hands and hug his mother.Then Norcross's face split into an amused smile.

The falling rocks must have spooked it
The falling rocks must have spooked it.THE MORNING OF THE DAY I was to leave was bright and clear.Go where ? There was something in his face.. Just like when we were children. He smiled as if to say.A massive walled fortress. the leaders cried. Who bathed and smelled of perfume. Hugh. weapons and packs were laid down. Even my mother's mother could cross here. I felt I had shamed myself. Father Leo.At first I stared in horror.I was heading home to Sophie. I grabbed my shield and ran after the boy. pieces of shit.It is their awful singing the Turks will turn and run from. laughter had entered my soul. Men simply dropped as they marched. At ten!I had spent my youth traveling with a band of itinerant goliards. still eyes.He was just a boy. roaring with cheers.

The Army of the Crusade. a full life. the water was still no higher than the horse's ankles. He hides in his hole like a squirrel.. the relics fall out of trees.a village in southern France .A knight pushed up the trail. I had to go back. We pounced on him and hacked him bloody.Then. his white hair and beard billowing in the draft.You're leaving.She stopped and smiled at my plain flax tunic and calfskin vest. expecting to see my legs separated from my torso. the water was still no higher than the horse's ankles. Do not forget your pledge. It would have beenme in that pool of blood that was leaking across the stones. Get ready. But the forays were met with such fierce resistance from the walls that they became graveyards for our bravest men. It was a slaughter... Oh. the stubborn Bohemond among them.

A Seljuk horde of thousands surrounded the city and simply waited them out. I will make you a map.He peered over the edge and swallowed.All around me.Professor . The rage that burned in my heart from the day's horror was killing me.Carrots too. the same Guillaume had stood behind me after Nicodemus was swept off the rocky cliff to his death. burst.Is it true? Robert asked. Other soldiers who had reached the rocks crossed themselves. from burying the dead.THE FEW SURVIVORS HUDDLED AROUND fires that night.. I saw it myself. Each summer.As far as the eye could see.Before this day I had never taken a life.A moment before. neatly fitting it back into a whole. teetering over an immense chasm. who instructs him. They pushed aside women and children. I knew any moment could be my last. as was my vow.

horse and rider surrounded by a cloud of dust. That bird had walked across Europe with him! Many felt our luck had run out along with hers. and an abbess answers. All around us.. No one around can do the tricks I do. From that moment on.He nodded. It is pledged and honor bound tohim. I noticed her peeking at a rehearsal. I whispered.But look.It was a love that was born for tears. To see Sophie once more. A sliver of orange light was just breaking over the hills to the east. I reached and wiped a glistening tear from her eye. and were left.Suddenly I heard shouting from up ahead. and the treasures I might find on the Crusade.It was a scabbard.I don't get it. curved swords. Everyone in our town was pressed around the tiny square. side by side.The old man looked up at me and shook his head.

We were told to ride east until the smell of shit. Then the devils moved on to us. You have to cross the mountains. stretching out as far as the eye could see....I pivoted aside and brought my sword over the back of his head. Isn't that right.No! I lunged. calling his name. I made one last prayer to Sophie. A Seljuk horde of thousands surrounded the city and simply waited them out.A gasp escaped from those on shore.. I say!Quiet. wagons. The moreblasphemous the better. They've gone ahead to Antioch. sorry voice.. The love of my life. Narrow passes. never once crying out. Then the trumpet sounded again.

as was my vow. dressed up in ornate robes. seemingly built into a solid mound of rock. but as we got closer. Antioch would fall. and thin. Nico had made pilgrimages to the Holy Land and knew the language of the Turk.. A Seljuk horde of thousands surrounded the city and simply waited them out.Looking up. The traveler goes in and is greeted by another comely nun. Or freeing Jerusalem. Hugh? Robert moaned. But the forays were met with such fierce resistance from the walls that they became graveyards for our bravest men. The talk. Another yelping rider bore directly into our ranks as if bent on self-murder.And beyond that. I looked around. too exhausted to celebrate.Then I'll scare the infidels off with my bright red hair. this time it's different.Where are we. I had to do something-even if it sealed my own fate. I protested. yet they barely dented the massive walls.

we called him.What profound images filled my mind as I tensed. Our forces are all around. in full armor. Yet as he spoke. all I saw in my path was the wise Greek's face.Where are these nuns whenI am in need? a soldier behind me moaned.We focused on the eastern wall.THE WORD SPREAD like fire from battalion to battalion. Professor. resolved that any breath might be my last. of relics and glory; the innocent of finally proving their worth. At the preciousfreedom I was about to be granted at last. his eyes like fiery coals. you will think this was Paradise. Robert took his place. she was Christian. Robert squinted into the sun... and I saw I could not get there in time.A stirring rose in me. Maybe the language of the Jews. No great loss.Why.

with the help of a cohort.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. Soldiers stormed into the church. From behind the mill's door came the sickening cries of Aim?e. stepping toward him. then head directly for it. Professor. He scanned our village from atop his mount and remarked loudly. who demands your service. Young and old. Mouse grumbled from behind.Looking up.thirty.I gave him a wink. follow me.. realizing how close we had come to death. I thought we would live out our lives together. It may be cold.Somehow they knew. The rest of us surged ahead. eager to fight for the glory of God.But not a man among us cheered. Brigit. Or any of us.

.Then Norcross's face split into an amused smile. maybe four feet long. Then turbaned horsemen charged-wave after wave.thirty. We were hailed as heroes and we had fought almost no one. Hugh. I looked around. I peered into the Turk's eyes.What's going on? Who needs help ? they shouted. Just like when we were children. side by side. follow me..Send Hortense after them.Nico. The ranks of farmers.Hugh's rich. No one had ever seen anything like it before.THE FEW SURVIVORS HUDDLED AROUND fires that night. There. his eyes like fiery coals. Pay them back!I had to leave.Sophie. The sooner we get there.

Good Lord . run dry of provision by the Turks themselves.Like us. thin as a pole. went up to greet him. or the only Turkish blood you'll see will be at the end of a mop. come quick. two black-robed Turks hovered over a priest. I felt sure I would soon die too. Guillaume. And people of no stench. we joined forces with Count Robert of Flanders and Bohemond of Antioch. We're too few as it is. Women. went up to greet him. sticking their heads into houses as if they owned them. in a way I was proud. Spoils and booty were being divvied up among the men.Sophie sat up. Nico's trick had worked. the mighty fortress gate opened.It was built on a sharp rise. I thank God for how lucky I am. The useless wooden staff fell from his hand. their skin blistered from the touch of the metal.

You all understand the laws. But then he was overwhelmed. I was out of tricks. Anything might happen.Robert bolted ahead. while the fearful cleric did his best to defend himself with a rough wooden staff. Tafurs.First it was the heat. spilling over with defenders in white robes and bright blue turbans at every post. more horsemen stormed out from the gates.' the traveler says. fortune-all that left me as if it had never been there. if there were any fucking trees. screaming wildly. Children Wailed for their mothers before being hurled into raging flames like kindling. Infidels. Battering rams were tossed aside and abandoned. The rage that burned in my heart from the day's horror was killing me. If you don't.you are here for God's work . They charged our ranks as if on a holy mission. I could scarcely breathe myself. I saw that Civetot was smoking like burning cinders.. Nico's trick had worked.

from infidel spies.I started toward the road... It seemed as if our whole army was being slaughtered. Alo went under.And we did hurry. sticking their heads into houses as if they owned them. He fell from the horse. the leaders cried.. he said. just go through that door. too exhausted to celebrate. seeming to split him in two. I told the eager lad..Suddenly the assault turned into a rout. Their clothing was charred and tattered. and told of the fate of Peter the Hermit's army. I stepped forward. I lunged toward him. I knew she was trying to be brave. Hugh..

our liege lord's chatelain. I heard the sound of bones cracking. the lower our spirits fell. The other infidel turned. crowding the massive walls. I had to do something-even if it sealed my own fate.Slowly. Euclid.Nicodemus grasped for the rope. raising the knight's heavy torso. But most of all. I'd been brought up by goliards. which dipped deep beneath the surface of the river.I pressed Robert up against the wall. Those that stopped to attend to them were engulfed in the same boiling liquid themselves.Robert! I screamed.Robert! I screamed. I put my hand on Robert's shoulder. Her tinkling little-girl laugh. and were left. There was no way to defeat this horrible monster. stuffing his entrails into his mouth as he died. who farmed a plot by the river. I did not care about Antioch. but we needed water badly.

freedom. Mouse among them.Our bodies cried. his small eyes moving from person to person. Free!I started to laugh once more.Crusaders . the Pope's protection is worthless. it seemed as if our glorious Crusade would end in Antioch. Except me. the terrified Alo cried. I defended Robert. Son of Cain. I peered into the Turk's eyes. Hugh. screaming wildly. his head rolling away from him. The traveler goes in and is greeted by another comely nun. This is Veille du P?re?It must be. no ladders that could even scale their height. Our division captain ordered us to follow. for those who put aside their earthly possessions and join our Crusade. as tall as the highest towers.Hold on .I gave him a wink.Freedom .

yet we trudged on; our hearts and wills. Hugh? Robert moaned. Each town we got to was scorched and empty. do you not?Norcross leaned against the wheel for the longest time.His sword still quivered menacingly over my head. and hacked away at the first wave of horsemen. his sword poised for attack. and then a shout. And the second.. he called. the trails began to widen.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. And so wasour song:A maiden met a wandering man / In the light of the moon's pure cheer. I saw knights wearing the purple-and-white colors of Baldwin of Treille.I have to go. I ran. God wills thismurder ?I HAD NO SOONER STEPPED INSIDE the dark. We're too few as it is. the mistress of a cleric who could no longer hide my presence.I have to go.We made our way helter-skelter through the city. think of how our lives could change. Others said the bird had more sense than us and got out while she was still alive. Even my mother's mother could cross here.

.. I heard a struggling. Arrows and spears followed them. Spare him!He managed to kill the first one with a mighty sweep of his sword. All I could do was scream. The Pope's protection.I stood. Each town we got to was scorched and empty. I spun to see a third attacker. Guillaume turned around and waved.Many knights sank to their knees in prayer.. I thought we would live out our lives together. Food was down to nothing.At last we stood in the land of the dreaded Turk!The first fortresses we encountered were empty and abandoned.I never thought I would ever say good-bye to you.Disaster loomed in front of my eyes.At that moment.. What was I doing here? What had I become?I went over to the fallen priest. Except me.. I realized we were marching through valleys now.Suddenly I heard a rumble from above.

the nobles urged..She nodded. winding passages where he sees many beautiful young nuns who smile at him. The man staggered.. ready to leave.mapmakers.Sharpen your knife.Would she even know me now. I had fought bravely.As Norcross passed the miller's cowering daughter.Just then. a vain smile visible under his mustache. my lord.How could I leave her? How could I be such a fool?You'll come back. leaving the wheel aloft and Alo's lifeless body suspended high.Then I'll scare the infidels off with my bright red hair. Are the mapmakers taking notes?I never knew that a peacock would so take to water.I don't know. How far away she seemed right now. The ranks of farmers.. loomed over me. How could anyone but a devil have such bright red hair? she said.

Get ready. run dry of provision by the Turks themselves. As I knelt beside him his eyes grew cloudy. madness boiled out of control. and the rest of us trudged like beaten livestock in the blistering heat and bargained for what little food there was. When I see you each day. He smiled as if to say. I knew I could no longer fight. to help if I could.. I felt like a man who had just claimed the richest dowry. I saw poor Mouse. A trace of a thin.For once. but his face was still as boyish and smooth as when he had first joined our ranks.Thirty yards out. I was sure. Peter's we signed up for.I felt a hole in the pit of my stomach. I defended Robert.I savored every exotic image. Roman ruins and temples. Norcross laughed. The knight did his best. European.

I saw the hostility on his face fade.Then he lowered his head and puked his guts out on the field.We made our way helter-skelter through the city. Give me your hand.. Ahead of us was a wide gulf in the mountains. a buttress of gray rock thirty feet tall.Hugh's rich. I urged the Turk. God.I drew Sophie close and kissed her. This is the shroud of the whore who gave him life. hurrying from the well with her bucket. reminded me how much I loved her. Do they think we can see at night what we cannot even shoot during the day?No. I know the same sobering thought pounded through each of our minds. I couldn't believe it. how will you continue to pay your tax to the duke. a thin band of beech wood painted with flowers. Nico warned. so we decided to enter the town.A moment later. I lifted the staff that had been in my hands when the Turk spared my life. I fell to the ground happy just to be alive. then pointed east.

Hundreds of men were gathered there. Norcross sighed. Or. Then he toppled onto his wife.Steady that animal.Good Lord . cheered in every town we passed. wasn't it? Or..Suddenly I heard a rumble from above. `Place a gold coin in the cup.I heard awful cries of death farther up the hill. I felt I had shamed myself. burning. The blade of my sword penetrated his side.I saw the outline of a smile from her. I spun to see a third attacker. insisted that the scouts and maps suggested a point to the south. 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. I finally prayed. I defended Robert. Each year I promised I would come back. Red-crossed soldiers stormed through the streets. Brigit Convent.I looked into his hooded eyes.

thin as a pole. as nearby as Avignon. I went on. one mile.Georges threw himself at the chatelain's feet. Then our dispirited army headed farther south.I began to laugh. with some inlaid writing that I could not understand. spoils. it's not just God who watches over you..I started toward the road. carrot-top. God wills thismurder ?I HAD NO SOONER STEPPED INSIDE the dark. I love you. two miles. Food was down to nothing. It bounced off with the effect of a pebble tossed against a wall. Red-crossed soldiers stormed through the streets. you say. Their clothing was charred and tattered. A ways ahead. a sudden rock slide. I saw it myself. how to read and write.

Robert among them. but the grief emptying from me showed that Nicodemus was as close to one as I'd ever had. then fled into the hills like children hurling stones. priest? He chuckled.I gave him a wink.If it's martyrs you're looking for. I recognized him as Guillaume.Get out of my way .. Nothing ever happened here!I was struck with a kind of wonderment.He had just uttered these words when another turbaned warrior charged toward him. sainted sites destroyed. tired mules and plow horses. seeing the old man slipping off the edge.I am called Peter the Hermit. the lower our spirits fell. Children Wailed for their mothers before being hurled into raging flames like kindling. If one of our illustrious leaders hears you. I swiped a sunflower and went up to her. whose I did not know.What's going on. to ask God for the forgiveness of my sins. Norcross took a hemp rope and. You'd better go. humor.

The strangest urge overcame me.By my calculations. We stood in our tracks and scanned the hills. Whoa. They all bore the wide-eyed. from burying the dead.But the satchel slid out of my grasp. It was a host of lies. daylight darkened. When they were done... Th-the thing is. What remains of it. jongleurs. in my lord's name. Red-crossed soldiers stormed through the streets.We had marched across Europe and through the Alps.Norcross finally began to raise the wheel. six thousand strong. and the head of a man next to me shot off like a kicked ball. His face was still lit with that innocent grin. A ways back on that last ridge. We baked like hogs.Sophie and I watched as the column began to cross the stone bridge on the outskirts of our town.

I thought I saw something there that in that instant mirrored my own thoughts.. But this was magnified a thousand times. whose name I did not even know. Every time she moved. He charged at me once more. Turks hacking at them. the most hostile I had ever felt in my life. I did not know where I would go. It was only luck to avoid death at any point.. barely wide enough for a cart and a horse. I said. God is great. pushed east to seize the Turkish fortress at Xerigordon. I had to do something-even if it sealed my own fate. in full armor. Nico. 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. They swept down on our fleeing troops and hacked them where they stood. students and scholars who entertained from town to town.father... One year.

Please. Sophie. Mouse among them. Whoa. I always told you I'd return. I thank God for how lucky I am. unprotected-chopped to bits in their tents. Raymond and Bohemond.It's an army.. or even beg for my life. Her bright blue eyes were moist with tears. One false step would mean a grisly death. I clenched my fist. Or freeing myself. but we needed water badly. of such chilling proportion that we thought we had entered a valley of demons. I stayed. `Very well. the town's priest. I made one last prayer to Sophie. Men simply dropped as they marched.As I looked at my murderer. throw up his hands and hug his mother.Then Norcross's face split into an amused smile.