Chapter 46

I HAD NO TIME to waste. I set out to find Sophie. She was alive. I knew it.

My confrontation¹ with Norcross had given me instant status among the castle staff. I was given a name, Hugh the Brave, or, I was told, with respect to Norcross's wrath², Hugh theBrief. People who I sensed served the duke only out of fear or obligation came and whispered their support. I was able to make a few useful friends.

There was Bette the cook, a chubby³, red-faced woman with a sharp tongue who kept the kitchen running like a spotless ship. And Jacques, the upstairs valet du chambre, who took meals next to me in the kitchen. Even a cheerful sergeant⁴ at arms at the court, Henri, who chuckled⁵ at my jokes.

I questioned all of them, asking if they had heard of a fair, blond woman held captive in the castle, keeping my reasons close to the vest. No one had. Checked the brothels? The sergeant winked⁶. Once the nobles have no use for 'em, they'd be sent there. So I did. I made the rounds, pretending to be a choosy customer. But, thank God, no one fitting Sophie's description was among the poor whores at Treille.

You look a little drawn⁷ in the face, for a jester, Bette, the cook, observed one morning as she pounded out her dough⁸. Your lost sweetheart again?

I wished I could take her into my confidence. Not mine, Bette, but a friend's, I lied. Someone asked me to inquire.

Afriend's , you say. The cook eyed me skeptically. She seemed to play with me. Is she highborn or common?

I looked up from my bowl. How would a rogue⁹ like me know anyone highborn? I grinned. Except you, perhaps....

Oh yes, me... Bette cackled. I'm the duke's own blood. That's why I slave in this hearth¹⁰ until dark every day.

She laughed and went about her chores. But when she returned lugging¹¹ a pot, she crept behind me and said confidingly¹², Perhaps it's the Tavern¹³ you want, love.

I looked up. The Tavern?

She reached on her tiptoes for a bowl of garlic heads high on a shelf.The dungeons¹⁴ , she said under her breath. They're always filled with mouths to feed. At least for a short while. We call them la Taverne. Everyone goes in on their own two feet, but usually it takes a team of four to carry them out.

I looked to thank her, but Bette quickly breezed to the other side of the kitchen, peeling the garlic for her soup.

The Tavern.For days afterward¹⁵, I spied on it in the courtyard while taking my daily stroll. A heavy iron door, always guarded by at least two soldiers from Baldwin's reserve. Once or twice, I sauntered over, trying to warm up the guards. I did a little magic trick, tossed some balls in the air, twirled my staff. I never got as much as a snicker.

Bug¹⁶ off, fool, one guard barked at me. No one here even remembers how to laugh.

You want a peek¹⁷, another barked, I'm sure Norcross'll find you a room.

I hurried away, pretending his very name had sent me trembling. But I continued plotting.How to get in? Who could help me? I tried the chamberlain. I even tried to play my liege, Baldwin. One day, after court, I sidled up to him. Time for a drink, my lord. How about I buy you one... in la Taverne?

Baldwin laughed and said to his coterie¹⁸, Fool wants a drink so bad, he's willing to risk the pox to get it.

One night, as I took my meal in the kitchen, Bette sat down with me. You are a strange sort, Hugh. All day you're smiles and tricks. But at night you sulk and brood like a lost lover. Why do I think this loss you feel is not a friend's?

I could no longer hide my sadness. I had to trust someone. You are right, Bette. It's my wife I seek. She was taken from my village. By raiding knights¹⁹. I know she is here. I can feel it in my blood.

Bette did not show surprise. She only smiled. I knew you were no fool, she said. And I can be a friend, she added, if you need one.

I need one more than you can know, I said, desperate. Butwhy ?

Be sure, not for your silly tricks, Hugh, or your flattery. Bette's expression changed, grew warmer. Geoffrey and Isabel, Hugh... They are my cousins. Why do you think I always saved you the best scraps²⁰ of meat? You don't think you're that funny, do you? I owe you their lives, Hugh.

I grasped her hands. La Taverne, Bette. I have to get in. I've tried everything, but there's no way.

No way? The cook stared at me a long time, searching my intentions. For a fool, maybe. Only a fool would want to get into la Taverne. But there's a saying here. The best way to end up in the soup is to ask the cook!

1 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

2 wrath   

n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒

参考例句：

• His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
• The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。

3 chubby   

adj.丰满的，圆胖的

参考例句：

• He is stocky though not chubby.他长得敦实，可并不发胖。
• The short and chubby gentleman over there is our new director.那个既矮又胖的绅士是我们的新主任。

4 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

5 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

6 winked   

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

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。

9 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

10 hearth   

n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面

参考例句：

• She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
• She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。

11 lugging   

超载运转能力

参考例句：

• I would smile when I saw him lugging his golf bags into the office. 看到他把高尔夫球袋拖进办公室，我就笑一笑。 来自辞典例句
• As a general guide, S＄1 should be adequate for baggage-lugging service. 一般的准则是，如有人帮你搬运行李，给一新元就够了。 来自互联网

12 confidingly   

adv.信任地

参考例句：

• She watched him confidingly and without any fear, faintly wagging her tail. 木木信任地望着自己最新近的主人，不但没有畏惧，还轻轻地摇着尾巴。 来自互联网

13 tavern   

n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店

参考例句：

• There is a tavern at the corner of the street.街道的拐角处有一家酒馆。
• Philip always went to the tavern,with a sense of pleasure.菲利浦总是心情愉快地来到这家酒菜馆。

14 dungeons   

n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The captured rebels were consigned to the dungeons. 抓到的叛乱分子被送进了地牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He saw a boy in fetters in the dungeons. 他在地牢里看见一个戴着脚镣的男孩。 来自辞典例句

15 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

16 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

17 peek   

vi.偷看，窥视；n.偷偷的一看，一瞥

参考例句：

• Larry takes a peek out of the window.赖瑞往窗外偷看了一下。
• Cover your eyes and don't peek.捂上眼睛，别偷看。

18 coterie   

n.(有共同兴趣的)小团体，小圈子

参考例句：

• The name is known to only a small coterie of collectors.这个名字只有收藏家的小圈子才知道。
• Mary and her coterie gave a party to which we were not invited.玛利和她的圈内朋友举行派对，我们没被邀请。

19 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

20 scraps   

油渣

参考例句：

• Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
• A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。