Chapter 91

I KNEW SUCH A SOUND was a call of warning.

My mind jolted¹ back to reality. I frantically³ rose to my knees and looked down toward the village. I saw no riders. No sign of panic yet. We were not under attack.

But a crowd was forming in the square. Something had happened.

Come. I pulled Emilie up. We have to get back.

We ran down the hill as fast as we could. As soon as I came within earshot of town I heard my name shouted.

Georges ran up to me. Hugh, they're coming. Men from Bor俥 are on the way.

I looked at Emilie, then back at Georges. How do you know this?

Someone is here to warn us. Come, quick, in the church. He looks for you.

Georges ran with me into the main square. The town had assembled there, and voices rang out, panicked and afraid.

I pushed through the crowd around the church and came upon a young man resting on the steps. No more than sixteen, panting, clearly out of breath. When he saw me, he stood up and eyed me.

You are Hugh, the boy said. I can tell by your red hair.

I am, I answered. He looked vaguely⁴ familiar. You come from Bor俥?

Yes. The boy nodded. I have run the whole way. I am sent by your friend Norbert, the jester.

Norbert sent you? I went up to him and stood close. What news do you bring?

He said to tell you they are coming. For everyone to prepare.

I must try and go back, Emilie said, clutching my arm. I must tell them it's a mistake.

You cannot. The boy shook his head, alarmed. Norbert said youmust not return. That Stephen knows you are here. You were followed. The duke's guard is on the way. They will be here tonight, perhaps. Latest tomorrow.

Frantic² cries rose in the crowd. A woman fainted. Martin the tailor pointed⁵ at me. Now what? This is your work, Hugh. What are we to do?

Fight, I shouted back. This is what we expected.

There was whimpering and worried faces. Wives sought out their husbands and clutched children to their bosoms⁶.

We are prepared, I said. These men come to take away what is ours. We will not bow down to them.

Dread⁷ hung over the crowd. Then Odo stepped forward. He looked around, tapped the head of his hammer on the ground. I'm with you. So is my hammer!

I-I'm with you too, said Alphonse. And my sharpened ax.

And I, cried Apples.

They ran toward their positions as the rest of the crowd remained still. Then others followed, one by one.

I turned back to the messenger. How do I know you are who you say? That you've come from Norbert? You say the lady Emilie was followed. This could be a trick.

You know my face, Hugh. I am Lucien, the baker's boy. I sought to apprentice⁸ with Norbert.

Apprentices⁹ can be bought, I challenged him further.

Norbert said you would press me. So he sent proof. Something of value to you that could come from no one other than him.

He reached behind him on the church steps and unwound a woolen¹⁰ blanket.

A smile curled on my face. Norbert was right. What the boy had brought was of great value to me. I had not seen it since I left Bor俥 in the middle of the night.

Lucien was holding my staff.

1 jolted   

（使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• She was jolted out of her reverie as the door opened. 门一开就把她从幻想中惊醒。

2 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

3 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。

4 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 bosoms   

胸部( bosom的名词复数 )； 胸怀； 女衣胸部（或胸襟）； 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形

参考例句：

• How beautifully gold brooches glitter on the bosoms of our patriotic women! 金光闪闪的别针佩在我国爱国妇女的胸前，多美呀！
• Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there weep our sad bosoms empty. 我们寻个僻静的地方，去痛哭一场吧。

7 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

8 apprentice   

n.学徒，徒弟

参考例句：

• My son is an apprentice in a furniture maker's workshop.我的儿子在一家家具厂做学徒。
• The apprentice is not yet out of his time.这徒工还没有出徒。

9 apprentices   

学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were mere apprentices to piracy. 他们干海盗仅仅是嫩角儿。
• He has two good apprentices working with him. 他身边有两个好徒弟。

10 woolen   

adj.羊毛(制)的；毛纺的

参考例句：

• She likes to wear woolen socks in winter.冬天她喜欢穿羊毛袜。
• There is one bar of woolen blanket on that bed.那张床上有一条毛毯。