Chapter 103

DANIEL GUI'S SWORD CLATTERED¹ as he rushed into the duke's sitting room. He was Baldwin's new chatelain, having taken over for Norcross.

You can't go in there, said a page, flashing a cynical² wink³. The duke's in council.

The duke will find this news more urgent than any meeting, Daniel said, and pushed by the page.

His lord was upright against a wall, his leggings down, fucking a young chambermaid.

Daniel cleared his throat. Liege.

The maid gasped⁴ and fixed⁵ her skirt, running out through another door.

``I am sorry to interrupt, the chatelain said, but I have news you must hear.

Baldwin pulled up his leggings as if it were the most natural thing in the world and tied his tunic⁶. I hope this news is crucial, chatelain, for it has taken me months to back that little sow up against a wall. He wiped his hand across his mouth.

Baldwin disgusted the young chatelain. Daniel looked at his position as a chance to serve his native town, not plunder⁷ and slaughter⁸ defenseless subjects. He told himself that being in the duke's pen was not tantamount to being a pig.

It is news of the redhead you seek. The jester who escaped after killing⁹ Norcross.

Hugh. That little canker. Baldwin sprang alive. What of him? Speak!

He has turned up. In his own town, after all. It seems he has led an uprising there against a raiding party from Bord.

Uprising? What do you mean,uprising ? There's nothing but field mice and manure¹⁰ out there.

Apparently¹¹ these field mice defended their nest quite well. Our messengers report all of Stephen's men were killed.

Baldwin shot up out of his seat. You tell me this little maw-worm has led a bunch of farmers and hayseeds against Stephen's crack troops?

It is so, but it is only the tip of it, my lord. A tremor¹² of enjoyment¹³ rippled¹⁴ through Daniel, as he knew the next piece of news would send Baldwin into a rage. The thing Stephen's men sought... this will amuse you... was apparently a relic¹⁵ stolen from the Crusade. Some kind of lance...

The holy lance? The duke pursed his lips skeptically. The holy lance belongs to a jester? You must be mistaken, chatelain. The holy lance, if it even exists, exceeds in value everything I own. It is a child's fancy to conceive it could be in the hands of that kitchen-rot.

Then apparently it is a tale children from all over seem to believe. And grown men too. For they flock to him as to a crusade. The whole region is up in revolt.

Revolt! Baldwin's eyes were ablaze¹⁶. There is no revolt in my domain¹⁷. Rouse the men, chatelain. We'll ride tonight and nail the little bastard¹⁸ to a cross if he's so holy.

I do not think that is wise, sir.

Not wise... ? Baldwin stepped up, eyes twitching¹⁹. And why is it not wise?

Because, said the chatelain, this little maw-worm, as you call him, commands an army of these worms over a thousand strong.

The color drained from Baldwin's face. A thousand... That cannot be. That is all the towns in the forest. That is three times the size of our own garrison²⁰.

Perhaps more, Daniel said. This news is days old. Every peasant in the duchy seems to have joined him.

Baldwin sat down on a bench. His face was taut²¹, the color of spoiled fruit. Ready the men anyway, chatelain. I will call to my cousin in N?mes for additional troops. Together we will cut them down in the forest like saplings.

Then I think you must hurry, Daniel said. For these cowherds are in Moulin Vieux as we speak. It appears they are comingto you.

1 clattered   

发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He dropped the knife and it clattered on the stone floor. 他一失手，刀子当啷一声掉到石头地面上。
• His hand went limp and the knife clattered to the ground. 他的手一软，刀子当啷一声掉到地上。

2 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

3 wink   

n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁

参考例句：

• He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
• The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

4 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

6 tunic   

n.束腰外衣

参考例句：

• The light loose mantle was thrown over his tunic.一件轻质宽大的斗蓬披在上衣外面。
• Your tunic and hose match ill with that jewel,young man.你的外套和裤子跟你那首饰可不相称呢，年轻人。

7 plunder   

vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠

参考例句：

• The thieves hid their plunder in the cave.贼把赃物藏在山洞里。
• Trade should not serve as a means of economic plunder.贸易不应当成为经济掠夺的手段。

8 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。

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

11 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

12 tremor   

n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震

参考例句：

• There was a slight tremor in his voice.他的声音有点颤抖。
• A slight earth tremor was felt in California.加利福尼亚发生了轻微的地震。

13 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

14 rippled   

使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The lake rippled gently. 湖面轻轻地泛起涟漪。
• The wind rippled the surface of the cornfield. 微风吹过麦田，泛起一片麦浪。

15 relic   

n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物

参考例句：

• This stone axe is a relic of ancient times.这石斧是古代的遗物。
• He found himself thinking of the man as a relic from the past.他把这个男人看成是过去时代的人物。

16 ablaze   

adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的

参考例句：

• The main street was ablaze with lights in the evening.晚上，那条主要街道灯火辉煌。
• Forests are sometimes set ablaze by lightning.森林有时因雷击而起火。

17 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。

18 bastard   

n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子

参考例句：

• He was never concerned about being born a bastard.他从不介意自己是私生子。
• There was supposed to be no way to get at the bastard.据说没有办法买通那个混蛋。

19 twitching   

n.颤搐

参考例句：

• The child in a spasm kept twitching his arms and legs. 那个害痉挛的孩子四肢不断地抽搐。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My eyelids keep twitching all the time. 我眼皮老是跳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 garrison   

n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防

参考例句：

• The troops came to the relief of the besieged garrison.军队来援救被围的守备军。
• The German was moving to stiffen up the garrison in Sicily.德军正在加强西西里守军之力量。

21 taut   

adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的

参考例句：

• The bowstring is stretched taut.弓弦绷得很紧。
• Scarlett's taut nerves almost cracked as a sudden noise sounded in the underbrush near them. 思嘉紧张的神经几乎一下绷裂了，因为她听见附近灌木丛中突然冒出的一个声音。