THE TURK'S SWORD hovered1 over me. At any second he would strike the final blow. Yet all I could do was laugh.
At what I was dying for. At the total ridiculousness of it all. At the preciousfreedom I was about to be granted at last.
I looked into his hooded2 eyes, and though I knew it was probably my last breath, I simply could not hold back.I just laughed....
My attacker hesitated, his sword poised3 above my head. He must've thought he was about to dispatch a complete idiot to the Almighty4. He blinked at me, his brows arched, confused.
I searched my mind for something to say in his tongue, which Nicodemus had taught me. Anything at all.
This is your last warning, I said to him. Are you ready to give up?
Then I burst out laughing once again.
The massive Turk, his eyes like fiery6 coals, loomed7 over me. I waited for the death blow. Then I saw his expression relax into the slightest inkling of a smile.
Choking back the laughter, I stammered8, Th-the thing is... I'm not even a believer.
The giant man hesitated. I didn't know if he would speak or strike. His mouth curved into a sheepish grin. Nor am I.
His sword still quivered menacingly over my head. I knew any moment could be my last. I raised myself to my elbows, looked him in the eye, and said, Then, one nonbeliever to another, you must kill me in the name of what we donot embrace.
Slowly, almost inexplicably9, I saw the hostility10 on his face fade. To my utter amazement11, the Turk lowered his sword. We're too few as it is, he said. No reason to make one less.
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. I saw something there that this whole bloody12 night I had not seen: virtue13, humor, a human soul... I couldn't believe it.Please ,God , I finally prayed, don't let this be some kind of cruel trick.
Is this real? You're going to let me go? My fingers slowly relaxed from the priest's staff.
The Turk took a measuring look at me, then he nodded.
You probably thought you were ridding the world of a complete madman, I said.
The thought occurred. He grinned.
Then my mind fixed14 on the danger of the moment. You'd better go. Our forces are all around. You are at risk.
Go... ? The Turk seemed to sigh.Go where ? There was something in his face, no longer hatred15 or even amusement. It was more like resignation.
At that moment, loud footsteps burst through the outer door. I heard voices. Soldiers stormed into the church. They were not wearing crosses but filthy16 robes. Tafurs.
Get out of here, I urged the Turk. These men will show you no mercy.
He took a look at his assailants. Then he merely winked17 at me. He started to laugh himself, then turned to face their charge.
The Tafurs came upon him with their swords and awful clubs.
No... I screamed. Spare this man. Spare him!
He managed to kill the first one with a mighty5 sweep of his sword. But then he was overwhelmed, consumed by heavy blows and disemboweling slashes18, never once crying out, until his powerful body resembled some hideous19 slab20 of meat and not the noble soul he was.
The lead Tafur delivered one more blow to the bloody mound21, then he delved22 through the Turk's robes, looking for something of value. Finding nothing, he shrugged23 to his comrades. Let's find the fucking crypt.
It took everything I had not to leap on the Tafurs myself, but these savages24 would surely kill me.
They passed by me on their way to loot the church. I was trembling with horror.
The lead vermin ran the blade of his sword across my chest, as if he were evaluating whether to leave me in the same condition as the Turk. Then he sneered25, amused, and said, Don't look so sad, redhead. You are free!
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hovered
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鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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2
hooded
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adj.戴头巾的;有罩盖的;颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
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3
poised
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a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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almighty
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adj.全能的,万能的;很大的,很强的 | |
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mighty
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adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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fiery
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adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
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loomed
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v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近 | |
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8
stammered
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v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
inexplicably
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adv.无法说明地,难以理解地,令人难以理解的是 | |
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10
hostility
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n.敌对,敌意;抵制[pl.]交战,战争 | |
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amazement
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n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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bloody
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adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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virtue
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n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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15
hatred
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n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
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16
filthy
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adj.卑劣的;恶劣的,肮脏的 | |
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17
winked
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v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮 | |
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18
slashes
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n.(用刀等)砍( slash的名词复数 );(长而窄的)伤口;斜杠;撒尿v.挥砍( slash的第三人称单数 );鞭打;割破;削减 | |
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19
hideous
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adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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slab
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n.平板,厚的切片;v.切成厚板,以平板盖上 | |
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21
mound
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n.土墩,堤,小山;v.筑堤,用土堆防卫 | |
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22
delved
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v.深入探究,钻研( delve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
shrugged
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vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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24
savages
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未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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25
sneered
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讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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