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Chapter 142
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HIS VISOR WAS UP, a cold expression on his scarred face. I fastened on the hard-set eyes of Black Cross, the man I hated more than any other in this world.

Twice, I spat1 at him.

Twice what, innkeeper?

Twice I have to rid the world of the scum who killed my wife and child.

I rushed toward him, hurtling my sword at his neck.

The Tafur put his visor down and stood his ground, pinning back my strongest thrust with ease. I hacked2 at him again and again. Each time he parried my blade.

You have caused meshame , Black Cross said. Through his visor's narrow slits3 I could see his pupils darting4 from side to side.

With a ferocious5 howl, he leaped and swung his blade down on me with the power of a mangonel. I darted6 backward, the wind from his blade only inches from my face.

The Tafur did not even stop to regain7 his breath. He swung again, backhanded, aiming to slice through my legs. The mighty8 force of his blow almost drove my own blade into my thigh9.

Slowly I forced his blade upward, but it took all of my strength. I felt like a boy straining against the power of a fully10 grown man.

You are every bit the fool your reputation speaks. Black Cross chuffed. When I kill you, Stephen will take the lanceand the lives of your men. Your severed11 head will be at the foot of your whore's bed.

He sliced at me again, each blow harder to fend12 off. I darted to the left, trying to catch my breath. Only my speed prevented me from being cut in half. But my quickness was waning13. I couldn't beat Black Cross, I realized.

He butted14 me, helmet into my forehead. I staggered back, the crash reverberating15 through my skull16. The breath was heavy in my chest. A voice inside me pleaded,Please ,God , show me the way.

The Tafur pressed closer and I stumbled, trying to scamper17 away. I crawled along the bank of the river, knowing my death was only seconds away. Stephen would end up with the holy lance after all.

Black Cross stood in front of me. There was no escaping him now. He put up his visor and let me see his awful, scarred face.

He sniffed18. Your soul is already lost. I only do God's dirty work by delivering your corpse19 to Him.

For a moment I blinked, disoriented, the sun glinting off his armor. I felt in another place, Antioch, staring up at the Turk, sucking in the last, precious breaths of my life.

Once again, the craziest urge took hold of me.

I began to laugh. I did not know at what. That I had come full circle, back to the moment of my death? That despite all my hope, life in the duchy would remain as it was? That I would die in the patchwork20 clothing of a fool?

Something crazy had come into my head. A line from a stupid joke. I don't know why it seemed funny to me, but I could not help myself. I was a fool, wasn't I?

It sure is deep, I said. Then I started to laugh again, twisting up my legs and rolling on my side.

You die witless, jester. Tell me, what image is so funny that you will carry it to your grave?

Oldest joke in the book. I caught my breath. I did not know if it was cunning or total lunacy that was in control. Two men pissing off a bridge. Each trying to prove to the other who's bigger. One rolls out his pecker.`Bbrrr...this water's cold,' he says. `Yeah,' goes the other, `and it sure isdeep.'

Black Cross looked blank, not understanding. He stood on the bank of the river, ready to dispatch me to Hell.

It sure is deep, I said again, this time a renewed certainty in my voice.

It was only a flash, but I was sure I saw on his face the subtle recognition thatall was not what it seemed , that he had misjudged something.

Before he could figure it out, I kicked my legs and struck him squarely in the midsection. The blow sent him stumbling to the very edge of the riverbank.

Black Cross struggled to keep his balance. And he did! He smiled disdainfully, as if to say, You little man. That's all you have?

Then his boots could not hold the ground. He teetered, his armor dragging him backward. And still his look was not of peril21 but merely annoyance22.Little man , little problems.

But then he began to fall. A clang of metal the armor dragging him, picking up speed like a boulder23 until he rolled, grasping at rocks and weeds, all the way down the embankment and tumbled into the river.

He slid under the surface. I am certain that what flashed through his mind was that he would pick himself up and climb back and finish me off. Moments passed. I could not believe what was happening myself. The Tafurdid not rise. A gloved hand broke the surface and thrashed in the air, struggling for something to grasp on to.

More time passed. Air bubbles rose to the surface. His glove flailed24 back and forth25. But the Tafur never rose again. Black Cross was done, drowned, dead.

I forced myself to crawl over to the edge of the embankment. The fighting had wound down. Stephen's men were kneeling, groaning26, hands in the air. Some of our men were beginning to cheer, hoisting27 their swords above their heads.

Then they were all cheering, jubilant faces reflecting the same incredible thing. We had won! Stephen was defeated. We had actually won!

All around, people came rushing up to me. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Finally, tears bit at my eyes, tears of joy and exhaustion28. People shouted my name as if I were a hero.

I reached behind me for the holy lance. With whatever strength was left in my body, I thrust it high into the air.

Toward Heaven.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 spat pFdzJ     
n.口角,掌击;v.发出呼噜呼噜声
参考例句:
  • Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
  • There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。
2 hacked FrgzgZ     
生气
参考例句:
  • I hacked the dead branches off. 我把枯树枝砍掉了。
  • I'm really hacked off. 我真是很恼火。
3 slits 31bba79f17fdf6464659ed627a3088b7     
n.狭长的口子,裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开,撕开( slit的第三人称单数 );在…上开狭长口子
参考例句:
  • He appears to have two slits for eyes. 他眯着两眼。
  • "You go to--Halifax,'she said tensely, her green eyes slits of rage. "你给我滚----滚到远远的地方去!" 她恶狠狠地说,那双绿眼睛冒出了怒火。
4 darting darting     
v.投掷,投射( dart的现在分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句
5 ferocious ZkNxc     
adj.凶猛的,残暴的,极度的,十分强烈的
参考例句:
  • The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
  • The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。
6 darted d83f9716cd75da6af48046d29f4dd248     
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 regain YkYzPd     
vt.重新获得,收复,恢复
参考例句:
  • He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
  • The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。
8 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
9 thigh RItzO     
n.大腿;股骨
参考例句:
  • He is suffering from a strained thigh muscle.他的大腿肌肉拉伤了,疼得很。
  • The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
10 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
11 severed 832a75b146a8d9eacac9030fd16c0222     
v.切断,断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 );断,裂
参考例句:
  • The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 fend N78yA     
v.照料(自己),(自己)谋生,挡开,避开
参考例句:
  • I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
  • He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。
13 waning waning     
adj.(月亮)渐亏的,逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 );(月)亏;变小;变暗淡
参考例句:
  • Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
  • The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
14 butted 6cd04b7d59e3b580de55d8a5bd6b73bb     
对接的
参考例句:
  • Two goats butted each other. 两只山羊用角顶架。
  • He butted against a tree in the dark. 他黑暗中撞上了一棵树。
15 reverberating c53f7cf793cffdbe4e27481367488203     
回响,回荡( reverberate的现在分词 ); 使反响,使回荡,使反射
参考例句:
  • The words are still ringing [reverberating] in one's ears. 言犹在耳。
  • I heard a voice reverberating: "Crawl out! I give you liberty!" 我听到一个声音在回荡:“爬出来吧,我给你自由!”
16 skull CETyO     
n.头骨;颅骨
参考例句:
  • The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
  • He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去,跌裂了颅骨。
17 scamper 9Tqzs     
v.奔跑,快跑
参考例句:
  • She loves to scamper through the woods of the forest.她喜欢在森林里的树林中穿梭嬉戏。
  • The flash sent the foxes scampering away.闪光惊得狐狸四处逃窜。
18 sniffed ccb6bd83c4e9592715e6230a90f76b72     
v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说
参考例句:
  • When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣,吸了吸鼻子,擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 corpse JYiz4     
n.尸体,死尸
参考例句:
  • What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
  • The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。
20 patchwork yLsx6     
n.混杂物;拼缝物
参考例句:
  • That proposal is nothing else other than a patchwork.那个建议只是一个大杂烩而已。
  • She patched new cloth to the old coat,so It'seemed mere patchwork. 她把新布初到那件旧上衣上,所以那件衣服看上去就象拼凑起来的东西。
21 peril l3Dz6     
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物
参考例句:
  • The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
  • The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。
22 annoyance Bw4zE     
n.恼怒,生气,烦恼
参考例句:
  • Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气?
  • I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。
23 boulder BNbzS     
n.巨砾;卵石,圆石
参考例句:
  • We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲,把大石头搬开了。
  • He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。
24 flailed 08ff56d84987a1c68a231614181f4293     
v.鞭打( flail的过去式和过去分词 );用连枷脱粒;(臂或腿)无法控制地乱动;扫雷坦克
参考例句:
  • The boys flailed around on the floor. 男孩子们在地板上任意地动来动去。
  • The prisoner's limbs flailed violently because of the pain. 那囚犯因为疼痛,四肢剧烈地抖动着。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
26 groaning groaning     
adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • She's always groaning on about how much she has to do. 她总抱怨自己干很多活儿。
  • The wounded man lay there groaning, with no one to help him. 受伤者躺在那里呻吟着,无人救助。
27 hoisting 6a0100693c5737e7867f0a1c6b40d90d     
起重,提升
参考例句:
  • The hoisting capacity of that gin pole (girder pole, guy derrick) is sixty tons. 那个起重抱杆(格状抱杆、转盘抱杆)的起重能力为60吨。 来自口语例句
  • We must use mechanical hoisting to load the goods. 我们必须用起重机来装载货物。
28 exhaustion OPezL     
n.耗尽枯竭,疲惫,筋疲力尽,竭尽,详尽无遗的论述
参考例句:
  • She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。
  • His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了,显然是太累了。


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