Chapter 66

THE NEXT FEW DAYS, I kept my eye on Anne, trying to determine what connection she might have to the murdered knights¹. And the killing³ of Sophie and Phillipe.

Her husband was returning in a matter of days, and all of Bor俥 was in a state of anxiousness and preparation. Flags were hung from the ramparts; merchants put out their best wares⁴; the chatelain led his troops in their welcoming formations. Whom could I trust?

I waited for Emilie on Sunday morning as she emerged from the chapel⁵ with the other ladies-in-waiting. I caught her eye and lingered until the others were gone.

My lady. I took her aside. I have no right to ask. I shouldn't ask. But I need your help.

Here. She motioned, leading me to a prayer bench in a side chapel. She sat next to me and lowered the hood⁶ of her shawl. What's wrong, Hugh?

This was very hard. I sought the right words to begin. Be certain, I would never speak to you of this unless it was of the highest need. I know you serve your mistress with all your heart.

She wrinkled her face. Please do not hesitate with me. Haven't I proven my trust for you enough?

You have. Many times, I said.

I took a breath and recounted the horror of my trip to St. C俢ile. I told it in detail: the charred⁷ mounds⁸, the eviscerated⁹ knight², the most graphic¹⁰ images sticking in my throat like memories that did not want to come out.

I told her of Adh俶ar, whose similar fate I had heard of at Baldwin's court. Both knights were slaughtered¹¹, their villages razed¹². Both had recently returned from the Crusade. Just as I had.

Why do you tell this to me? she finally asked.

You have not heard of such deeds? At court? Around the castle?

No. They are vile¹³. Why should I?

Knights who disappear and return? Or talk of sacred relics¹⁵ from the Holy Land? Things more valuable than a simple fool like me would know.

You are my only relic¹⁴ from the Holy Land. She smiled, trying to shift the mood.

I could see her trying to put the puzzle together. Why these horrible murders? Why now?

She took a wary¹⁶ breath. I did not know of any such violence. Only that word has spread that Stephen has sent an advance guard to conduct his affairs before he returns.

My blood lit. This guard-they arehere? At the castle?

I overheard the chatelain speaking of them with some contempt. He has served the duke loyally for years, yet these men are charged with some horrid¹⁷ mission. He feels they are ill-trained for knights.

Ill-trained?

`Beyond honor,'he said. Owing no allegiance. He says it is fitting that they sleep with the pigs, since they have the hearts of them. Why do you ask me this, Hugh? Emilie looked into my eyes. I could see fear and I felt awful for causing it.

These men are hunting for something, Emilie. I do not know what. But your mistress... she is not innocent in this herself. These might be Stephen's men, but Anne knows what they do.

I cannot believe that. Emilie shot upright. You say this is a matter more important than any in the world to you. I hear it in your voice. These things you describe... they are most vile, and if they are Stephen's work or Anne's, they will have to answer to God for what has been done. But why is this so urgent for you? Why do you put yourself at risk?

It is not for Anne or Stephen, I said, swallowing. It is for my wife and child. I am sure, Emilie,their killers¹⁸ are these same men.

I leaned back, trying to let the pieces fit together in my mind. This guard, doing the duke's bidding. They had come from the Crusade. As had Adh俶ar. And Arnaud.And I.

I must confront her, Emilie said. If Anne is behind such acts, I cannot serve here any longer.

You must not say a word! These men are vicious. They kill without a thought to God's judgment¹⁹.

It is too late. Emilie stared at me glassily. Her look was not anxious but perplexed²⁰. The truth is, when you were away, Hugh, I may have seen something too.

1 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。

2 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 wares   

n. 货物, 商品

参考例句：

• They sold their wares at half-price. 他们的货品是半价出售的。
• The peddler was crying up his wares. 小贩极力夸耀自己的货物。

5 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

6 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

7 charred   

v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦

参考例句：

• the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸
• The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 mounds   

土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆

参考例句：

• We had mounds of tasteless rice. 我们有成堆成堆的淡而无味的米饭。
• Ah! and there's the cemetery' - cemetery, he must have meant. 'You see the mounds? 啊，这就是同墓，”——我想他要说的一定是公墓，“看到那些土墩了吗？

9 eviscerated   

v.切除…的内脏( eviscerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The censors eviscerated the book to make it inoffensive to the President. 审查员删去了该书的精华以取悦于总统。 来自辞典例句
• By the expulsion of surgery from the liberal arts medicine herself was eviscerated. 把外科排除于丰富的艺术之外，就使得医学本身去掉了内脏一样。 来自辞典例句

10 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

11 slaughtered   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 razed   

v.彻底摧毁，将…夷为平地( raze的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The village was razed to the ground . 这座村庄被夷为平地。
• Many villages were razed to the ground. 许多村子被夷为平地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 vile   

adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的

参考例句：

• Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？
• Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。

14 relic   

n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物

参考例句：

• This stone axe is a relic of ancient times.这石斧是古代的遗物。
• He found himself thinking of the man as a relic from the past.他把这个男人看成是过去时代的人物。

15 relics   

[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸

参考例句：

• The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。
• Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

16 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

17 horrid   

adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的

参考例句：

• I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
• The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。

18 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

19 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

20 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。