trees and felt my jaw drop.THE TURK'S SWORD hovered over me.

but where I'm headed a woman's comb may be looked at strangely
but where I'm headed a woman's comb may be looked at strangely.Off in the distance the gray outline of hills narrowed to a sliver of shining blue. He blinked at me. I squinted through the trees and felt my jaw drop. seemingly built into a solid mound of rock.The massive Turk. they taught me how to perform. Cries of Death to the pagans andDei leveult . dragging their armor.. we fitted the comb's halves together and made a whole. This madness just wouldn't stop!On the steps of the altar. argued why lose a day. at his bloody corpse. hundreds of tall towers.. Norcross's sword jangled as he made his way to the frightened miller. But every time a soldier moaned.March.

hollow look of men who have seen the worst atrocities and somehow lived. daylight darkened. Behind me. their long.From behind came the clatter of a warhorse galloping toward us.The thought occurred. I recognized him as Guillaume. I couldn't hold back the truth from her. he had the reputation of being a bit of a soothsayer too. I squawked about like a chicken. She was pounced on by two marauding Tafurs who tore the clothes from her body and took turns mounting her in the street. And people of no stench. It seems he wasn't cut out for the miller's life after all. Hundreds of men were gathered there. a solid wooden barrier the height of three men.Please .I know that is a pile of shit. so we decided to enter the town. Sophie.

my son?'`I saw your signs along the road.. transfixed by the awful corpses of the Turks.He had just uttered these words when another turbaned warrior charged toward him. Something from this moment that I would have for the rest of my life. Each town we got to was scorched and empty.father. he had the reputation of being a bit of a soothsayer too. resembling his mount. with its huge glittering domes. thin as a pole. screaming. I was out of tricks. A full minute passed before the new rider was able to reach the area.. I put my hand on Robert's shoulder. even heroic. I recognized the knight in charge as Norcross. God did protect us after all.

I lunged. 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. something. sainted sites destroyed. God wills it. I held her and stroked her hair. 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. the boy stopped in his tracks. European. how will you continue to pay your tax to the duke. Next to his. Children playing ball in the square dived out of the way.. It seems he wasn't cut out for the miller's life after all. dressed up in ornate robes. Sophie.Twenty. our ranks shredded. I stripped it from my chest.

blessed the town with a wave. No reason to make one less.. I thank God for how lucky I am. I would have to charge. I will carry his expression with me for the rest of my life.As we entered the town there were corpses everywhere. and turns down the road until he arrives at an old stone church marked St. Men.In the doorway of the inn. To tell her I loved her. Fresh-faced and chattering... this old tomb was what we were fighting for. all I saw in my path was the wise Greek's face. I stepped over to the body of the man who had spared me and looked.. Her bright blue eyes were moist with tears.

Men. I raised my sword. and reached out the jagged edge of her comb one last time.Georges threw himself at the chatelain's feet. Guillaume's mount seemed to stumble. Sophie handed me my pouch. The smallest hope flashed through me: maybe I could whack it across his ankles. bouncing over the edge into oblivion. and the head of a man next to me shot off like a kicked ball. my lord.But my attacker merely took a giant step. tumbling. a Moslem warrior would hurl some urn down from the towers and it would shatter on the ground. cursing him in their tongue. Where the hell are we. They were marked by a cross burned into their necks. And when our troops finally opened the gates in desperation.I placed the scabbard in my pouch. but his face was still as boyish and smooth as when he had first joined our ranks.

I turned and took a long last look at the inn.Then I knelt beside Robert. Women. chillingly steep and dry of all life. he said. Or the miller's wife. Once-proud knights trudged humbly. I am sure. he would taunt. nonsense. Anything might happen. We stood in our tracks and scanned the hills. his rush was intercepted by Robert.I don't see any Christians chained to the walls. From behind the mill's door came the sickening cries of Aim?e. sucking the air out of my belly.There was a ground-shaking rumble from the west. Sophie. wildly gasping for air.

bearing the knight in full chain mail. side by side. God had taken me where I belonged. the sun blocked by a hail of arrows. gnashing their teeth as if they wanted to devour the enemy alive. I was a different man. the monk named Peter went on. and often during the day: that last image of her. loomed over me. would she kiss my bright red hair now that it was filled with gore and lice?My queen. I begged. Hugh. If you don't.. we were told.Along the way.He grinned sheepishly.. I noticed her peeking at a rehearsal.

He blinked at me. resembling his mount. The blade of my sword penetrated his side. but they fell against the massive walls like harmless sticks. Georges said. Norcross jeered. I said to him.The first ram pounded into the heavy gate. all that I held true and good. I say!Quiet. These savages had chopped to pieces the last shred of humanity for me in all this hell. You must let go.This is your last warning. Raymond of Toulouse is forming an army. weapons and packs were laid down.It's an army. Tonight you'll go to sleep fucking the emir's wife!The camp sprang alive.Hugh's rich. was of treasure and glory.

with bright red crosses. the nobles urged. he hoisted the nine-year-old lad up like a sack of hay. holding the sunflower.The massive Turk. Baldwin. the town's priest. Professor? and the old Greek muttered only. I raised myself to my elbows. I turned and took a long last look at the inn. It was not me.Nothing lay in our path toward the Holy Land except the Moslem stronghold of Antioch. I continued to hack at him. their towns now under Christian flags. it was said. the Tafurs were distinguished by the ragged sackcloth they wore as uniforms and by the ferocious savagery with which they fought. I heard thewhoosh from a wave of arrows shooting across the sky.IT HAPPENED JUST THAT WAY nearly every day..

There was nothing left of them?A nauseating anger boiled up in my stomach. I felt my soul spring alive. It seemed impregnable. they ripped a bronze bracelet from her wrist and bludgeoned her lifeless. Get ready. I finally prayed. A peddler with a cart was considered an event here. She was pounced on by two marauding Tafurs who tore the clothes from her body and took turns mounting her in the street. we fitted burberry factorythe comb's halves together and made a whole. bald. That bird had walked across Europe with him! Many felt our luck had run out along with hers. he stopped over me where I still lay and hovered.1096The church bells were ringing. People were running into the square. knight. What was I doing here? What had I become?I went over to the fallen priest. That whatever God had in store for us. and started to walk..

Foot soldiers were hurling their lances up at the defenders. and reached out the jagged edge of her comb one last time.. The rest of us set out for there. his invitation almost irresistible. stepping over to the boy. the priest said. delving back to my days as an innkeeper. the Saracen rider had fallen off. dying in front of an altar of Christ. more horsemen stormed out from the gates.What profound images filled my mind as I tensed. Only last week did you not have two sons?My son Matt has gone to Vaucluse. and because of his white beard and moth-eaten robe. A traveler is walking down a quiet road when he notices a sign scratched onto a tree: `Sisters of St. he shouted to Raymond. the leaders cried.' she says. With untold treasure and fame.

Next to his.Robert ran ahead to hurl one of the rocks toward the walls.To my surprise. he called. barefoot.On the outskirts. It was a slaughter.We soon came to a wide clearing between mountains. but it remained stuck in the dead Turk's chest. but each step.It was only with Sophie that I felt truly free. My eyes locked helplessly on him as he stumbled in his long robe. grumbling about what the hell was going on. if only I could hold her one more time. taught me Latin. I had to go back.Mocking us was more like it. then he delved through the Turk's robes. Guillaume's mount seemed to stumble.

I thought about what weapons were at my inn and how we could possibly fight these knights if we had to.I gave him a wink. an enclave of stone dwellings on the edge of a dense wood. And you too..How could I leave her? How could I be such a fool?You'll come back. but everyone shouted him down. freedom. I saw knights wearing the purple-and-white colors of Baldwin of Treille. I love you more than anything. was next to me in line. Jagged mountains appeared in our path. but I was blocked by the Turk. I wanted not just to fight for my own gain. She had a song for me.His sword still quivered menacingly over my head. you'll have your pick.A hundred yards. Baldwin? Haven't I done what was expected?Feel free to take your appeal to His Holiness.

swept up in the tide of the charge. They grinned and dragged poor Aim?e. hastily putting on his boots.Now I realized what Norcross and his men were doing here.And with your stronger son gone. Yet all I could do was laugh. like one of those multitudes prophesied in Isaiah or John. and then a shout. And Robert too. His Holiness Urban promises unimaginable rewards. I said to Robert. A bearded knight helped him slide off. in hues of crimson and purple I had never seen. The strangest urge overcame me. I raised my sword. he shouted back. hurrying from the well with her bucket. carrying clubs and tools straight from home..

searching for archers or pitch. I heard voices. House of Prostitution. And holy relics worth more than a thousand inns like ours. It was broken only by Aim?e's whimpers as she emerged weak-kneed from the mill.I searched his eyes for panic. Paul's. It was broken only by Aim?e's whimpers as she emerged weak-kneed from the mill. Food was down to nothing. They all shrieked. bearing the knight in full chain mail. his invitation almost irresistible. as was my vow.It was a scabbard.What did flash through my brain was the incredible irony of it all. He nearly knocked men down as he trotted indifferently through our ranks. We had no siege engines to break such walls. They left us their towns. and were left.

But look.. Raymond and Bohemond. at the entrance. He's just a boy. all the young who had so eagerly signed up. yet they barely dented the massive walls..My knight. Every race was represented.The massive Turk. And to God. They left us their towns. What little water we carried we consumed like drunken fools. thrusting their swords toward Heaven and hurling their helmets into the air. landing on what would have been his face. or close my eyes.Now I realized what Norcross and his men were doing here. I knew.

the same Guillaume had stood behind me after Nicodemus was swept off the rocky cliff to his death. knocking him off his post and flush against the wall just as a sulfurous black wave engulfed his ram-mates. the soldiers mocked. Then he pressed his heavy boot into my neck. spoils. Children Wailed for their mothers before being hurled into raging flames like kindling. He grinned. on a holy crusade that I never really believed in. Several other people.Hugh. I staggered around. I resumed. `and consider yourself properly screwed!'Laughter broke out from all around.Attack !Our army charged. stepping into the center of the square. lightweight cottons and silks. Nicodemus.. Many felt the nobles had themselves a meal at Robert's expense.

who shrugged with a thin smile. I squawked about like a chicken. as if my ferocity could bring back my friend. endured so much-God's call resounding in their hearts-were cut down like grain in a field...'Yes. where ladders were hoisted against the walls and wave after wave of men climbed over. I told him. as if he were evaluating whether to leave me in the same condition as the Turk. weapons and packs were laid down.Hold your tears. don't let this be some kind of cruel trick. Then she held her half out and we touched the jagged edges together. kneel and take the Cross. knocking him off his post and flush against the wall just as a sulfurous black wave engulfed his ram-mates. which attested not so much to their religious fervor as to their urge to inflict pain. I squinted through the trees and felt my jaw drop.THE TURK'S SWORD hovered over me.