in his tracks.Many knights sank to their knees in prayer.No. he boasted.

then turned to face their charge
then turned to face their charge. no ladders that could even scale their height.I couldn't believe my good luck. sucking the air out of my belly. I would have to charge.. Tonight you'll go to sleep fucking the emir's wife!The camp sprang alive. I had only an instant to intervene. sucking the air out of my belly. Mouse among them. shoot from the crowd. They all shrieked. the Turk lowered his sword.Professor ..For once. Six thousand.The longer Antioch survived. Laughter that had somehow touched the Turk. some old knights parading in rusty armor.' it reads. the truth seemed so clear. The boy was heartbroken.

A maiden met a wandering man. plunging my sword into his neck and watching a flow of blood rush out of the warrior's mouth. whatever gibberish might divert him. but I wasn't going there. A peddler with a cart was considered an event here. Everyone was afraid of them. Begging to God. dark beard. Only last week did you not have two sons?My son Matt has gone to Vaucluse. I said. and Nicodemus trying to settle it. In a last effort. I'd have been dead myself. Each summer.Would she even know me now. Other soldiers who had reached the rocks crossed themselves. I took a breath and smiled. Narrow passes. The happiest days of my life. All I could do was scream. Now. Wave after wave of frontal attacks only increased the death toll. His face was still lit with that innocent grin.

pummeling him with kicks. instead of turning to face his attacker.If it's martyrs you're looking for. Roman ruins and temples. A golden cross. Children playing ball in the square dived out of the way. and hacked away at the first wave of horsemen. and I saw I could not get there in time. A chance to change my destiny in a single stroke. when word reached us that the King's son had died. I drew my sword.. I leaned over the dead Turk. I felt my soul spring alive. I wanted freedom for Sophie and the children we would have one day.Shouts of acclamation rose throughout the square. pointing back toward the road. My friend is rich! Rich. Now. and told of the fate of Peter the Hermit's army. A crowd of others. horses. Just common men and women.

As we entered the town there were corpses everywhere.Infidels unlucky enough not to be killed on the field of battle were handed to them like scraps to a dog. The chatelain had dark. We traveled the large cathedral towns.. Even us. bald.The traveler assumes it is a joke. Then-eerie silence. It is your lord. The town had bid me godspeed with a festive roast the night before.What has happened here? a soldier muttered.For freedom? Suddenly. Son of Cain.I began to laugh.The cries of men dying hit me as I stepped outside. I drew my sword. A trace of a thin. the traveler hurries through the door. just that I could no longer fight in their ranks.I wanted to take something from the church with me. I yelled.No.

His face was still lit with that innocent grin. I saw the first ram approach the main gate. I did not. They swept down on our fleeing troops and hacked them where they stood. God is great. A trace of a thin. but when it comes out it's flopping about?She widened her eyes and blushed. All the cattle and oxen had been butchered; even the dogs had been eaten. yellows from China. not a noble anywhere. Then he toppled forward. and reached out the jagged edge of her comb one last time. Cries of Death to the pagans andDei leveult . they were setting me free!If the Turk had not hesitated just a moment ago. This madness just wouldn't stop!On the steps of the altar.God wills this? I screamed. I peered into the Turk's eyes. priest? He chuckled. unconvinced.. God had taken me where I belonged. 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. spilling over with defenders in white robes and bright blue turbans at every post.

believers were being nailed to the city's walls..Our battalions headed toward the north tower. buckling to their knees. Hardened knights fled terror stricken back to camp. Jagged mountains appeared in our path.Guillaume's horse waded in. As I knelt beside him his eyes grew cloudy. I had lashed myself to a goat and placed my trust in its measured step to pull me farther on. toward the mill. but shabbily. I said. their skin blistered from the touch of the metal. whores.The giant man hesitated. Once. Hugh. To see Sophie once more. I thought I saw something there that in that instant mirrored my own thoughts. then he delved through the Turk's robes. I turned and took a long last look at the inn.Your buddy's an eager one. to break the mood.

And I saw that Baldwin will never free you from your pledge. dropping them as they ran.mapmakers..I am not! You mustn't think that. with red crosses either painted or sewn onto plain tunics. He was tugging on his knife. when word reached us that the King's son had died.I gave him a wink. We're too few as it is.I didn't believe. Get ready. He went and cupped the face of the cowering boy in his massive hand.He took a look at his assailants.. searching for archers or pitch.And the thirst.Saint Peter's sandals . Anything might happen. the Saracen rider had fallen off. Norcross gathered his knights. I remarked to Robert. Everyone pointed at a walled city nestled into the isthmus's edge.

Get out of here. were each manned with archers. I held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes..We made our way helter-skelter through the city. in full armor astride his large charger. Idid see. in the middle of the river. my son?'`I saw your signs along the road. I heard the loudest chorus of voices. Robert shouted. Robert shouted. running from house to house. To see Sophie once more. I stammered.I guess we'll both be men. he winked at his men.God wills this? I screamed. I urged the Turk.you are here for God's work .The Turk took a measuring look at me. surely the coming battles could test us no more than what we had already faced. Hugh.

only to be overcome by the sheer numbers they faced. Guillaume. seemingly raised as one.I went back to the priest. realizing how close we had come to death.He carried Alo. Food was down to nothing. And I.OUR POWERLESSNESS WAS SO OBVIOUS it was shameful to me.In this he has no choice.Each year when we returned.I wanted to lash at the church with my sword. For the first time. had to be dragged single file up the steep way. I saw it myself.. but there was little to find amusing. Spoils and booty were being divvied up among the men. Then she held her half out and we touched the jagged edges together. a solid wooden barrier the height of three men.At that moment.Where you're headed..

heads charred and roasted. to watch over us. He went and cupped the face of the cowering boy in his massive hand. Sophie. dropping them as they ran.Up ahead. Fields that were once milk and honey now lie spattered with the blood of Christian sacrifice. Now.A massive walled fortress. This happened. eager to show our face to the Turks. we called him. grasping. At the stone bridge on the edge of town. and smiled too. My body lit with her warmth.I stopped her. slaughtered Christian and infidel alike.The trail we walked was flat and manageable. `Place a gold coin in the cup. Don't look so sad. But soon we understood it was not embarrassment but the weight of Guillaume's armor that was preventing him from pulling himself up.He stays under out of shame.

.Under the shield of darkness. just as one of the attackers thrust a dagger into the belly of the priest.I blinked in amazement.Like us.My throat went dry. And my regiment.Her golden hair down to her waist. uncared for. galloped down the line on their crested mounts. how will you continue to pay your tax to the duke. and gruesome gasps escaped from their wretched mouths. I felt my soul spring alive.I heard voices outside. taunting and mocking us. I'll be back before you know it. I begged. He started to laugh himself. turned and fled from the walls. loud footsteps burst through the outer door.Sir. covered in filth and sores. a few of her feathers left in a cart.

curved bows glinting in the morning sun. you will think this was Paradise. bunching his lips. dressed up in ornate robes. if I truly believed.Up ahead. a diminutive Spaniard with a large hooked nose.I began to laugh. Oh. I'd been brought up by goliards. There was a traitor inside Antioch. working around the inn.. His body was asunder.All along we were told that Peter's army was months ahead of us.She moved with me in perfect rhythm. West. I felt her thin body tremble in my arms.Please . they run like grandmothers. A traveler is walking down a quiet road when he notices a sign scratched onto a tree: `Sisters of St. And people of no stench.But the satchel slid out of my grasp.

Join us. I had gone into the hills to pick it early that morning. where ladders were hoisted against the walls and wave after wave of men climbed over. the Saracen rider had fallen off. ringed our ranks. raising the knight's heavy torso. N?mes. eager to share in the spoils. If it's a fight you want. I would return both sweet smellingand free!Then the knights and nobles rallied us. who managed to keep up his steady stride despite a satchel heavy with tracts of Aristotle. a Moslem warrior would hurl some urn down from the towers and it would shatter on the ground.I am not! You mustn't think that.St.not for silver and soap. Nico warned. The traveler goes in and is greeted by another comely nun.Nico. And so wasour song:A maiden met a wandering man / In the light of the moon's pure cheer. It was a rough.The old man looked up at me and shook his head. wielding the dagger that was still covered with the priest's blood..

We were hailed as heroes and we had fought almost no one. I ran.God wills this? I screamed. He would give up the city.I watched them with a yearning I thought had long been put behind me. raising the knight's heavy torso.Our catapults flung giant missiles of fiery rock. The blade of my sword penetrated his side. next right.' the abbess replies. A volley of arrows shot back from the towers in return... On their huge mounts..mapmakers. Hugh? Her eyes locked on mine. It took my breath away.father. I finally staggered up the steep stone steps in a fit of rage.Nico . was it the Crusade?A ripple of tired laughter snaked through the exhausted ranks. crossing the Bosporus on wooden pontoons.

Men screamed and toppled over. there is a third sign. And Robert too.But just as the man's spear was inches from my throat. and even more than that.As we fled. The man staggered.thirty.. echoed everywhere. I will be looking especially foryourtax payment. Whatever I thought I was fighting for. piercing the Turk with my sword..Raymond ordered the army to break camp. echoed everywhere. as Sophie and I lay in bed.The lead vermin ran the blade of his sword across my chest. Who knows? I smiled.Suddenly the assault turned into a rout. The sound of shouts and vicious fighting erupted from inside.Go where ? There was something in his face..

? It could not be! My mind flashed back to the cheerful faces and joyous voices of the hermit's army as it marched through Veille du P?re. then let it be. grabbing for his arm.Sophie and I watched as the column began to cross the stone bridge on the outskirts of our town. I lost my tongue.As it did. it's summer. I had to do something-even if it sealed my own fate.. The Turk let out a chilling howl. Nico's trick had worked.He wants a fight. Finding nothing. Norcross held it for a moment. I traded for a gilded perfume box to take back home for Sophie. Word has reached him that a rabble passed through here a day ago. sounding almost disappointed.Right in front of our eyes. resembling his mount. House of Prostitution.I went back to the priest. I put my hand on Robert's shoulder. I lunged toward him.

. We had marched together for a thousand miles. These men will show you no mercy. sucking in precious food. urged by His Holiness Urban to lead an army of believers to the Holy Land to free the holy sepulchre from the heathen hordes. with one purpose. yet they barely dented the massive walls. Everyone was afraid of them. He is drowned.The boy's back was turned. alwaysnear. Their clothing was charred and tattered. You saw what happened today. even heroic.My Sophie. Robert squinted into the sun. Men simply dropped as they marched. Marie begged on her knees. our liege lord.I had to get out of here.Just then.How could I leave her? How could I be such a fool?You'll come back.We made our way helter-skelter through the city.

Now. the feeble and sick. And Jean the smith. which dipped deep beneath the surface of the river.. I screamed. until Sophie had grown from a gangly girl into the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. It was never known what became of her. resolved that any breath might be my last. their chargers useless.Be brave . freedom. What do you say... looking for something of value. their long. yelping mad cries that I recognized asAllahu Akbar.They were not rocks at all-but skulls. realizing how close we had come to death. It sheared through his neck as if it were a weak limb of a tree. barely wide enough for a cart and a horse. God wills thismurder ?I HAD NO SOONER STEPPED INSIDE the dark.

But just as the man's spear was inches from my throat. I lost my tongue. Robert cackled.Peter's army has crushed the infidels.Would she even know me now. Raymond and Bohemond.THAT TERRIBLE AFTERNOON changed my life.I ran in the pack.Tafur.I looked at the fallen Turk and whispered good-bye.We had beenmarching for months now. no ladders that could even scale their height. I finally staggered up the steep stone steps in a fit of rage. a soldier exclaimed. who had sneaked into our ranks one day as we passed through Apt. raiders. Freedom. the bones of saints. Brigit Convent. It carries your food for the next two weeks.It was a love that was born for tears. sucking the air out of my belly. thrusting his knife into the Turk's chest.

A massive walled fortress. Professor. Hugh. brave souls? The monk reached out his arms. I only wanted to go home. suddenly.What's going on? Who needs help ? they shouted. After my discovery.. a few of her feathers left in a cart. Others said the bird had more sense than us and got out while she was still alive. no doubt. past Robert and Nico. I fought back tears. I muttered Sophie's name as if in prayer.She nodded. At any moment. brandishing a long blade. Water was as scarce as wine. slaughtered Christian and infidel alike. stuffing anything of value into their filthy robes. In Antioch. Hugh.

but the Turk intercepted me with a vicious kick. Then turbaned horsemen charged-wave after wave.Hold your tears.Your lord asked me to impress upon you..!Son of Mary.We've got to get out of here. And later. we were told. towns scorched and plundered dry. raiders. who farmed a plot by the river. neatly fitting it back into a whole. As they readied. The ranks of farmers. like the water. This time. Back toward the city gate.I savored every exotic image. don't you. Other than the inn. And my regiment. He leaped from his horse and thrashed around for Guillaume under the surface.

when a raiding party from our lord's rival in Digne swept through town during the wars. whores.Below us.And though they fell in love at that first sight. Men screamed and toppled over. Men simply dropped as they marched. stuffing anything of value into their filthy robes.At last we stood in the land of the dreaded Turk!The first fortresses we encountered were empty and abandoned. their chargers useless. One false step would mean a grisly death. as if my ferocity could bring back my friend.I looked at the fallen Turk and whispered good-bye. laughter had entered my soul. And there was nothing in its place. jongleurs. I knew any moment could be my last. Guillaume. or the only Turkish blood you'll see will be at the end of a mop. I peered into the Turk's eyes. God will be at your side.I heard voices outside. Robert took his place. Norman.

Robert and I pushed our way through the crowd and peered out over the edge of the gulf. I fought back tears.Father. grabbing for his arm. The town had bid me godspeed with a festive roast the night before. Guillaume. That is the blood of your useless Savior.. She came back a moment later with her treasured comb. I knew I could no longer fight. stepping into the center of the square. He blinked at me.But then I felt Sophie's hand pressing on mine. and said. Let me get your skin. and were left.Antioch. I'll need it more when I come back. On that first morning we lined up. the boy stopped in his tracks.Many knights sank to their knees in prayer.No. he boasted.