mind.. lighting a cloth afire and tossing it to the earth.

wagons
wagons.A silence ensued. Soon they were battering again at the gate. but when it comes out it's flopping about?She widened her eyes and blushed. two black-robed Turks hovered over a priest. I saw something there that this whole bloody night I had not seen: virtue. We were now out of arrow-shot. but without result. Another yelping rider bore directly into our ranks as if bent on self-murder.Is it true? Robert asked. tired mules and plow horses. it seemed as if our glorious Crusade would end in Antioch.I was about to die. It seemed impregnable. lashed Alo to the staves of the mill's large wheel. not a noble anywhere. Thousands of them. glinting through the haze.Yet nothing so far could prepare us for the hell we were about to face.But the old Greek was too slow and laden with gear to get out of the way. Baldwin. Nico's trick had worked. So did my urge to resist. or close my eyes. an odious smell coming from their flesh. I didn't remember my father.

What did flash through my brain was the incredible irony of it all.. Its frightened eyes showed that the animal was aware of the danger. These savages had chopped to pieces the last shred of humanity for me in all this hell. drop to his knees.Only twice before had I heard the bells sounded at midday in the four years since I had come to live in this town.I'll find food. watching me go off. They're coming! They're almost here!From the east. People will be eager to feed a Crusader.As Norcross passed the miller's cowering daughter.She nodded. his sword poised above my head. Not from its walls crumbling but from treachery and greed. hastily putting on his boots.Constantinople. actually. up ahead. It was now eighteen months I'd been gone. Their haughty faces read. This madness just wouldn't stop!On the steps of the altar. No doubt they are cousins of your goose.It was built on a sharp rise. I'm not even a believer. but.A massive walled fortress.

They all shrieked. we'renear . She would never know how I died.What is it? Robert asked. Every next man clutching at his limbs and throat. a sudden rock slide. follow me. It could be anybody.. masons. whose I did not know. And higher up.Along the way. two black-robed Turks hovered over a priest. Nerves?The boy shook his head. horses. On my word. These men will show you no mercy. Buildings were torched.. we constructed enormous siege engines. our own conquering army spilled in. I knew I could no longer fight.I felt a hole in the pit of my stomach. Do your duty . Then.

Even my mother's mother could cross here.I stood. gnashing their teeth as if they wanted to devour the enemy alive. then slowly raised the wheel. Maybe I'll come back a knight. I spun to see a third attacker. Men lined the shore. I peered into the bastard's black eyes. I finally prayed.Her golden hair down to her waist. European. searching for archers or pitch.As he made his way back across the square. if I truly believed. These men will show you no mercy. and his shoulder fell away from his body as the massive blade lodged deep in his chest. believers were being nailed to the city's walls.Assault upon assault. but I stayed behind.She sat up straight. Baldwin? Haven't I done what was expected?Feel free to take your appeal to His Holiness. he hoisted the nine-year-old lad up like a sack of hay. then merged with the ranks. curved swords. It appeared to be gilded with gold and it was studded with what looked like rubies.I'll be back in a year .

No! I lunged. That night..It was built on a sharp rise.Disaster loomed in front of my eyes. I had lashed myself to a goat and placed my trust in its measured step to pull me farther on. Tafurs. Or. stepping over to the boy.Please . I was no hero. as another interminable valley loomed before our eyes. Every house in the village had been burned or sacked. either cheering or laughing at his attempt to show off in front of royalty. The strangest urge overcame me. Maybe the language of the Jews. And Robert too. seemingly built into a solid mound of rock. one step at a time. I only wanted to go home. On their huge mounts. hollow look of men who have seen the worst atrocities and somehow lived. We stood in our tracks and scanned the hills.The old man looked up at me and shook his head.What's going on? Who needs help ? they shouted. Robert cackled.

. God is great. spilling over with defenders in white robes and bright blue turbans at every post. his hope that none of you were swayed by the ravings of that religious crank. That is the blood of your useless Savior. they run like grandmothers. but without result.But not a man among us cheered. I say!Quiet. Even us. He hides in his hole like a squirrel. Here I was. a solid wooden barrier the height of three men. sounding almost disappointed.I wanted to take something from the church with me.Crusaders .She nodded. so we decided to enter the town. I felt like a man who had just claimed the richest dowry.Nothing lay in our path toward the Holy Land except the Moslem stronghold of Antioch. resembling his mount. lofting some harmless arrows at us. not some trumped-up duke or king in crested mail and armor sitting imperiously atop a massive charger. I wanted not just to fight for my own gain. I knew the stench. One was Nicodemus.

I finally caught sight of Sophie. I saw knights wearing the purple-and-white colors of Baldwin of Treille. No one wanted to delay in our rush to catch up with the army of Peter. This madness just wouldn't stop!On the steps of the altar. Show them whose God is One.Nicodemus started to answer.. swelling in song. It was broken only by Aim?e's whimpers as she emerged weak-kneed from the mill. threadbare..All along we were told that Peter's army was months ahead of us.We looked at each other for a long while. Others. the Tafur had said...The sight sent a chill shooting through my bones. looking for something of value. but shabbily. taunting and mocking us. I ran him through again as he fell. just sixteen. No great loss.. the monk named Peter went on.

We were meant to be together.I grabbed Robert by the tunic and dragged him farther away. And when our troops finally opened the gates in desperation.The despicable knight laughed at our priest.Press on.All at once. We continued to climb.All around me. a new hell awaited. You are at risk. she whispered. when a raiding party from our lord's rival in Digne swept through town during the wars. It is pledged and honor bound tohim. I say!Quiet.'`Why not?' the traveler thinks. All I could do was scream. A good-sized river. who could crush iron in his hands. past the fires to the edge of the camp. poured into heaps of dung like spoiled wine. His body was asunder. and juggling for the crowds. I tried to pivot around Robert. He must've thought he was about to dispatch a complete idiot to the Almighty. stuffing anything of value into their filthy robes. again.

My Sophie. I stripped it from my chest. Hugh.Raymond ordered the army to break camp. When I see you each day. to ask God for the forgiveness of my sins. The conquering throng had gone deeper into Antioch. yet we trudged on; our hearts and wills. My friend is rich! Rich. the same arrogant bastard who'd mocked Nico after his death. He would give up the city.My wife of three years hurried to the window. alwaysnear. Norcross took a hemp rope and. A bearded knight helped him slide off.Then I did a little hop. What a glorious adventure awaited. why. I looked down. `Good enough. raiders.WE BURIED THE DEAD for six days straight. It was said they were disgraced knights who followed a secret lord and had taken vows of poverty until they could buy back their favor in God's eyes.Get out of my way . Every next man clutching at his limbs and throat. I was out of tricks.

howled in anguish. don't you. she was Christian.. We were lying as one on the straw mattress in our small quarters behind the inn.As we waited for the word. Do we finally get to pay them back?Sharpen that knife. he rushed toward me. my sword flew out of my hands. God will watch over me. our burden had seemed bearable.When we charge. And the vermin had told me I was free. I fear not. He lunged. Robert among them. students and scholars who entertained from town to town. my fear left me.Young Robert. with a thatched crown.I counted to thirty. which Nicodemus had taught me. jongleurs. pinning the staff uselessly under his sandal. This empty block of stone was what we had come to set free. was next to me in line.

All of them. a new hell awaited. and his brown robes had holes in them. sounding almost disappointed. he boasted.Please .As we fled..I swear.Heaven's army.What is it? Robert asked. We were lying as one on the straw mattress in our small quarters behind the inn. Then it was on to Jerusalem.. ? I repeated.We had beenmarching for months now. 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. It would be my friend when I crossed the mountains again. God had taken me where I belonged. the towers. but the mule bucked again and stumbled. The pious among us dreamed of their holy mission; the nobles. side by side. whose I did not know.Somewhere in the heights. unsure look.

Raymond. was swept screaming into vast crevices or dropped in his tracks by Serb or Magyar arrows a thousand miles before the first sign of a Turk.Carrot-top here must be keen on the miller. He exhaled a final breath.Thanks. I put the priest's staff to the ground and took a step-the other way. It was never known what became of her.She nodded. Norcross smiled.See.Would she even know me now. eh. Cluny Le Puy reciting our irreverent songs. dropping them as they ran. her brave smile as I hopped down the road. European. Guillaume turned around and waved. The rest of us surged ahead. Behind me.I WAS FREE. Yet he'd spared me. Others fell over him. I had to go back. tell me. I was about to say. Amid all this fighting.

Such a city I had never seen before in all my life.As he made his way back across the square. doing her best not to cry. I heard the loudest chorus of voices. I would return both sweet smellingand free!Then the knights and nobles rallied us. hooded eyes that flashed only a sliver of light. I had fought bravely. the trails began to widen. He blinked at me. Alo was gagging and coughing water out of his lungs.After a month. he said for all to hear. Hugh.It was the image I carried for the next two years. Nico? This was the pilgrimage to St. I noticed that my own tunic and arms were smeared with blood. why.From out of the trees. I pumped out my chest. a hazel twig to clean my teeth. Robert squinted into the sun. I felt I had shamed myself. bouncing over the edge into oblivion.'She leads him through a series of dark. At any moment. The boy was heartbroken.

insisted that the scouts and maps suggested a point to the south. not over peaks. with no great malice toward the enemy but ready to fight whoever confronted me. was swept screaming into vast crevices or dropped in his tracks by Serb or Magyar arrows a thousand miles before the first sign of a Turk.Suddenly I heard a rumble from above. priest? He chuckled. They were not wearing crosses but filthy robes. When he was on the ground.Hold your tears.Saint Peter's sandals . I stood my ground in front of the boy and met the rider with my sword square on.And the thirst. he shrugged to his comrades.The sun became a raging.At intervals. And there was something that I missed from those days. I know the same sobering thought pounded through each of our minds. suddenly.I savored every exotic image. who managed to keep up his steady stride despite a satchel heavy with tracts of Aristotle. Do we finally get to pay them back?Sharpen that knife. hollow look of men who have seen the worst atrocities and somehow lived. who demands your service. logic. Nicodemus said grimly..

pulling along the animal behind it to which it was tied. The team reversed and rammed again.in the light of the moon's pure cheer. suddenly. I clenched my fist.No.All but one. in formation..I pressed Robert up against the wall.I savored every exotic image. plopped atop a simple mule.And who areyou . and streets paved with polished stone.. I saw poor Mouse. I knew the stench.tonight !Tonight. A mere stumble. from infidel spies. I knew he would be able to interpret it. These men will show you no mercy. I turned to Robert with a sigh of relief. Soon they were battering again at the gate.It was only with Sophie that I felt truly free..

His sword still quivered menacingly over my head.Attack !Our army charged. urged by His Holiness Urban to lead an army of believers to the Holy Land to free the holy sepulchre from the heathen hordes. This attacker was a bear of a man with massive arms nearly twice the size of mine. I wanted to say. a sudden rock slide. Sophie. N?mes. ringed our ranks.I grabbed Robert by the tunic and dragged him farther away. Tonight you'll go to sleep fucking the emir's wife!The camp sprang alive. alongside foot soldiers like Robert and me.. The smallest hope flashed through me: maybe I could whack it across his ankles. freedom. Norcross jeered. dragging their armor. We were heading down. loomed over me.As he made his way back across the square. Their haughty faces read.She moved with me in perfect rhythm. my companion.. `Very well. was a million miles away.

as another interminable valley loomed before our eyes. You see those hills over there? I pointed across the channel. Professor. I knew any moment could be my last. Then. A few straggly horsemen. perhaps sixty yards wide. Not from its walls crumbling but from treachery and greed. my friend; we are too few as it is. Barefoot. Its frightened eyes showed that the animal was aware of the danger.OUR POWERLESSNESS WAS SO OBVIOUS it was shameful to me. but my legs seemed rooted to the ground. plunging my sword into his neck and watching a flow of blood rush out of the warrior's mouth. I squinted through the trees and felt my jaw drop. The poor warrior was empty of anything: a ring. their long. just because you're first at the party doesn't mean you get to sleep with the mistress of the house.. Spoils and booty were being divvied up among the men. Georges said. Soldiers fell to their knees and moaned. loomed over me. it's not just God who watches over you. his brows arched. Robert turned to me.

kneel and take the Cross. so help me. his goose comically trailing behind. For a while.. Others fell over him. It was said they were disgraced knights who followed a secret lord and had taken vows of poverty until they could buy back their favor in God's eyes. their chargers snorting heavily. eager to share in the spoils. weapons and packs were laid down.I was about to die. People were running into the square. but shabbily. A sliver of orange light was just breaking over the hills to the east. Robert said as we marched. He is drowned. Are you ready to give up?Then I burst out laughing once again. you won't be missing this one too much. and even more than that. Antioch would finally fall. I picked up a few Turkish arrow- and spearheads that I knew would be worth much back home. there was thishowl from the surrounding hills. You want to take the Cross?Not the Cross: I wouldn't fight for that. Robert claimed to be sixteen. His face was still lit with that innocent grin. dying in front of an altar of Christ.

I will help the miller increase his tax by a third. my lord. they were split open by the Turks as they swooped by. fixed on my shock of bright red hair..Let us go.A cabbage. House of Prostitution.Along the way. I peered into the bastard's black eyes. Seeing his comrades slain. gone. A full minute passed before the new rider was able to reach the area.. and his brown robes had holes in them. sucking our water skins dry. You could die. stuffing anything of value into their filthy robes. hurrying from the well with her bucket.. Turks hacking at them.I swear. one step at a time. spinning around a final time to catch her laugh. At first we were glad to leave the inferno behind. I sang in the quietest voice before I slept each night.

THE TURK'S SWORD hovered over me. but by its end you'll be a man.I searched his eyes for panic. the Tafurs were distinguished by the ragged sackcloth they wore as uniforms and by the ferocious savagery with which they fought. `Good enough.Under the shield of darkness. amused. but he finds himself back outside. the hooting ceased.It took everything I had not to leap on the Tafurs myself. their skin blistered from the touch of the metal. I looked around. the big gate opened.A cabbage. That was it! Our men were inside. clutching at their heads and throats.Our battalions headed toward the north tower. I was sure. All I wanted was to get off this ridge.When we charge. I saw one defender cut in half by a mighty ax blow. the leaders cried. Our entire town gasped in horror. God can keep it. Paul the carter told me. ringed our ranks.

I guess we'll both be men. the loss of my friend weighed greatly upon me. Sophie. I told him. not over peaks. Once.. An eternity in Heaven at the feet of our grateful Lord. Our entire town gasped in horror. then head directly for it.Sophie. leaving eight dead and burning almost every house to the ground.. past the fires to the edge of the camp. I made one last prayer to Sophie.It was the image I carried for the next two years. I had earned this much. Then. raped. Who bathed and smelled of perfume. Hugh? Nicodemus called out as we made our way along a particularly treacherous incline. come quick. A golden cross. Hugh. We had heard that masses of men were leaving their families. come quick.

Robert bolted ahead. I think the duke's point is adequately driven home. pushed east to seize the Turkish fortress at Xerigordon. but they fell halfway up the walls and in return brought volleys of spears and Greek fire. bakers.I threw my pouch over my shoulder and tried to drink in the last sight of her beautiful.We gazed at each other with a sigh of relief. was swept screaming into vast crevices or dropped in his tracks by Serb or Magyar arrows a thousand miles before the first sign of a Turk. charged at me with a scream.Your buddy's an eager one. An anguished plea rose from the crowd. Paul the carter told me.I was going to die. What's left of us. I screamed. working around the inn. a shroud stained by the tears of Mary and the very lance that had pierced the Savior's side on the cross. our ranks were being shredded. anything that came into my head-when one of the henchmen rushed up to me.I'm dreaming .I finally caught sight of Sophie. This madness just wouldn't stop!On the steps of the altar. I will be looking especially foryourtax payment. to help if I could. You'd better go.The boy's back was turned.

They were not wearing crosses but filthy robes. Mouse grumbled from behind. you will need it all the more. Thousands of them. were spared just so we could bear the tale. who farmed a plot by the river. Every race was represented. He has to accept.. catcalls. You are free!EVEN IN VEILLE DU PERE. To listen. bald.We soon came to a wide clearing between mountains. Son of Cain. and juggling for the crowds.THE FEW SURVIVORS HUDDLED AROUND fires that night.My Sophie.He grinned sheepishly. and to most of us. and his brown robes had holes in them. right? taunted Mouse. his military chief.To my surprise.For those who come. `Very well.

I looked into his hooded eyes. 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. echoed everywhere. It had been my home for the past three years.Now I realized what Norcross and his men were doing here.'Aroused. We know. I held her by the waist and she moved on top of me. I waited for the death blow. I peered into the bastard's black eyes. Mayhem was still rampant in the streets. That night. and there were fruits I had never tasted before: oranges and figs. They swept down on our fleeing troops and hacked them where they stood. and the most precious relics in all of Christendom.Press on.As we fled.Where you're headed. Make way!We scattered off the trail and turned to see Guillaume. children. You are at risk. The ranks of farmers. I fear not. I saw Sophie there at her father's inn. The irony was bursting through my sides. yelping mad cries that I recognized asAllahu Akbar.

Brigit.Sophie and I watched as the column began to cross the stone bridge on the outskirts of our town. though our new enemy became the blistering heat and thirst. but it remained stuck in the dead Turk's chest.somewhere in MacedoniaThe heavy-bearded knight reared his mount over us on the steep ridge. If one of our illustrious leaders hears you.My heart pounded under my tunic. raped.In spite of our being totally outnumbered. It could be anybody. we'renear . The town had bid me godspeed with a festive roast the night before. and to my horror spotted two large Turks preparing to tip a vat of bubbling tar upon those manning the ram. I heard nobles disagreeing on the proper spot to ford the river. I was twice the boy's size. and outlaws hoisting their sacks and makeshift weapons.I love you too. Men lined the shore. and she said that I probably had one in every town.Raymond ordered the army to break camp. watching me go off. Jerusalem is near. who demands your service. I was sure. Feel free to help yourselves to some of the miller's lovely grain. In it was a change of clothes.

curved bows glinting in the morning sun. What goes in all stiff and stout. Who knows what I might find there? There are tales of riches just for the taking. On my word. Guillaume turned around and waved. It is blasphemy. ran to get their possessions. I muttered.Every instant.Please .We looked at each other for a long while. Then. anything that came into my head-when one of the henchmen rushed up to me. I was trembling with horror. I rolled my eyes.We focused on the eastern wall. He is drowned.. A sea of body parts.I stared in horror at her bloody shape. A left at the next ridge and we should seeRome. heavy rocks and fiery arrows rained down on us. I was trembling with horror. one mind.. lighting a cloth afire and tossing it to the earth.