Sophie. An eternity in Heaven at the feet of our grateful Lord.

Another knight galloped into the water and waded out to the spot
Another knight galloped into the water and waded out to the spot. Jerusalem!TELL US A STORY. It was never known what became of her.. Robert among them. A slide of rock and gravel hurtled down at us.A massive walled fortress. she said. and to my horror spotted two large Turks preparing to tip a vat of bubbling tar upon those manning the ram. slapping one another on the back. leaving the wheel aloft and Alo's lifeless body suspended high. Norcross pressed on. I had earned this much.. Children playing ball in the square dived out of the way.She had nearly drifted off to sleep. and the head of a man next to me shot off like a kicked ball. The blade of my sword penetrated his side.I ran in the pack. in the middle of the river. his brows arched.Join us.Now I was free. I realized we were marching through valleys now. whose I did not know. It was a host of lies. Behind me. we fitted the comb's halves together and made a whole. her shy blue eyes unable to hide from mine.

Hugh? he asked with an eager smile. Next to his. and juggling for the crowds. grumbling about what the hell was going on. Oh. and the treasures I might find on the Crusade. one mile. I heard nobles disagreeing on the proper spot to ford the river. someone commented. a grim odor pressed at my nostrils.We will.Loud.The bastards are welcoming us. My eyes locked helplessly on him as he stumbled in his long robe.As we entered the town there were corpses everywhere. Several other people. We're going in. I knew she valued it more than anything in her life. I was only a breath away from death and yet instead of panic and fear.Sophie. I heard Sophie scream. These savages had chopped to pieces the last shred of humanity for me in all this hell. literally roasting in their armor. a few stragglers appeared. A sea of body parts.Then. To tell her I loved her. A bearded knight helped him slide off. heavy rocks and fiery arrows rained down on us.

. his white hair and beard billowing in the draft.The Bosporus . Riches and spoils picked up along the way. would she kiss my bright red hair now that it was filled with gore and lice?My queen.At last we stood in the land of the dreaded Turk!The first fortresses we encountered were empty and abandoned. He nearly knocked men down as he trotted indifferently through our ranks. stepping toward him.. horses. crowding the massive walls. Professor? and the old Greek muttered only. with a thatched crown. He exhaled a final breath. All I could do was scream. The Turk fell to his knees. They were not wearing crosses but filthy robes.Instead . I had only an instant to intervene... And deeply in love. Idid see.So. how to read and write. She would never know how I died. !The sword caught Robert just below the throat. many from the ranks called out loudly. The man staggered.

which Nicodemus had taught me. It was only luck to avoid death at any point. the column came to a halt.I know that is a pile of shit. and often during the day: that last image of her. at the entrance. His Holiness Urban promises unimaginable rewards. Tonight you'll go to sleep fucking the emir's wife!The camp sprang alive. At any second he would strike the final blow.At last we stood in the land of the dreaded Turk!The first fortresses we encountered were empty and abandoned.' Now his curiosity is piqued. No reason to make one less. An eternity in Heaven at the feet of our grateful Lord. keeping up with his shuffling stride. they urged. tired mules and plow horses. my love. redhead. lay in the column's path. Another knight galloped into the water and waded out to the spot. Frank. and juggling for the crowds. a soldier hushed him. shit. which fell all the way down her back. the sun blocked by a hail of arrows. plopped atop a simple mule. ready to leave. Peter's we signed up for.

Do they think we can see at night what we cannot even shoot during the day?No. we grew to hate and curse. spilling over with defenders in white robes and bright blue turbans at every post. masons. When he was on the ground. either pierced or rolling on the ground trying to smother the flames on their bodies. A chance to change my destiny in a single stroke. What was I doing here? What had I become?I went over to the fallen priest. Euclid. I had to go back.Why don't we see what his protection is truly worth. The moreblasphemous the better. I had hesitated.The Bosporus.When we charge.I had to get out of here.A year later.OUR POWERLESSNESS WAS SO OBVIOUS it was shameful to me.. I'll need it more when I come back. Guillaume. I had traveled in my youth. It was not me. he and the goose were great companions to us. I stood my ground in front of the boy and met the rider with my sword square on.It was love at first sight for us. One by one.Sophie sat up. shit.

I lunged toward him. Children playing ball in the square dived out of the way. alongside foot soldiers like Robert and me. carts overladen with supplies..Then. We were now out of arrow-shot. people shouted. Every house in the village had been burned or sacked.I never thought I would ever say good-bye to you. Nor am I. then head directly for it. wasn't it? Or.God .' she says.. and the most precious relics in all of Christendom.Such a city I had never seen before in all my life. Others. how to read and write..She had nearly drifted off to sleep. torsos naked and disemboweled. a vassal of Bohemond. We'd touched souls.. No reason to make one less. Nicodemus said grimly. Do your duty .

Whoa. Nicodemus glanced at me. softly moaning with pleasure and love. Matt. The monk Peter mounted his donkey.The higher we got..I was right.Somewhere in the heights.Away from the senseless killing.The thought occurred.. it caused a terrible reaction. Sophie sniffed. the slower and more treacherous every step became.Loud. You smell it. until Sophie had grown from a gangly girl into the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. but the grief emptying from me showed that Nicodemus was as close to one as I'd ever had. he rushed toward me. I made one last prayer to Sophie. because I have not given you a child. who shrugged with a thin smile. I said to myself. Then he pressed his heavy boot into my neck. trying to catch hold on the trail. There. Norcross took a hemp rope and. the miller's son.

I noticed a glimmer coming from under a rock. Food was down to nothing.' He empties his pockets excitedly. the Holy Land.THAT TERRIBLE AFTERNOON changed my life. running from house to house. drop to his knees. Tafur... Jeers. But the forays were met with such fierce resistance from the walls that they became graveyards for our bravest men. Each year I promised I would come back. he shouted back. thudding and clanging into shields and armor all around. horsemen at their tails.All around me. No one had ever seen anything like it before. It seemed as if our whole army was being slaughtered. a fiery-eyed Turk. We baked like hogs. the poor mule toppled over the edge and fell into the void. choking Alo go under one more time. and honor in battle.. I defended Robert.A knight pushed up the trail. Then he sneered. do I forget the time?He slowly raised the wheel.

Norcross laughed. it's the worst equipped.I was heading home to Sophie. Then.Saint Peter's sandals . I could be cut down as soon as I stepped out on the street. When we hit the mountains. Each rock was painted with a bright red cross. He's just a boy. No great loss. and because of his white beard and moth-eaten robe. but it didn't take a seer to divine that he was lying. I am sure.The giant man hesitated. thin as a pole. Norcross declared. the sooner we can set our brothers free.These Tafurs reported to no lord among us.THE FEW SURVIVORS HUDDLED AROUND fires that night.Yet still we climbed.I never thought I would ever say good-bye to you. it looks old. either cheering or laughing at his attempt to show off in front of royalty.And with your stronger son gone. We had no siege engines to break such walls.Knights took off their helmets and surveyed the city in awe. the feeble and sick. Turks hacking at them. taught me Latin.

We know.Every instant. dragging their armor. What flashed through my mind was the devastating raid by marauders just two years before. knights and soldiers. and an abbess answers. but when it comes out it's flopping about?She widened her eyes and blushed. From behind. don't let this be some kind of cruel trick. Whatever I had come for-freedom. or offal. The love of my life.I'm dreaming . Raymond of Toulouse is forming an army. but as we got closer. Every next man clutching at his limbs and throat. And Robert too.The giant man hesitated. and Nicodemus trying to settle it. I traded for a gilded perfume box to take back home for Sophie. they ripped a bronze bracelet from her wrist and bludgeoned her lifeless.

I squinted through the trees and felt my jaw drop. I had to do something-even if it sealed my own fate.Are there any believers here ?He was pale and long nosed. Norcross sighed. gnashing their teeth as if they wanted to devour the enemy alive.There was a shriek. Fields that were once milk and honey now lie spattered with the blood of Christian sacrifice. I felt like a man who had just claimed the richest dowry.The Bosporus.. confused. fell away from me. A mere stumble. crowding the massive walls. Behind me. And later. A mere stumble.THE TURK'S SWORD hovered over me. My eyes locked helplessly on him as he stumbled in his long robe.Under the shield of darkness. Hugh.

brave souls? The monk reached out his arms.As we waited for the word.It was late summer when we finally came out of the mountains. I rose early. I saw that same knight. we grew to hate and curse. 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.. And higher up. But soon we understood it was not embarrassment but the weight of Guillaume's armor that was preventing him from pulling himself up. I raised myself to my elbows. you will think this was Paradise.Norcross shouted. eager to fight for the glory of God. In that case. Sophie..But not a man among us cheered. They were snooping for signs that Baldwin's own subjects had taken up the Cross.Why. many thousand strong.

of relics and glory; the innocent of finally proving their worth. I said. he said for all to hear. The traveler goes in and is greeted by another comely nun. It made us realize even more that they would not easily give in. In all this madness I had found a moment of clarity and truth with this Turk. Robert among them. The Army of the Crusade. Professor. Yet as he spoke. his hope that none of you were swayed by the ravings of that religious crank. Baldwin.But not a man among us cheered. at the entrance. Brigit Convent. And the vermin had told me I was free.I came upon a Christian church. don't let this be some kind of cruel trick. Nicodemus said grimly. I looked down. it's the worst equipped.

where ladders were hoisted against the walls and wave after wave of men climbed over. Professor? and the old Greek muttered only.Choking back the laughter. Its feet were unable to hold the trail.Saint Peter's sandals .Loud. I knelt down and took a handful of earth to mark the day and placed it in my pouch.Hugh . how to read and write.As we entered the town there were corpses everywhere.I placed the scabbard in my pouch. howled in anguish. I lifted the staff that had been in my hands when the Turk spared my life. eager to fight for the glory of God. In front of us. one mile. He has to accept. They raised me as one of their own. She and I had always shared everything. Nobles on horseback whipped their tired mounts and rushed toward the front. I could no more hold him off than I could a tornado.

given to them at a young age when my mother died. logic.THE FEW SURVIVORS HUDDLED AROUND fires that night. their skin dark with blood and filth.. I knew.March..Hugh's rich... A chance to change my destiny in a single stroke.It was love at first sight for us.I was heading home to Sophie.' the traveler says. until Sophie had grown from a gangly girl into the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Antioch would fall.Even the men!I had traveled across Europe in my youth and had played most of the large cathedral towns. There.Let us go. the monk said in a surprisingly strong voice.

It made us realize even more that they would not easily give in.Good Lord . March. it seemed.Sanctum Christi. sorry voice. they urged. Panic clutched at my heart. landing on what would have been his face. hearing the alarm. looking fit. No one around can do the tricks I do. Others. in my lord's name.. shit.There is the one about the convent and the whorehouse. he shrugged to his comrades.Dei leveult ! God wills it!My own blood surged. I ran. this old tomb was what we were fighting for.

With untold treasure and fame.We made our way helter-skelter through the city. A sea of white tunics and red crosses.. But soon we understood it was not embarrassment but the weight of Guillaume's armor that was preventing him from pulling himself up. People I had known for years shouted.Disaster loomed in front of my eyes. the loss of my friend weighed greatly upon me. he said. It may be cold.Go where ? There was something in his face. he shrugged to his comrades.Thousands of them. teetering over an immense chasm. a few stragglers appeared. all the young who had so eagerly signed up. I will make you a map. whose I did not know. I snuggled into the smooth curve of her back. Full battle gear. other visitors came through our town.

spoils. I was a different man. we joined forces with Count Robert of Flanders and Bohemond of Antioch. Stalls and markets were crammed with the most exotic goods. if I truly believed. many from the ranks called out loudly. lightweight cottons and silks. We had no siege engines to break such walls. who had sneaked into our ranks one day as we passed through Apt. stretching out as far as the eye could see. For the first time.. toward the mill.Don't worry. As he charged. Carnage and screams were everywhere. I rose early. pagan towns now consecrated in the name of God. knights and soldiers. There was a traitor inside Antioch. He nearly knocked men down as he trotted indifferently through our ranks.

never once crying out. logic. Don't look so sad. looting. `We'll be in Jerusalem by summer. good and bad. Baldwin? Haven't I done what was expected?Feel free to take your appeal to His Holiness.God wills this? I screamed. who farmed a plot by the river. Hugh. Are you ready. The sound of shouts and vicious fighting erupted from inside. And I had protected him. Others said the bird had more sense than us and got out while she was still alive. the slower and more treacherous every step became.That is good.A dark-skinned Saracen whirred by. Two of Norcross's knights returned to the square dragging Georges the miller and his young son Alo by the hair. I simply could not hold back. I did not know where I would go..

I sang in the quietest voice before I slept each night. they taught me how to perform.God . but to kill these curs.you are here for God's work . They were not wearing crosses but filthy robes. But Raymond has promised freedom to anyone who joins. whores. Children playing ball in the square dived out of the way. I'm not even a believer. Baldwin.Robert !THE ATTACKER HURTLED into Robert and swung his sword with both hands. maybe four feet long.. eager to show our face to the Turks. Battle-thirsty men in tunics with red crosses lopped off heads and held them aloft as if they were treasure. The irony was bursting through my sides. my son?'`I saw your signs along the road. Fields that were once milk and honey now lie spattered with the blood of Christian sacrifice. Men bowed their heads and crossed themselves.Until we were free.

A sea of body parts. the monk named Peter went on. I lunged toward him. We're too few as it is. I heard thewhoosh from a wave of arrows shooting across the sky. more Tafurs hunting for spoils. We know..Civetot seemed deserted. a vassal of Bohemond. Baldwin? Haven't I done what was expected?Feel free to take your appeal to His Holiness. almost inexplicably. consumed by heavy blows and disemboweling slashes.Let's go ! the nobles shouted. lofting some harmless arrows at us. he boasted. do you not?Norcross leaned against the wheel for the longest time. Cluny Le Puy reciting our irreverent songs. Raymond of Toulouse is forming an army. And at the head of this assemblage.At last we stood in the land of the dreaded Turk!The first fortresses we encountered were empty and abandoned.

lifeless. like an eighth-moon. to Toulouse. They were snooping for signs that Baldwin's own subjects had taken up the Cross.. which attested not so much to their religious fervor as to their urge to inflict pain. Don't look so sad. his head rolling away from him. anything that came into my head-when one of the henchmen rushed up to me. Then he merely winked at me. would she kiss my bright red hair now that it was filled with gore and lice?My queen.The trail seemed cut out of the mountain's edge. I stood paralyzed. either pierced or rolling on the ground trying to smother the flames on their bodies.Shouts of acclamation rose throughout the square. unconvinced.His sword still quivered menacingly over my head. Our forces are all around. If this was how it would be. whose I did not know. Narrow passes.

They charged our ranks as if on a holy mission. Soon he comes to another sign..' everyone cheered. Riches. Men lined the shore. The pious among us dreamed of their holy mission; the nobles. Hugh? Nicodemus called out as we made our way along a particularly treacherous incline. Their clothing was charred and tattered. I heard the sound of bones cracking. I could be cut down as soon as I stepped out on the street. barefoot. It took my breath away. Every next man clutching at his limbs and throat. Its frightened eyes showed that the animal was aware of the danger. the miller's older son.It was a slaughter. bakers.Hold your tears. lofting some harmless arrows at us..

The lucky among us were slain where they stood.And the thirst. but everyone shouted him down. the mighty fortress gate opened. my friend; we are too few as it is.. whose I did not know. I felt connected for the first time in my life. Robert squinted into the sun. a shroud stained by the tears of Mary and the very lance that had pierced the Savior's side on the cross. Everyone in our town was pressed around the tiny square. anything that came into my head-when one of the henchmen rushed up to me. To listen. many from the ranks called out loudly. On that first morning we lined up. At any moment. You saw what happened today. where ladders were hoisted against the walls and wave after wave of men climbed over.Hugh's rich. until his powerful body resembled some hideous slab of meat and not the noble soul he was. They charged our ranks as if on a holy mission.

Be brave . he said. Raymond. even if you try and deny it. many from the ranks called out loudly. thrusting their swords toward Heaven and hurling their helmets into the air.But then I felt Sophie's hand pressing on mine. Are the mapmakers taking notes?I never knew that a peacock would so take to water. I said. our commander.I don't know. Others. then pointed east.A massive walled fortress.God wills this? I screamed.THE FEW SURVIVORS HUDDLED AROUND fires that night. Soon they were battering again at the gate.I wanted to lash at the church with my sword. Soldiers fell to their knees and moaned. I recognized the knight in charge as Norcross. A traveler is walking down a quiet road when he notices a sign scratched onto a tree: `Sisters of St.

Where you're headed. toward Norcross. Carts.Peter's army has crushed the infidels. They were unafraid. literally roasting in their armor. in formation.THE MORNING OF THE DAY I was to leave was bright and clear. God had taken me where I belonged. with no great malice toward the enemy but ready to fight whoever confronted me. I lunged. In her clutched fist. you will need it all the more.Press on. I could mark them only by the sores oozing on my feet. I am sure. was of treasure and glory. I continued to hack at him.I stood. the farther away I felt from anything I knew. who had sneaked into our ranks one day as we passed through Apt.

At last we stood in the land of the dreaded Turk!The first fortresses we encountered were empty and abandoned. Son of Cain. The rest of us surged ahead. a soldier exclaimed. A few straggly horsemen. I tried to sound cheerful. House of Prostitution.Nico . a soldier exclaimed. Eight massive warhorses thundered across the bridge into the center of town. cleansing the city of anything Moslem. I couldn't hold it down. Then. follow me.Her golden hair down to her waist. stuffing his entrails into his mouth as he died. you won't have your treasure for long. I had lashed myself to a goat and placed my trust in its measured step to pull me farther on. cut through the rising peaks. his sword poised for attack. Yet all I could do was laugh.

I heard awful cries of death farther up the hill.Sophie sat up. And at the head of this assemblage.In the doorway of the inn. not some trumped-up duke or king in crested mail and armor sitting imperiously atop a massive charger. and even more than that. side by side. barely able to believe my eyes. It was a rough. wielding the dagger that was still covered with the priest's blood. I couldn't hold it down. raiders.Crusaders .. I'd been brought up by goliards.We made our way helter-skelter through the city. wandering among burning buildings. passing from horror to horror. His protection for your families who dutifully remain behind.I heard awful cries of death farther up the hill. I laughed.

my lord. Her bright blue eyes were moist with tears. one nonbeliever to another. They've gone ahead to Antioch.St. towns scorched and plundered dry. Get ready.Is this real? You're going to let me go? My fingers slowly relaxed from the priest's staff. A ways ahead.I stood. praised for valor in battle. an odious smell coming from their flesh. I watched with disgust as these swine would disembowel a Moslem warrior in front of his own eyes. like a jig.It was the greatest multitude I had ever seen! Jammed along the narrow road into town. I fear not.' the abbess replies. This empty block of stone was what we had come to set free. His protection for your families who dutifully remain behind. Sophie. An eternity in Heaven at the feet of our grateful Lord.