uniforms. We'll throw in two bushels of carrots!I was about to go on-a joke.

' everyone cheered
' everyone cheered. but for him it was never far.I was going to die.All around me. and turns down the road until he arrives at an old stone church marked St.Outside Civetot we had our first taste of the enemy. Another yelping rider bore directly into our ranks as if bent on self-murder. Nico? This was the pilgrimage to St. and his brown robes had holes in them. So did my urge to resist. I no longer knew what was inside of me. The Turks fled like rabbits. But every time a soldier moaned. Laughter that had somehow touched the Turk.. I stepped over to the body of the man who had spared me and looked. raped. I grabbed my shield and ran after the boy. grammar. seeming to split him in two.As he spoke. I ran.Please .I ran in the pack. Beside her was the miller's wife. We'll throw in two bushels of carrots!I was about to go on-a joke. but shabbily.

I went on. spinning around a final time to catch her laugh.Just then. Everyone was afraid of them.The traveler assumes it is a joke. start with this. Men were still moaning and dying on the field.. But then he was overwhelmed. What else could matter? I was a fool to have left her. And the second. knight. I noticed that my own tunic and arms were smeared with blood. he said. forty.All around me. Haven't I always been true to our lord. I spun to see a third attacker. we advanced toward the massive walls.. kneel and take the Cross. I thank God for how lucky I am. The poor warrior was empty of anything: a ring..That is good. as was my vow. she whispered.

the feeble and sick. I whispered. Father? Is this what you expect from the Pope's protection? He lowered the wheel again and the small boy disappeared. raped. the leaders cried.I lunged for the harness around its neck. How could all those faces-all that hope-be gone?Veille du P?re.. it caused a terrible reaction.Disaster loomed in front of my eyes. and gruesome gasps escaped from their wretched mouths. I could be cut down as soon as I stepped out on the street. this time it's different. like nothing I had ever seen before. The ranks of farmers. The Turk let out a chilling howl. shoot from the crowd. There was nothing left of them?A nauseating anger boiled up in my stomach.Sharpen your knife. Even us. A crowd of others. seeing the old man slipping off the edge. I told the eager lad. Professor.But the satchel slid out of my grasp. I'll be back before you know it. in formation.

I didn't know if he would speak or strike.' everyone cheered. his goose comically trailing behind. choking Alo go under one more time.' she says. grasping. Thousands of them. The sound of shouts and vicious fighting erupted from inside. echoed everywhere. the size of two men.. We had no siege engines to break such walls. I prayed as I ran that my back would not be ripped apart by a Saracen arrow. Hugh? Robert moaned. Who will come. an officer barked from behind. someone said. yelping mad cries that I recognized asAllahu Akbar. students and scholars who entertained from town to town.. hastily putting on his boots.. What goes in all stiff and stout. a mixture of ardor and tears. Sophie. lay in the column's path. It was as if the boy had seen that he was powerless to stop his own death and.

You could die... while our nobles fought and bickered among themselves.God wills this? I screamed. the bones of saints. and to most of us.a village in southern France . marching through Veille du P?re!Butwhat an army! More of a rabble. some babbling hermit at the head. curved swords. When we hit the mountains. sweltering in our tunics and armor. Carnage and screams were everywhere. another survivor recounted. The irony was bursting through my sides. carrot-top? The glowering knight turned. No reason to make one less. Nothing ever happened here!I was struck with a kind of wonderment. Robert among them. My body lit with her warmth. I had gone into the hills to pick it early that morning. and looked toward me.. You're not going to believe this.. It seems he wasn't cut out for the miller's life after all.

The longer Antioch survived. Mouse called to me. and the mood in the ranks brightened with anticipation of what lay ahead. it looks old.. Many felt the nobles had themselves a meal at Robert's expense.Nico.Without my noticing it at first. The monk Peter mounted his donkey.Just a few days before. Hugh? What could be more important than what we've just shared?I swallowed. helmets gleaming in the sun.. But in truth. Every house in the village had been burned or sacked. The child appeared. My eyes locked helplessly on him as he stumbled in his long robe.'`Why not?' the traveler thinks. A mere stumble. Everyone was shouting. I told him. past Robert and Nico. He grinned. Now he was gone and I was here. But it seemed strong. though our new enemy became the blistering heat and thirst. I felt sure I would soon die too.

All the toasts had been made and farewells said.I wanted to lash at the church with my sword. still eyes. his blade caught the glint of a torch.So. suddenly. God is great.No. Mouse among them. barely wide enough for a cart and a horse.father. House of Prostitution. grinning. we'll both fall. barely wide enough for a cart and a horse. Don't look so sad. a thin band of beech wood painted with flowers. just because you're first at the party doesn't mean you get to sleep with the mistress of the house. Then the devils moved on to us.Father. doing her best not to cry. You don't look like much of a Crusader. Or any of us. Mother of God. You are no soldier. To Georges and Marie's frantic shrieks. What remains of it.

looting. Our spirits were bolstered by the tales of Turks fleeing at full run. To Georges and Marie's frantic shrieks. This cross on my tunic meant nothing to me. sainted sites destroyed. but for him it was never far.I knew it. think of how our lives could change. It had belonged to her mother. but the stone gave way.St. to ask God for the forgiveness of my sins.No one wants to hear your silly jokes. If there's fighting. Let's find the fucking crypt. every ridge ripe with ambush.Sharpen your knife. I yelled.. they ripped a bronze bracelet from her wrist and bludgeoned her lifeless. whores.Her golden hair down to her waist. searching for archers or pitch.I swear. Mouse called to me.. No one wanted to delay in our rush to catch up with the army of Peter.

I had to go back. Many felt the nobles had themselves a meal at Robert's expense. ? I repeated. And later. plopped atop a simple mule. Tonight you'll go to sleep fucking the emir's wife!The camp sprang alive.Dei leveult ! God wills it!My own blood surged. He nearly knocked men down as he trotted indifferently through our ranks.Why don't we see what his protection is truly worth. I saw the hostility on his face fade. Its feet were unable to hold the trail. with no great malice toward the enemy but ready to fight whoever confronted me.He took a look at his assailants. Carnage and screams were everywhere.No.Sophie turned in my arms and faced me with a blank. the most hostile I had ever felt in my life. Laughter that had somehow touched the Turk. Hortense.I threw my pouch over my shoulder and tried to drink in the last sight of her beautiful. An eternity in Heaven at the feet of our grateful Lord. It was only luck to avoid death at any point. not over peaks.Everyone be ready. black slaves from Africa.What's going on? Who needs help ? they shouted. With a hideous bray.

Jeers. either cheering or laughing at his attempt to show off in front of royalty. a terrible moment that was empty and gnawing.I stopped her. Churches have been burned and looted. No great loss.What has happened here? a soldier muttered. Hortense.THE FEW SURVIVORS HUDDLED AROUND fires that night. Men simply dropped as they marched. sucking in precious food.. Do we finally get to pay them back?Sharpen that knife. I didn't remember my father. Men writhed on the ground. I took a breath and smiled. I simply could not hold back. Let him up. boy.And the people. My eyes locked helplessly on him as he stumbled in his long robe.First it was the heat. The Turks fled like rabbits. Norcross held it for a moment.' Now his curiosity is piqued. We were meant to be together. thin as a pole.

It was more like resignation.Looking up.Ibn Kan. I knew she valued it more than anything in her life.. The men boasted once again of how many Turks they would slay in the coming fight. Or the miller's wife. curved bows glinting in the morning sun. but shabbily. Father Leo.A silence ensued. dragging their armor. New aromas entranced me. We had heard that masses of men were leaving their families.Saint Peter's sandals . I couldn't wait to show it to Sophie! Back home. 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 was nothing more to say. I'd have been dead myself. From behind the mill's door came the sickening cries of Aim?e.Freedom . other visitors came through our town. she snapped her prized comb in two. my lord.Off in the distance the gray outline of hills narrowed to a sliver of shining blue.Then. ? 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.

I couldn't wait to show it to Sophie! Back home. blood drenching the parched earth. have been fed to dogs; cherished vials filled with drops of the Savior's own blood. said another in a parched. the nobles urged. barefoot.Disaster loomed in front of my eyes.Hold on ..1096The church bells were ringing. to leave her this way.The Bosporus. waiting for the blade to fall? It did not occur to me to pray. And.All of them. God will watch over me.But every summit we surmounted brought the sight of a new peak.Their presence here could only signal harm. I noticed a glimmer coming from under a rock.As he made his way back across the square. I rolled my eyes. God had taken me where I belonged. will you? In a flash. Foot soldiers were hurling their lances up at the defenders. I had earned this much. why. If this was it.

wielding the dagger that was still covered with the priest's blood. As he charged.I searched his eyes for panic. my companion. to help if I could. stretching out as far as the eye could see. and their daughter. thudding and clanging into shields and armor all around.THAT TERRIBLE AFTERNOON changed my life. a shroud stained by the tears of Mary and the very lance that had pierced the Savior's side on the cross. I muttered Sophie's name as if in prayer.It was all lies. The irony was bursting through my sides..Then. Carnage and screams were everywhere.I looked at the fallen Turk and whispered good-bye.I will never forget that deafeningwhoosh. Don't look so sad. even if you try and deny it. plunging my sword into his neck and watching a flow of blood rush out of the warrior's mouth. never once crying out.THE FEW SURVIVORS HUDDLED AROUND fires that night. Something from this moment that I would have for the rest of my life. This time.That is good. a Moslem warrior would hurl some urn down from the towers and it would shatter on the ground.

It took my breath away. I recognized the knight in charge as Norcross.I couldn't believe my good luck. I said. I will be back. only to be overcome by the sheer numbers they faced. I swear it. again. and told of the fate of Peter the Hermit's army. I could mark them only by the sores oozing on my feet.The despicable knight laughed at our priest. My friend is rich! Rich. I picked up a few Turkish arrow- and spearheads that I knew would be worth much back home. Raymond and Bohemond. I saw it myself. Baldwin? Haven't I done what was expected?Feel free to take your appeal to His Holiness. ran to get their possessions..All at once. I tried to joke. I thought there was a brothel. it's not just God who watches over you. His body was asunder. Thousands of them. reminded me how much I loved her. A chance to change my destiny in a single stroke. A calm came over me.

who farmed a plot by the river. Spare him!He managed to kill the first one with a mighty sweep of his sword. and to my horror spotted two large Turks preparing to tip a vat of bubbling tar upon those manning the ram.But look. Our division captain ordered us to follow.No one wants to hear your silly jokes. Children Wailed for their mothers before being hurled into raging flames like kindling. as tall as the highest towers.The three years we'd been married had been the happiest I had known. An anguished plea rose from the crowd. I laughed above the din. Ten of Paris could have fit within its walls. or the only Turkish blood you'll see will be at the end of a mop.He peered over the edge and swallowed. Another yelping rider bore directly into our ranks as if bent on self-murder. She hurried to the table by the hearth. This happened.You are right . Frank.I swear. a few stragglers appeared. That whatever God had in store for us. For a while. I raised myself to my elbows. but as he got close. In any case. Or.

Do not compare the Pope's holy protection to yours. I could see that she was scared.THAT TERRIBLE AFTERNOON changed my life. And there was nothing in its place. How could all those faces-all that hope-be gone?Veille du P?re. Idid see. Professor. where ladders were hoisted against the walls and wave after wave of men climbed over. Hugh. wagons. His Holiness Urban promises unimaginable rewards..Let's go ! the nobles shouted. Rumor had it some holy relics were held ransom there.. One year. Robert took his place. shit. dark beard. They leave for the Holy Land in a few days. I'll need it more when I come back.IT HAPPENED JUST THAT WAY nearly every day.A cabbage. almost dumbfounded.On the outskirts. poured into heaps of dung like spoiled wine.Your lord asked me to impress upon you.

and gruesome gasps escaped from their wretched mouths. limbs cut off and piled like wood.I would never see Jerusalem in this lifetime. For a few moments. As he charged. They grinned and dragged poor Aim?e. the mighty fortress gate opened.. Peter's we signed up for. his blade caught the glint of a torch. He's just a boy.Along the way. My body lit with her warmth. Alo was gagging and coughing water out of his lungs. Tonight you'll go to sleep fucking the emir's wife!The camp sprang alive. Norman. we'll both fall. As I knelt beside him his eyes grew cloudy.I placed the scabbard in my pouch. Those that stopped to attend to them were engulfed in the same boiling liquid themselves.. cumin and ginger. and often during the day: that last image of her. I heard the sound of bones cracking. We'd touched souls. and their daughter.That's who we fight for.

But I know I ran.He wants a fight. but the stone gave way. I was no hero. we continued along the ridge and down the narrow trail. We were here!A jubilant roar went up.At last the abbess stops at a door. stay by me.As we waited for the word. it looks old.. I screamed. galloped down the line on their crested mounts.I pivoted aside and brought my sword over the back of his head. Some puked and turned away. raising the knight's heavy torso.A stirring rose in me. Soldiers stormed into the church.All of them.The cries of men dying hit me as I stepped outside. of relics and glory; the innocent of finally proving their worth. all at once. Robert said behind me. I stepped forward. horsemen at their tails. poured into heaps of dung like spoiled wine. resembling his mount.

At any moment. I grabbed my shield and ran after the boy. or the only Turkish blood you'll see will be at the end of a mop. eager not to miss out on the loot. brave souls? The monk reached out his arms. I did not. freedom.At first.Sophie sat up. Here I was. I stepped over to the body of the man who had spared me and looked. he called. After my discovery. how to read and write.. Men who had traveled so far.These Tafurs reported to no lord among us. I felt like a man who had just claimed the richest dowry. the traveler hurries through the door. Children Wailed for their mothers before being hurled into raging flames like kindling. then fled into the hills like children hurling stones. just as one of the attackers thrust a dagger into the belly of the priest. and smiled too. sainted sites destroyed.Many knights sank to their knees in prayer.Then. And at the head of this assemblage.

Are you taking notes?The raucous laughter continued for a time as we waited for the knight to emerge..a village in southern France . I peered into the Turk's eyes. the vast column wound into the main square and the queer monk at its head tugged his mule to a stop. I squinted through the trees and felt my jaw drop. start with this. Antioch would fall. He blinked at me.. bearing the knight in full chain mail. Carts. Our pace quickened. A slide of rock and gravel hurtled down at us. I wanted freedom for Sophie and the children we would have one day. `Please. He winked. I raised my sword. fixed on my shock of bright red hair.I knew it. sticking their heads into houses as if they owned them. I said. freedom. What do you say. I instructed him. you'll have your pick. Hundreds of fortified towers guarded each segment of an outer wall that appeared ten feet thick.

I've heard from the Spaniard there are Christians chained to the city's walls. Our division captain ordered us to follow. My blood was surging. The peril of the climb was broken by a few welcome laughs. I finally staggered up the steep stone steps in a fit of rage. They swept down on our fleeing troops and hacked them where they stood. spoils. I love you more than anything. And when our troops finally opened the gates in desperation.Like us.There was a shriek.Then he lowered his head and puked his guts out on the field. carrot-top. I saw that Civetot was smoking like burning cinders. wielding the dagger that was still covered with the priest's blood. Do your duty . It may be cold.After a month. Our spirits were bolstered by the tales of Turks fleeing at full run. I knew the stench.Then. A mere stumble. If one of our illustrious leaders hears you. and the head of a man next to me shot off like a kicked ball.The boy's back was turned. I began to make my way slowly toward the square with my heart pounding. In her clutched fist.

will you? In a flash. After my discovery.You may have started the day still a boy.I watched them with a yearning I thought had long been put behind me. sucking our water skins dry. my friend; we are too few as it is.God wills this? I screamed. he shouted back. the truth seemed so clear. and because of his white beard and moth-eaten robe. a buttress of gray rock thirty feet tall. Raymond of Toulouse is forming an army. What flashed through my mind was the devastating raid by marauders just two years before. a few stragglers appeared. missing me by the width of a blade. some babbling hermit at the head. and juggling for the crowds. dozens of turbaned riders flashing long. kicking and screaming.. searching for archers or pitch. the sun blocked by a hail of arrows.I finally caught sight of Sophie. What do you say. I tried to sound cheerful. actually. And I.

alwaysnear. he and the goose were great companions to us. Something from this moment that I would have for the rest of my life. went up to greet him. we grew to hate and curse. as nearby as Avignon.The traveler assumes it is a joke.They passed by me on their way to loot the church.let the boy up. she was Christian. softly moaning with pleasure and love.To my surprise. spilling over with defenders in white robes and bright blue turbans at every post.I searched my mind for something to say in his tongue. redhead. Nico. a heralded fighter.Go where ? There was something in his face. the boy's face was bloated and wide-eyed. All the toasts had been made and farewells said.Disaster loomed in front of my eyes.. which dipped deep beneath the surface of the river. Norcross's sword jangled as he made his way to the frightened miller. trying to catch hold on the trail.. wagons.

Or. drop to his knees. For a moment I almost raised my hand and called out. So did my urge to resist. She would never know how I died. Let me get your skin.I grabbed Robert by the tunic and dragged him farther away. her brave smile as I hopped down the road.Norcross finally began to raise the wheel. my legs seemed ready to comply.I don't get it. I couldn't believe it... I will be looking especially foryourtax payment. whatever gibberish might divert him. not Jerusalem. was of treasure and glory. I fear not. but now I hacked and slashed at anything that moved as if I had been bred solely for it. And my regiment. consumed with grief and rage. I thank God for how lucky I am. Matt..Finally. I saw poor Mouse.

We were told to ride east until the smell of shit. He fell from the horse.. Men fell..Marie screamed and Georges began to sob. My eyes locked helplessly on him as he stumbled in his long robe. `Good enough. Churches have been burned and looted.'Aroused.The sun became a raging. wielding leaded clubs and axes. priest? He chuckled. We're too few as it is. and hacked away at the first wave of horsemen. someone commented. there is a third sign. one mind. Norcross's sword jangled as he made his way to the frightened miller. A ways ahead. But it seemed strong. another charge? Weary and frightened soldiers around me moaned in disbelief. No one around can do the tricks I do. And here they were. a thin band of beech wood painted with flowers. I remarked to Robert.Please.

My knight. wielding the dagger that was still covered with the priest's blood. I scanned the walls.As it did.. with its huge glittering domes. throw up his hands and hug his mother. She had a song for me. Or freeing myself. If this was how it would be.' He empties his pockets excitedly.THERE WERE FOOLS among us who believed that Antioch would fall in a day. I told the eager lad.I searched my mind for something to say in his tongue. hollow look of men who have seen the worst atrocities and somehow lived. The poor warrior was empty of anything: a ring. resembling his mount. loud footsteps burst through the outer door.Assault upon assault. `Go in peace. We split up our forces. The talk. my son.At the same time. he lowered the wheel again. was next to me in line. I stayed.

his white hair and beard billowing in the draft. This is Veille du P?re?It must be.The nobles pushed us hard. for Robert's sake. Hugh? Robert moaned. all I saw in my path was the wise Greek's face. while the fearful cleric did his best to defend himself with a rough wooden staff.Thousands of them. They pushed aside women and children. On the fate of your soul.The lead vermin ran the blade of his sword across my chest. I was whole. Carts. I noticed that my own tunic and arms were smeared with blood. running from house to house. ? I repeated.She nodded. I couldn't hold it down.I pivoted aside and brought my sword over the back of his head. You are at risk. In front of us. Freedom. eh. toward Norcross.The massive Turk. And it was vast-thousands of them! Not fitted out with armor or uniforms. We'll throw in two bushels of carrots!I was about to go on-a joke.