Chapter 79

THE HULKING MAN in the sheepskin overvest pounded in the fence post with well-timed strokes of his heavy mallet¹.

I crept from the woods, still in the torn remnants of my jester's garb², carrying Emilie's cloak. I had clung to the forest for a week now. Hungry, avoiding pursuit. I had nothing. Not a denier or a possession.

You'll never mend a fence by lazing away like a fat cow, I said boldly.

The burly man put down his mallet and arched his thick, bushy eyebrows³. He stepped forward to the challenge. Look what's crawled out of the woods... some scrawny squirrel in a fairy's costume. You look like you wouldn't know a day's work if it jumped up and strummed your dick.

I could say the same for you, Odo, if it wasn't always in your hand.

The big smith eyed me closely. Do I know you, malt-worm?

Aye, I answered. Unless, since I've seen you last, your brains have grown as soft as your gut⁴.

Hugh... ? the smith exclaimed.

We embraced, Odo lifting me high off the ground. He shook his head in astonishment⁵.

We heard you were dead, Hugh. Then in Treille, wearing the costume of a fool. Then word that you were in Bor俥. That you killed that prick⁶ Norcross.Which of these are true ?

All true, Odo. Except for rumors⁷ of my demise⁸.

Look at me, old friend. You killed the duke's chatelain?

I took a breath and smiled, like a little brother embarrassed by praise. I did.

Ha, I knew you'd outfox them. The smith laughed.

I have much to tell, Odo. And much to regret, I feel.

We too, Hugh. Come, sit down. All I can offer you is this rickety fence. Not as fine as Baldwin's cushions... We leaned against it. Odo shook his head. Last we saw you, you ran into the woods like a devil, chasing the ghost of your wife.

She was no ghost, Odo. I knew that she lived, and she did.

Odo's eyes widened. Sophie lives?

I found her. In a cell in Bor俥.

Sonofabitch! the smith grunted⁹. His eyes lit up, delighted. Then he searched mine, serious. Yet I see you've crawled back out of the woods alone.

I bowed my head. I found her, Odo, but only long enough for her to die in my arms. They held her as a hostage, thinking that we had something of theirs, something of great value. I've come back to tell her brother, Matthew, of her fate.

Odo shook his head. I'm sorry, Hugh. That won't be possible.

Why? What's happened, Odo?

Baldwin's men were here again. For you... They said you were a murderer and a coward. They said you ran from the Crusade and killed the lord's chatelain. Then they ransacked¹⁰ the village. They said any who harbored you would be tried on pain of death. A few of us stood up....

A grim, ugly stench sent a panic through my stomach. What is that stench, Odo?

Matthew was one who stood up for you, the smith went on. He said you had been wronged. That the chatelain had burned your house and child, and taken your wife, and if Norcross was dead, it was justly deserved for what he had done. He showed them the inn, which he was starting to rebuild. These men were horrible, Hugh. They hung Matthew up. Then they stretched him. His neck in a noose¹¹ and his legs tied to their mounts. They whipped the horses... until his body split in two.

No! A pain shot through my chest. Another weight seemed to crush my heart. Poor Matthew. Why him? Now another was dead... because of me. This nightmare had to end!

I raised my head. A terrible fear pulsed up in my gut. You did not answer me.... What is that smell?

Odo shook his head. They burned the town, Hugh.

1 mallet   

n.槌棒

参考例句：

• He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet.他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。
• The chairman rapped on the table twice with his mallet.主席用他的小木槌在桌上重敲了两下。

2 garb   

n.服装，装束

参考例句：

• He wore the garb of a general.他身着将军的制服。
• Certain political,social,and legal forms reappear in seemingly different garb.一些政治、社会和法律的形式在表面不同的外衣下重复出现。

3 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

4 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

5 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

6 prick   

v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛

参考例句：

• He felt a sharp prick when he stepped on an upturned nail.当他踩在一个尖朝上的钉子上时，他感到剧烈的疼痛。
• He burst the balloon with a prick of the pin.他用针一戳，气球就爆了。

7 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

9 grunted   

（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说

参考例句：

• She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
• She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。

10 ransacked   

v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺

参考例句：

• The house had been ransacked by burglars. 这房子遭到了盗贼的洗劫。
• The house had been ransacked of all that was worth anything. 屋子里所有值钱的东西都被抢去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

11 noose   

n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑

参考例句：

• They tied a noose round her neck.他们在她脖子上系了一个活扣。
• A hangman's noose had already been placed around his neck.一个绞刑的绳圈已经套在他的脖子上。