STEPHEN OF BOR怑 SAT STOLIDLY1 on the high-backed chair in his court. A crowd of toadying2 favor-seekers stood in line as his bailiff brought him up to date on a new tax. Behind him, the seneschal readied a report on the status of his demesne3. His thoughts were a thousand miles away.
An incompleteness jabbed at Stephen. Since he had been back, the business of his estates, his holdings, things that had once meant everything to him, now seemed trivial, worthless. These functionaries4 droned on and on, but he could not fix. His mind was a brooding pit that focused on a single, far-off point of light.
The prize. The treasure.
It haunted him, invaded his dreams. This holy relic5 miraculously6 preserved for centuries in the tombs of the Holy Land. He longed for it with an avarice7 he had felt for no woman. Something that had touched Him. He woke in the night dreaming about it, his body covered in sweat. His lips grew dry just thinking of its touch.
With such a prize in hand, Bor俥 would be among the most powerful duchies in Europe. What a cathedral he would build to house its glory. What was the worth of the meager8 bones of his own patron saint, resting in his reliquary? It was nothing compared to this prize. People would come from all over the world to make pilgrimages to Bor俥. No cleric would be greater than him, or closer to God.
And he knew who had it.
A furor9 built in Stephen's chest. His underlings were lathering10 on, blabbering about his holdings, his wealth. It was all rubbish-insignificant. He felt as if he were about to explode.
Get out, he stood and screamed. The bailiff and the seneschal looked at him, surprised. Get out! Leave me be! You go on about this new tax, or a new flock of sheep. Your eyes are fixed11 on the ground. I am dreaming of everlasting12 life.
He swept his hand across the table in front of him, and a tray of wine goblets13 clattered14 to the floor. Everybody scurried15, fleeing their places as if the whole structure were about to collapse16.
Only Norbert, his jester, remained, clinging to the base of his chair and shaking like a man in seizure17, trying to make him laugh.
It is no use, Norbert. Do not waste your jest. Let it be.
It is no jest. Norbert shook, lips trembling. Your chair is on my hand.
Finally Stephen grunted18 back a smile and the loyal jester rolled away, shaking his swollen19 hand.
A servant nervously20 approached to clear the mess. Stephen waved him away. His eyes followed the trail of spilled wine until they came to rest upon someone's boot.
Who is so presumptuous21 as to approach? Stephen thought. He looked up at the face of Morgaine, the leader of his Tafur guard. Black Cross.
Have you come to taunt22 me, Morgaine, with news of another village laid waste without my prize?
No, I have come to cheer you, my lord, with news that I know where the treasure is.
Stephen's eyes widened. Where?
Your cousin, the lady Emilie, has led me right to it, Black Cross said with a pinched smile.
Emilie? Stephen's face twitched23. What has Emilie to do with this prize? She is in Toulon.
She is not in Toulon, Black Cross said. He whispered close. But in a little pisshole in the duchy of Treille, Veille du P?re.
Veille du P?re? I know that name. I thought you had already sacked-
Yes. Morgaine nodded, seeing Stephen come to understand. She is with the innkeeper as we speak. And so is the treasure.
1 stolidly | |
adv.迟钝地,神经麻木地 | |
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2 toadying | |
v.拍马,谄媚( toady的现在分词 ) | |
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3 demesne | |
n.领域,私有土地 | |
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4 functionaries | |
n.公职人员,官员( functionary的名词复数 ) | |
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5 relic | |
n.神圣的遗物,遗迹,纪念物 | |
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6 miraculously | |
ad.奇迹般地 | |
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7 avarice | |
n.贪婪;贪心 | |
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8 meager | |
adj.缺乏的,不足的,瘦的 | |
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9 furor | |
n.狂热;大骚动 | |
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10 lathering | |
n.痛打,怒骂v.(指肥皂)形成泡沫( lather的现在分词 );用皂沫覆盖;狠狠地打 | |
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11 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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12 everlasting | |
adj.永恒的,持久的,无止境的 | |
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13 goblets | |
n.高脚酒杯( goblet的名词复数 ) | |
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14 clattered | |
发出咔哒声(clatter的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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15 scurried | |
v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16 collapse | |
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷 | |
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17 seizure | |
n.没收;占有;抵押 | |
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18 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 | |
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19 swollen | |
adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀 | |
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20 nervously | |
adv.神情激动地,不安地 | |
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21 presumptuous | |
adj.胆大妄为的,放肆的,冒昧的,冒失的 | |
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22 taunt | |
n.辱骂,嘲弄;v.嘲弄 | |
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23 twitched | |
vt.& vi.(使)抽动,(使)颤动(twitch的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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