Chapter 102

THAT WAS HOW IT BEGAN, that first day.

Barely a hundred of us, farmers, tailors, and shepherds, makeshift weapons in hand, food and other supplies carted behind. We started on the road toward Treille.

But by the next town we were two hundred, people kneeling before the lance, grabbing their belongings¹. By Sur le Gavre we werethree hundred, and at the crossroad between north and south, a hundred more were waiting, clubs and hoes and wooden shields in hand.

I marched at the front, carrying the lance. I could not believe these folk had come to follow me, in a fool's suit, yet at every corner, more joined us.

They knelt-husbands, wives-kissing the lance, and Christ's blood, singing praise and vowing² the nobles would crush them no longer. Banners were hoisted³, with the purple and white lions of Treille upside down or with the crest⁴ slashed⁵ and tattered⁶.

It was like the hermit's march all over again. The hope and promise that had captured my soul more than two years before. Simple men-farmers and serfs and bondmen-banded together to raise up their lives. Believing that the time had finally come. That if we stood up with the might of numbers, no matter how long the odds⁷, we could be free.

Are you tired of being shat on? went the refrain as we wound past a watching goatherd.

Aye, came the reply. I've been tired my whole life.

And what would you risk, another would shout, to gain your freedom?

All I have. Which is nothing. Why do you think I'm here?

The ranks swelled⁸ with people from all corners of the forest.Follow the lance was the cri de coeur.The lance held by the fool.

By St. Felix, we had grown to seven hundred strong. By Montres, we had lost count. We could no longer feed them; we had no more stocks or provisions. I knew we could not stand a drawn-out siege, yet people continually joined.

Near Moulin Vieux, Odo edged his way up to the front. Behind us was a column of peasants at least a thousand strong.

The big smith grinned, walking alongside me. You have a plan, don't you, Hugh? He eyed me warily⁹.

Of course I have a plan. You think I brought all these folks along for a picnic in the woods?

Good. He sighed. He dropped back into the ranks. Never doubted...

Of course Hugh has a plan, I heard him whisper to Georges the miller¹⁰, a row behind.

From Moulin Vieux, Treille was two days' march away. That night, I curled up at our fire with Emilie. Behind us, the glow from hundreds of others lit up the night. I stroked her hair. She nestled close. I told you this was no accident, she said. I told you if you stood up to lead they would follow.

You did. I held her. Yet the real miracle is not them, but you. That you have followed.

For me there was no choice. She rolled her tongue and toyed with my jester's tassel¹¹. I always had a thing for a man in uniform.

I laughed. But now comes the real miracle. Treille is two days away. I have a thousand men and only fifty swords.

I overheard you had a plan, Emilie said.

The outline of one, I admitted. Father Leo says we should draw up our demands: that taxes must be reduced immediately, that all fiefs should apply toward purchase of a parcel of land, that any nobles who take part in raids must be brought before the court.

Look at the numbers. Emilie nodded optimistically Baldwin will have to sue for peace. He cannot fight us all.

He won't fight us. I shook my head. At least not right away. He knows we cannot provision such an army for a long siege. He will wait us out. He'll stall, and let the songs subside¹², until the food runs out and people lose patience and start to go home. Then he will open the gates and send out his dogs to slaughter¹³ us. He will chase us down and burn our towns so thoroughly¹⁴ even the scavengers will not think anything was once alive there. I've seen Baldwin's diplomacy¹⁵. He will never submit.

You have known this from the start, haven't you? That the duke would never comply. It was what was troubling you back at Veille du P?re.

I nodded.

So if you know this, Hugh, what then? All these people, they've given you their hope, their very lives.

What it means... I tucked my head onto her lap, begging to drift off to sleep.... is that we musttake him.

Emilie raised herself up. Take him? In order to take Baldwin you must seize his castle too.

Yes. I yawned. That is usually the case.

Emilie shook me. Do not jest with me, Hugh. This requires weapons and provisions. For this you have a plan?

The outline of one, I told you. It lacks but one thing. I curled myself into her warmth. Fortunately, it is the thing you are best at.

And what is that, Hugh? She pounded my shoulder.

Apretext , my lady. I glanced up and winked¹⁶.

1 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

2 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

3 hoisted   

把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。
• The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。

4 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

5 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 tattered   

adj.破旧的，衣衫破的

参考例句：

• Her tattered clothes in no way detracted from her beauty.她的破衣烂衫丝毫没有影响她的美貌。
• Their tattered clothing and broken furniture indicated their poverty.他们褴褛的衣服和破烂的家具显出他们的贫穷。

7 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

8 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

9 warily   

adv.留心地

参考例句：

• He looked warily around him,pretending to look after Carrie.他小心地看了一下四周，假装是在照顾嘉莉。
• They were heading warily to a point in the enemy line.他们正小心翼翼地向着敌人封锁线的某一处前进。

10 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

11 tassel   

n.流苏，穗；v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须

参考例句：

• The corn has begun to tassel.玉米开始长出穗状雄花。
• There are blue tassels on my curtains.我的窗帘上有蓝色的流苏。

12 subside   

vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降

参考例句：

• The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。
• The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。

13 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。

14 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

15 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

16 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》