Chapter 100

WHAT WAS NEXT was bolder and more amazing than anything I could have imagined.

Our victory was complete, but it came at a great cost. Thirteen of Stephen's mercenaries lay on the ground, but we had lost four of our own: Apples; Jacqui, the stout¹ and cheery milk woman; a farmer, Henri; and Martin, the tailor. Many others, like Georges and Alphonse, nursed messy wounds.

When the smoke cleared, the body of the Tafur I had fought with the lance was nowhere to be found. He had not died after all.

In the ensuing days, we extinguished the fires and bade good-bye to our brave fallen friends. For the first time in anyone's memory, bondmen had stood up to a noble. And to the fear that we could not defend ourselves simply because they were rightly born and we weren't.

Word spread fast. Of the fightand the lance. People from neighboring towns came to see. No one could believe it at first. Farmers and tradesmen had stood up against a noble and his men.

Yet I did not join much in the celebration. I spent the next several days in a troubled state atop the hill. I couldn't work on the inn. I had to make sense of what had happened. That I had picked up the lance from the dying priest's hand in Antioch. That, penniless, I now held a prize worth kingdoms. Why had I been chosen? What did God want of me?

And a deeper dread² hung over me. What would happen next-when news of the battle reached Stephen's ears? When he learned that we possessed³ the prize he so desperately⁴ coveted⁵. Or when word reached Baldwin in Treille.

Had the poor tailor been right? Had I saved them from one slaughter⁶ only to lead them to another?

Emilie stayed with me the whole while. I looked at the lance and did not know what to do, but to her, the answer was clear. She understood what I resisted. You have to lead them, Hugh.

Lead them? Lead themwhere? I asked.

I think you know where. When Stephen hears of this he will send more men. And Baldwin... your village is pledged to him. He will not permit such rebellion in his domain⁷. The stone has been pushed, Hugh. You've sought a higher destiny. Here it is. It's in your hands.

I'm just a lucky fool, I said, who picked up a silly antique, a souvenir. I'll end up the biggest fool of all time.

I saw you in that costume many times, Hugh De Luc. Emilie's eyes shone brightly. And never once thought you a fool. A while back, you left this town on a quest to make yourself free. Now, leave it again and free them all.

I picked up the lance, weighed it like a measure in my hands.

Lead them against Baldwin?Would anyone follow? Emilie was right on one thing. We could not remain here. Baldwin would burst a vein⁸ when he heard the news. Stephen would send more troops, this time hundreds. Something had been started that could not be drawn⁹ back.

You will be by me? I took her hand, searched her eyes. You will not change your mind when we are standing¹⁰ against Baldwin's army and it is just us two?

It will not just be us two, she said, crouching¹¹ beside me. I think you know that, Hugh.

2 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。

3 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

4 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

5 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

7 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

8 vein   

n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络

参考例句：

• The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
• The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。

9 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。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 crouching   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• a hulking figure crouching in the darkness 黑暗中蹲伏着的一个庞大身影
• A young man was crouching by the table, busily searching for something. 一个年轻人正蹲在桌边翻看什么。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译