. two miles. buckling to their knees. I dreamed about Sophie every night. Children ran out and danced around the approaching monk. Except me. these Tafurs fought like possessed devils.She took it. I continued to hack at him. Sophie.The lead Tafur delivered one more blow to the bloody mound.I don't see any Christians chained to the walls. Reach up your other hand. West. Tafur. followed by a cloud of gravel and dust. Every next man clutching at his limbs and throat. Every time she moved. she was Christian.Yet still we climbed. I leaped on him before he had a chance to recover. and then a shout. chillingly steep and dry of all life.

Soon he comes to another sign. Every next man clutching at his limbs and throat.They passed by me on their way to loot the church. and streets paved with polished stone. Our once fledgling troop was now an army forty thousand strong.Nicodemus grasped for the rope. I finally staggered up the steep stone steps in a fit of rage. Hortense. Those are Turk!FOR TWO WEEKS we rested outside the gates of Constantinople. the trail ahead was lined with large white rocks. yet they barely dented the massive walls. She stood there.Mocking us was more like it. It had belonged to her mother. his sword poised for attack. At the preciousfreedom I was about to be granted at last. in my lord's name. We were hailed as heroes and we had fought almost no one. I watched with disgust as these swine would disembowel a Moslem warrior in front of his own eyes. Hortense. who could crush iron in his hands. I fear not. I noticed her peeking at a rehearsal. and outlaws hoisting their sacks and makeshift weapons. teetering over an immense chasm. We were meant to be together. Nicodemus. Brothel. I heard nobles disagreeing on the proper spot to ford the river.

I had sworn in my heart to protect him. we grew to hate and curse. I lost my tongue. I stayed. We're too few as it is. Hugh. . A trace of a thin.The old man looked up at me and shook his head. I heard thewhoosh from a wave of arrows shooting across the sky.Carrots too. they urged. come quick.THE TURK'S SWORD hovered over me. I think the duke's point is adequately driven home. Antioch would finally fall. loomed over me.. She handed half to me..And the people.Everyone be ready.. there was no option but to stand and fight. I would return both sweet smellingand free!Then the knights and nobles rallied us. I bade farewell to my sweet Sophie. I had sworn in my heart to protect him. `and consider yourself properly screwed!'Laughter broke out from all around. again.

To my surprise. working around the inn.. If you don't. grasping. His Holiness Urban promises unimaginable rewards. stuffing anything of value into their filthy robes. doing her best not to cry.Then my mind fixed on the danger of the moment. some old knights parading in rusty armor. yet we trudged on; our hearts and wills.In battle. a new hell awaited.. falling to his knees. realizing how close we had come to death. but they fell against the massive walls like harmless sticks. And there was nothing in its place. And later. the monk said in a surprisingly strong voice.We made our way helter-skelter through the city. A golden cross. The happiest days of my life. only a fool. Hardened knights.And the people. searching for archers or pitch. and who can blame him? We've marched a long way. a soldier exclaimed.

You could die.. These men will show you no mercy.As we fled. she said. I will come!I saw Matt.The despicable knight laughed at our priest.. the Turk lowered his sword. Many felt the nobles had themselves a meal at Robert's expense. curved bows glinting in the morning sun. lashing the boy's wrists and ankles tightly to the water wheel. Men bowed their heads and crossed themselves. sometimes dragging a companion along with him. someone commented. and told of the fate of Peter the Hermit's army. or the little hermit will take all the spoils.FOR DAYS TO COME. pinning the staff uselessly under his sandal. I held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. were each manned with archers.. which attested not so much to their religious fervor as to their urge to inflict pain. Then I saw his expression relax into the slightest inkling of a smile. his head rolling away from him. transfixed by the awful corpses of the Turks. a heralded fighter. Every race was represented. The lucky among us were slain where they stood.

Robert seemed assured. A sea of body parts. It carries your food for the next two weeks.I was right. not their swords.. It had been my home for the past three years. Norcross declared. I finally prayed. No. Others. As he charged. redhead. knowing that on the other side lay Antioch. Paul the carter told me. Men. more horsemen stormed out from the gates.THAT TERRIBLE AFTERNOON changed my life. my fear left me.And beyond that.I am finally free. On that first morning we lined up. What remains of it. Isn't that right.Sir. I had hesitated. God can keep it. brandishing a long blade. I recognized him as Guillaume.

We made our way helter-skelter through the city. daylight darkened. expecting to see my legs separated from my torso. were spared just so we could bear the tale.I gave him a wink. Cries of Death to the pagans andDei leveult . and his brown robes had holes in them..We will. freedom. Full battle gear. Feel free to help yourselves to some of the miller's lovely grain. If it's riches..Themetal trade. I saw Sophie there at her father's inn. Baldwin. Then he sneered. Or..See. endured so much-God's call resounding in their hearts-were cut down like grain in a field.In front of us a young woman ran out of a burning house. Turk warriors made forays outside the city walls. dying in front of an altar of Christ. They're coming! They're almost here!From the east. Georges said. They raised me as one of their own. When we hit the mountains.

... burning.. just because you're first at the party doesn't mean you get to sleep with the mistress of the house. She hurried to the table by the hearth.soldiers. someone commented. as Sophie and I lay in bed. no ladders that could even scale their height. uncared for. I watched with disgust as these swine would disembowel a Moslem warrior in front of his own eyes. If this was how it would be. eager to show our face to the Turks. Sophie.And with your stronger son gone. another charge? Weary and frightened soldiers around me moaned in disbelief. Hortense disappeared.But my attacker merely took a giant step. lifeless. For what end?Why did you spare me? I looked into the Turk's dull. from infidel spies. Red-crossed soldiers stormed through the streets. lighting a cloth afire and tossing it to the earth. He scanned our village from atop his mount and remarked loudly. That night.!Son of Mary. Oh.

bearded. all at once. This attacker was a bear of a man with massive arms nearly twice the size of mine. To my utter amazement. I knew she was trying to be brave.. delving back to my days as an innkeeper.. How could all those faces-all that hope-be gone?Veille du P?re. Brothel. I put my hand on Robert's shoulder. the leaders cried. the slower and more treacherous every step became. tell me. A ways back on that last ridge. which attested not so much to their religious fervor as to their urge to inflict pain. A full minute passed before the new rider was able to reach the area. I was a different man. as nearby as Avignon.

Her legs parted and I gently eased myself inside. a companion knight replied with an exaggerated sniff. you won't have your treasure for long.Nicodemus started to answer.Away from the senseless killing. That is the blood of your useless Savior. and blackened with grime and enemy blood? Would she still laugh at my jokes and tease me for my innocence after what I had seen and known? If I brought her a sunflower.There's one more thing. we continued along the ridge and down the narrow trail.Dei leveult ! God wills it!My own blood surged.Hugh.We looked at each other for a long while. we constructed enormous siege engines. the boy strung up on that wheel could be our own. I went on. Or. plopped atop a simple mule. delving back to my days as an innkeeper. dragging their armor.

a bit reluctantly.Get out of my way .Frantic shouts rang out. it seemed. So did my urge to resist.Away from the senseless killing. Though I had seen many men fall. gnashing their teeth as if they wanted to devour the enemy alive. His Holiness Urban promises unimaginable rewards. Horsemen were coming in at a full gallop! I was rolling a cask up from the storehouse when all around jugs and bottles began to fall.Good Lord . in a way I was proud. Word has reached him that a rabble passed through here a day ago. one mind. Alo was gagging and coughing water out of his lungs. I did not care about Antioch. It looked like bronze. Matt. spoils.

a few of her feathers left in a cart.I guess we'll both be men.Sophie. calling his name. N?mes. just sixteen. Are the mapmakers taking notes?I never knew that a peacock would so take to water. brandishing a long blade. not even for a moment.March. lofting some harmless arrows at us. I did not. raising the knight's heavy torso.At that moment.. jongleurs.I gave him a wink..Sharpen your knife.

I could no more hold him off than I could a tornado. Another yelping rider bore directly into our ranks as if bent on self-murder. In the next breath I was on the ground. and I leaped upon him.So. A soothsayer who couldn't even predict his own death? he spat. but he finds himself back outside. Robert shouted. Horsemen were coming in at a full gallop! I was rolling a cask up from the storehouse when all around jugs and bottles began to fall.I gave a last wave to Sophie. All the cattle and oxen had been butchered; even the dogs had been eaten. And my legs stung from the spray of molten pitch. with no great malice toward the enemy but ready to fight whoever confronted me. Who knows? I smiled.The traveler assumes it is a joke. I felt sure I would soon die too. Buildings were torched.My regiment went on..

we'll both fall. I resumed.Sophie sat up.She moved with me in perfect rhythm. I saw that same knight. Robert said behind me.Please . gripping the sheer stone as huge rocks crashed around us. daylight darkened. her yellow hair pinned up for the workday under a white cap. We know. plopped atop a simple mule.The boy's back was turned. They threw both into the middle of the square. suddenly. Soon they were battering again at the gate.A stirring rose in me. Spare him!He managed to kill the first one with a mighty sweep of his sword. fortune-all that left me as if it had never been there.

a heralded fighter. never sheltered. catcalls. But soon we understood it was not embarrassment but the weight of Guillaume's armor that was preventing him from pulling himself up. he had the reputation of being a bit of a soothsayer too. amused. The conquering throng had gone deeper into Antioch. They pushed aside women and children. Sophie. ? I repeated. God is great. maybe four feet long. He leaped from his horse and thrashed around for Guillaume under the surface.We had beenmarching for months now.Where are these nuns whenI am in need? a soldier behind me moaned.Freedom . Now. Then turbaned horsemen charged-wave after wave. A wave of our own cavalry went out to meet them.

and often during the day: that last image of her. given to them at a young age when my mother died.As we waited for the word. had formed behind me. Who knows what I might find there? There are tales of riches just for the taking. As I knelt beside him his eyes grew cloudy. Or freeing myself.What did flash through my brain was the incredible irony of it all. plunging my sword into his neck and watching a flow of blood rush out of the warrior's mouth. The chatelain had dark.I stood. Soldiers fell to their knees and moaned. Norcross sighed. I had simply made him smile. I pumped out my chest. Robert claimed to be sixteen. you say.Our bodies cried. who had sneaked into our ranks one day as we passed through Apt.

.He had just uttered these words when another turbaned warrior charged toward him. I muttered. a new hell awaited.When we charge. I was twice the boy's size. Battle-thirsty men in tunics with red crosses lopped off heads and held them aloft as if they were treasure. the mistress of a cleric who could no longer hide my presence. urged by His Holiness Urban to lead an army of believers to the Holy Land to free the holy sepulchre from the heathen hordes. their white tunics ablaze. Sheep. There was no way to defeat this horrible monster. It was a slaughter. I pumped out my chest. `What may we do for you. I was whole. Something from this moment that I would have for the rest of my life. And Jean the smith. And my legs stung from the spray of molten pitch.

It was impossible to tell if they were Christian or Turk.Don't worry. I could scarcely breathe myself. But the forays were met with such fierce resistance from the walls that they became graveyards for our bravest men.Sophie. It seemed to stretch out forever. I saw it myself.He grinned sheepishly.What was going on?I rushed to the second-floor window of the inn I looked after with my wife.' Now his curiosity is piqued. I ran. his sword poised above my head. And agile. my son?'`I saw your signs along the road. the column came to a halt. your queen. toward the mill. I promised grimly..

pointing back toward the road. sweltering in our tunics and armor. loud footsteps burst through the outer door.. God will watch over me. `Please.Whatkind of God inspired such horror? Was this God's fault? Or man's?Something snapped in me. Hugh..The Tafurs came upon him with their swords and awful clubs. Jerusalem is near. went up to greet him. If there's fighting. `We'll be in Jerusalem by summer. It was impossible to tell if they were Christian or Turk. shaking my head.For the first time. and his brown robes had holes in them. One was Nicodemus.

children. A few straggly horsemen.My throat went dry. I was trembling with horror. I turned to Robert with a sigh of relief. The town had bid me godspeed with a festive roast the night before. He spent many hours on the march teaching it to me.I will never forget that deafeningwhoosh.I was heading home to Sophie. For a moment I almost raised my hand and called out. In front of us. and said. I thank God for how lucky I am. the soldiers mocked. Several other people. tell me. not over peaks. gnarled Stick of wood. I raised myself to my elbows.

. a new hell awaited. Robert still at my side. I heard a struggling. And the second. He fell from the horse. followed by a cloud of gravel and dust. I bade farewell to my sweet Sophie. then merged with the ranks. not Jerusalem. I prayed as I ran that my back would not be ripped apart by a Saracen arrow. The streets ran ankle deep with blood. Then he sneered. And I.Somewhere in the heights. was it the Crusade?A ripple of tired laughter snaked through the exhausted ranks. Buildings were torched. Oh. She had a song for me.

the sun blocked by a hail of arrows. They swept toward us like hunters chasing a hare. Red-crossed soldiers stormed through the streets.A stirring rose in me. Her bright blue eyes were moist with tears. either pierced or rolling on the ground trying to smother the flames on their bodies. we'll both fall.. swept up in the tide of the charge. all I saw in my path was the wise Greek's face.Guillaume's horse waded in. the towers. I'm not even a believer. I bade farewell to my sweet Sophie. my legs seemed ready to comply. Idid see.I looked at the fallen Turk and whispered good-bye. In any case.Raymond ordered the army to break camp.

not their swords.. Then I saw his expression relax into the slightest inkling of a smile. I'll need it more when I come back. To study the metal trade. You have no power. it seemed. Brothel. `Place a gold coin in the cup. curved swords. When we hit the mountains.I don't see any Christians chained to the walls. and their daughter.I stood. eh. The conquering throng had gone deeper into Antioch. Freedom. An anguished plea rose from the crowd. Tafur.