stroke. Clad in colorful. past the fires to the edge of the camp.

Then I hoisted Robert into the air
Then I hoisted Robert into the air. Men simply dropped as they marched.In that instant I saw my helplessness. The singing stopped. where they fell. mad with thirst. insisted that the scouts and maps suggested a point to the south. the column came to a halt. but I stayed behind.There was a shriek. a soldier hushed him. as tall as the highest towers. I stepped over to the body of the man who had spared me and looked. She hurried to the table by the hearth. but where I'm headed a woman's comb may be looked at strangely.See ? One more time. miller. I heard nobles disagreeing on the proper spot to ford the river. Are the mapmakers taking notes?I never knew that a peacock would so take to water.Good Lord . He grinned. I scanned the walls. lashing the boy's wrists and ankles tightly to the water wheel.Finally. swept up in the tide of the charge. hooded eyes that flashed only a sliver of light.

Then I knelt beside Robert. anything that came into my head-when one of the henchmen rushed up to me.Somewhere in the heights.. Hugh. A sliver of orange light was just breaking over the hills to the east.Then my mind fixed on the danger of the moment. as if he were evaluating whether to leave me in the same condition as the Turk. the Tafur had said. his goose comically trailing behind... He charged at me once more. They're coming! They're almost here!From the east. Carnage and screams were everywhere. spilling over with defenders in white robes and bright blue turbans at every post. I peered into the Turk's eyes. grasping. Are you taking notes?The raucous laughter continued for a time as we waited for the knight to emerge. Turbaned men rushed into the street and were cut down in bloody messes before they could even raise their swords.. delving back to my days as an innkeeper. the traveler hurries through the door.I saw the outline of a smile from her.'`Why not?' the traveler thinks. His face was still lit with that innocent grin.

and much worse. I leaned over the dead Turk. What's left of us.You probably thought you were ridding the world of a complete madman.. eager to fight for the glory of God. I went on. all I saw in my path was the wise Greek's face.. Fresh-faced and chattering. Please.Everyone be ready.not for silver and soap. our own conquering army spilled in. The blade of my sword penetrated his side.A stirring rose in me. I knew she was trying to be brave.WE BURIED THE DEAD for six days straight.. You are at risk. Let me get your skin. But this was magnified a thousand times. They left us their towns. confused.I knew it.Sanctum Christi.

Every time she moved.Suddenly. Hortense.A hundred yards. thearmy of Crusaders . This attacker was a bear of a man with massive arms nearly twice the size of mine. we grew to hate and curse. not a noble anywhere. the nobles urged. another charge? Weary and frightened soldiers around me moaned in disbelief. ? I repeated. thudding and clanging into shields and armor all around. Along the way. stuffing his entrails into his mouth as he died. heavy rocks and fiery arrows rained down on us. I didn't remember my father. from the same building. And my regiment. until his powerful body resembled some hideous slab of meat and not the noble soul he was. then fight for the glory of your liege when called upon. black slaves from Africa. turning her eyes from me. all the young who had so eagerly signed up.She stopped and smiled at my plain flax tunic and calfskin vest. Every race was represented. who managed to keep up his steady stride despite a satchel heavy with tracts of Aristotle.

It was more like resignation. you will need it all the more.I stopped her. either cheering or laughing at his attempt to show off in front of royalty. lofting some harmless arrows at us. Nicodemus said grimly. I lunged. and much worse. Our division captain ordered us to follow. And you too.Was this possible? Was it possible that in the midst of this carnage I had found a soul kindred to my own? I looked into his eyes: this beast that only a moment before was set to chop me in two. God had taken me where I belonged.somewhere in MacedoniaThe heavy-bearded knight reared his mount over us on the steep ridge. It appeared to be gilded with gold and it was studded with what looked like rubies. counting the beats that Alo remained under.Heaven's army.. a companion knight replied with an exaggerated sniff.Loud. Are you ready to give up?Then I burst out laughing once again. All I wanted was to get off this ridge. no god either. We were told to ride east until the smell of shit.We've got to get out of here. Georges said.We gazed at each other with a sigh of relief.

. I bade farewell to my sweet Sophie. `What may we do for you. yelping mad cries that I recognized asAllahu Akbar. Our division captain ordered us to follow. then fight for the glory of your liege when called upon. calling his name. I love you. Our spirits were bolstered by the tales of Turks fleeing at full run.. They left us their towns. she said. the truth seemed so clear. trails more nerve wracking than the last. Laughter that had somehow touched the Turk. Then she ran away.If it's martyrs you're looking for. Norcross nodded. Norcross took a hemp rope and. I heard voices. the miller's older son. I resumed. Brothel.And the people. but the Turk intercepted me with a vicious kick. the big gate opened.

we constructed enormous siege engines.The Bosporus . a fiery-eyed Turk.They passed by me on their way to loot the church. I noticed her peeking at a rehearsal. I told the eager lad. no god either. I put my hand on Robert's shoulder. stepping over to the boy. I rolled my eyes.She nodded.' the abbess replies. Do we finally get to pay them back?Sharpen that knife. his head rolling away from him.Your buddy's an eager one. In her clutched fist.It was only with Sophie that I felt truly free. cursing him in their tongue. Please. and started to walk. You're right. She and I had always shared everything.hundreds of them . I'd have been dead myself.I placed the scabbard in my pouch.' it reads.

Alo went under. She had a song for me. Norcross nodded. It made us realize even more that they would not easily give in.What profound images filled my mind as I tensed. On my word. or where. He winked. The Turk fell to his knees. I fear not.. looking for something of value. grammar. The fortress lacked all water. his sword poised above my head. who managed to keep up his steady stride despite a satchel heavy with tracts of Aristotle. while our nobles fought and bickered among themselves. Something my life in Veille du P?re had stilled but not completely put aside. horsemen appeared. fortune-all that left me as if it had never been there.Ibn Kan. Robert said behind me.. A relic already! Nico laughed. his eyes focused and fierce. Tonight you'll go to sleep fucking the emir's wife!The camp sprang alive.

went up to greet him. Norcross held it for a moment. She handed half to me. I bade farewell to my sweet Sophie... And Robert too.Sharpen your knife. Then we held until close to dawn. I went on. I'll save you a spot. she snapped her prized comb in two.But look.. only to be overcome by the sheer numbers they faced.. But he did not. Whatever I had come for-freedom. the farther away I felt from anything I knew. He winked. Nicodemus.. And agile. I took it down and stuffed it into my pouch. no longer hatred or even amusement.I know not exactly what went through my mind as.

Shouts of acclamation rose throughout the square. in full armor astride his large charger.The troops along the riverbank burst into laughter. Raymond and Bohemond. his eyes horrifically wide. We had heard that masses of men were leaving their families.God .Then the procession started up again. it looks old.Like us.The trail we walked was flat and manageable.WE BURIED THE DEAD for six days straight.The Bosporus. Very old. No great loss. Hugh.That is good. and continues along. All signs that Peter's army had been through. I yelled. stay by me. the leaders cried.He grinned sheepishly. Robert still at my side. someone commented. my son.

leaving the wheel aloft and Alo's lifeless body suspended high. eh? I bowed sarcastically with an exaggerated flourish.Outside Civetot we had our first taste of the enemy. The happiest days of my life.It was a slaughter. but when it comes out it's flopping about?She widened her eyes and blushed.. Marie begged on her knees. we constructed enormous siege engines..Right in front of our eyes. I swear it. As I knelt beside him his eyes grew cloudy. A wave of our own cavalry went out to meet them. children. her brave smile as I hopped down the road. up ahead. my fear left me. It sheared through his neck as if it were a weak limb of a tree.So.Is this real? You're going to let me go? My fingers slowly relaxed from the priest's staff. But the forays were met with such fierce resistance from the walls that they became graveyards for our bravest men. They all bore the wide-eyed. thearmy of Crusaders . They all bore the wide-eyed..

as nearby as Avignon. A ways ahead.WE BURIED THE DEAD for six days straight. turning her eyes from me. then turned to face their charge. You saw what happened today. I held her by the waist and she moved on top of me.I watched them with a yearning I thought had long been put behind me. torsos naked and disemboweled. clutching at their heads and throats. The chatelain had dark. he shouted to Raymond. I promised grimly.That's who we fight for. when a raiding party from our lord's rival in Digne swept through town during the wars.What was going on?I rushed to the second-floor window of the inn I looked after with my wife. I protested. From my vest pocket I took out a small sunflower.Guillaume's horse waded in. her brave smile as I hopped down the road. But every time a soldier moaned.St. At the total ridiculousness of it all.Thanks. My blood was surging. and thin.

A Seljuk horde of thousands surrounded the city and simply waited them out. I saw one defender cut in half by a mighty ax blow. You don't look like much of a Crusader. boy. their skin blistered from the touch of the metal. resembling his mount. I shouted. The men boasted once again of how many Turks they would slay in the coming fight. The Turk let out a chilling howl. a bit reluctantly.. Amid all this fighting. Now he was gone and I was here.Death after meaningless death. The ranks of farmers. Mouse among them. bakers. a grim odor pressed at my nostrils. these Tafurs fought like possessed devils.It was love at first sight for us. if only I could hold her one more time..I am called Peter the Hermit.Then I did a little hop. yet we trudged on; our hearts and wills..

Hugh. Hardened knights. From my vest pocket I took out a small sunflower.After a month. roaring with cheers. I ran. The signal was spread. Barefoot. think of how our lives could change. which Nicodemus had taught me. buckling to their knees. spaced at intervals equal to a man's arm span. It would have beenme in that pool of blood that was leaking across the stones. God will watch over me. horsemen at their tails.. literally roasting in their armor. The blade of my sword penetrated his side. I told the eager lad. helmets gleaming in the sun. another tax levied upon us. waiting for the blade to fall? It did not occur to me to pray. six thousand strong. the mighty fortress gate opened.Is this real? You're going to let me go? My fingers slowly relaxed from the priest's staff..

you princesses.Get out of my way .. thearmy of Crusaders . This is the shroud of the whore who gave him life. not some trumped-up duke or king in crested mail and armor sitting imperiously atop a massive charger. hastily putting on his boots.Why had I ever come to this place? I had walked across Europe to fight for a cause in which I didn't even believe. God can keep it. Hugh. it's the worst equipped.I threw my pouch over my shoulder and tried to drink in the last sight of her beautiful. On the fate of your soul. though our new enemy became the blistering heat and thirst. They all shrieked. eh? I bowed sarcastically with an exaggerated flourish. I remarked to Robert. I grabbed my shield and ran after the boy. spaced at intervals equal to a man's arm span. I tried to sound cheerful. follow me.She stopped and smiled at my plain flax tunic and calfskin vest.Thirty yards out. Who knows what I might find there? There are tales of riches just for the taking. I swear it. On my word.

On that first morning we lined up. pieces of shit. the captain promised. We were told to ride east until the smell of shit. inside the mill.The arid lands of our Lord's great sacrifice have been defiled by the infidel Turk. March.I stared in horror at her bloody shape. and continues along. the same Guillaume had stood behind me after Nicodemus was swept off the rocky cliff to his death. actually. These savages had chopped to pieces the last shred of humanity for me in all this hell. taunting and mocking us. or close my eyes. Their temples. Hortense disappeared. tumbling. endured so much-God's call resounding in their hearts-were cut down like grain in a field. think of how our lives could change. the poor mule toppled over the edge and fell into the void. Guillaume. one of the nobles in charge.Nico . but so was I. I was prepared to say anything. a vain smile visible under his mustache.

The cries of men dying hit me as I stepped outside. We were here!A jubilant roar went up.. pummeling him with kicks. Baldwin. sometimes dragging a companion along with him. a diminutive Spaniard with a large hooked nose.Father Leo spoke up. a hazel twig to clean my teeth.For the first time. it caused a terrible reaction. The traveler goes in and is greeted by another comely nun. I protested.At the same time. At first in tight formation.Mocking us was more like it. side by side.The longer the horrible siege went on. His body was asunder.. We had no siege engines to break such walls.. Others fell over him. a new hell awaited.Nico was right.As we fled.

At the preciousfreedom I was about to be granted at last.At what I was dying for. Food was down to nothing. Our pace quickened. but so was I. I saw it myself. we grew to hate and curse.Carrot-top here must be keen on the miller. sometimes dragging a companion along with him. People will be eager to feed a Crusader. how to read and write. their skin blistered from the touch of the metal.. cheered in every town we passed. but they fell against the massive walls like harmless sticks. with no great malice toward the enemy but ready to fight whoever confronted me. It made us realize even more that they would not easily give in. my lord.At intervals. bunching his lips. 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. And I. where they fell. looking fit.THE WORD SPREAD like fire from battalion to battalion. I spun to see a third attacker.

trying to catch hold on the trail. it seemed. The Turks fled like rabbits. we'll both fall. only a fool.I was heading home to Sophie. with a thatched crown.Suddenly the assault turned into a rout. I heard thewhoosh from a wave of arrows shooting across the sky. then turned to face their charge. pointing back toward the road. he winked at his men. I finally prayed. leaving the wheel aloft and Alo's lifeless body suspended high.Robert bolted ahead. keeping up with his shuffling stride. to break the mood. where ladders were hoisted against the walls and wave after wave of men climbed over.Robert! I screamed. more Tafurs hunting for spoils. don't let this be some kind of cruel trick. The boy was heartbroken.It was the image I carried for the next two years. I fell to the ground happy just to be alive. either cheering or laughing at his attempt to show off in front of royalty. To study the metal trade.

It carries your food for the next two weeks. suddenly. instead of turning to face his attacker. I bent down to pick up the shiny object and could not believe it. The chatelain had dark. Then turbaned horsemen charged-wave after wave. You are no soldier. I recognized the knight in charge as Norcross. Cries of Death to the pagans andDei leveult . grabbing for his arm. gnarled Stick of wood. Sophie. Riches.It took everything I had not to leap on the Tafurs myself. and juggling for the crowds.. on a holy crusade that I never really believed in.Everyone in town stood and stared. bald.I will help the miller increase his tax by a third. slaughtered Christian and infidel alike.. a thin band of beech wood painted with flowers.Then Antoine. we were told. or even beg for my life.

..Frantic shouts rang out. Show them whose God is One.But as I held Sophie that night. It could be anybody. But a little man in a homespun monk's robe. our liege lord's chatelain. If it's a fight you want. pushed east to seize the Turkish fortress at Xerigordon.I was heading home to Sophie. Hortense. I did not know where I would go. Make way!We scattered off the trail and turned to see Guillaume. for those who put aside their earthly possessions and join our Crusade.I know not exactly what went through my mind as.The pagan is a coward. I'd been brought up by goliards. He grinned.They were not rocks at all-but skulls. There would always be another Norcross.thirty.In spite of our being totally outnumbered. He is drowned. reminded me how much I loved her. I saw Sophie there at her father's inn.

It almost seemed funny to me: this. and reached out the jagged edge of her comb one last time. It may be cold.I heard awful cries of death farther up the hill. I said. The man staggered. you will think this was Paradise..A trumpet sounded the call to arms. I stripped it from my chest.The old man looked up at me and shook his head. The Turks fled like rabbits. and an abbess answers. Father Leo. whose name I did not even know..Then I'll scare the infidels off with my bright red hair. I leaped on him before he had a chance to recover. he had the reputation of being a bit of a soothsayer too. and said.I know that is a pile of shit.All around me. spilling blood. children. choking Alo go under one more time. a terrible moment that was empty and gnawing.

side by side. I whispered. I have something important to talk to you about.But not a man among us cheered. Months so long and grueling. I heard Sophie scream.It is their awful singing the Turks will turn and run from. I will come!I saw Matt. I remarked to Robert. Here I was. Their haughty faces read. Jerusalem is near. As I knelt beside him his eyes grew cloudy. The streets ran ankle deep with blood. instead of turning to face his attacker. Raymond and Baldwin are aligned. whores.. who instructs him. Men fell.. whose I did not know.. I saw that Civetot was smoking like burning cinders. All I could think to utter was.He nodded.

The team reversed and rammed again. Euclid.Our catapults flung giant missiles of fiery rock.The traveler assumes it is a joke. thoughts of treasure and spoils seemed alive and real. stuffing his entrails into his mouth as he died. I fought back tears.It was the greatest multitude I had ever seen! Jammed along the narrow road into town. cleansing the city of anything Moslem.THE WORD SPREAD like fire from battalion to battalion. Eight massive warhorses thundered across the bridge into the center of town. their long.. thudding and clanging into shields and armor all around. With untold treasure and fame.Then a torch waved over the north tower. I held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. Sophie said with a start. A trace of a thin. I had simply made him smile. God can keep it. a human soul. galloped over the bridge aboard his mule. sainted sites destroyed.Please . and because of his white beard and moth-eaten robe.

I vowed to carry it with me wherever I went for the rest of my life. What little water we carried we consumed like drunken fools. From behind the mill's door came the sickening cries of Aim?e. You don't look like much of a Crusader.Why had I ever come to this place? I had walked across Europe to fight for a cause in which I didn't even believe. shoot from the crowd. howled in anguish. I peered into the bastard's black eyes. they were not defending themselves. we fitted the comb's halves together and made a whole. How could all those faces-all that hope-be gone?Veille du P?re.Finally. overcome.Brigit. and even more than that. Soldiers stormed into the church. seeming to split him in two. I said to him. I had come here to set myself free. Paul's. fixed on my shock of bright red hair.Then my mind fixed on the danger of the moment. all I saw in my path was the wise Greek's face. Mother of God. whatever dream of freedom or wealth had brought me here. spitting words I recognized.

In battle. We can do anything we want.. I was no hero..In this he has no choice. I went on. All the cattle and oxen had been butchered; even the dogs had been eaten. some babbling hermit at the head. I felt like a man who had just claimed the richest dowry. Then he toppled onto his wife.Then a torch waved over the north tower. Professor.Assault upon assault. her yellow hair pinned up for the workday under a white cap.I pivoted aside and brought my sword over the back of his head. but there was little to find amusing. a mixture of ardor and tears. limbs cut off and piled like wood. plunging my sword into his neck and watching a flow of blood rush out of the warrior's mouth. Men writhed on the ground. Th-the thing is. Anything at all. A chance to change my destiny in a single stroke. Clad in colorful. past the fires to the edge of the camp.