IS HE DEAD?

A voice crept through the haze¹. A woman's voice... I opened my eyes. But I couldn't make out a thing. Only a shifting blur².

I don't know, my lady, another said, but his wounds are grave. He doesn't look far from gone.

Such unusual hair... remarked the first.

I blinked, my brain slowly starting to clear. It was as if there were a shimmering³ veil reflecting my sight.Was I dead? There was a lovely face leaning over me. Yellow hair, braided densely⁴, tumbling from under a brocaded purple cloak. She smiled. It warmed me like the sun.

Sophie, I muttered. I reached to touch her face.

You are hurt, replied the woman, her voice like the delicate trill of a bird. I'm afraid you mistake me for someone else.

My body felt no pain. Is this Heaven? I asked.

The woman smiled again. If Heaven is a world where all wounded knights⁵ resemble vegetables, then, yes, it must be.

I felt her hands cradle my head. I blinked again. It was not Sophie, but someone lovely, speaking with the accent of the north. Paris.

I still live, I uttered with a sigh.

For the moment, yes. But your wounds are serious. We must get you to a physician. Are you from here? Do you have a family?

I tried to focus on her questions. It was all too fuzzy and hurtful. I just said, No.

Are you an outlaw⁶? the second woman's voice intoned from above.

I struggled to see a lavishly⁷ robed lady, clearly royal, atop a stunning⁸ white palfrey.

I assure you, madame, I said, doing my best to smile, I am benign⁹. I saw my tunic

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1 haze
n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊
参考例句：
I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。 He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

2 blur
n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚
参考例句：
The houses appeared as a blur in the mist.房子在薄雾中隐隐约约看不清。 If you move your eyes and your head,the picture will blur.如果你的眼睛或头动了，图像就会变得模糊不清。

3 shimmering
v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The sea was shimmering in the sunlight. 阳光下海水波光闪烁。 The colours are delicate and shimmering. 这些颜色柔和且闪烁微光。 来自辞典例句

4 densely
ad.密集地；浓厚地
参考例句：
A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。 We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。

5 knights
骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马
参考例句：
stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事 He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

6 outlaw
n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法
参考例句：
The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。 The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。

7 lavishly
adv.慷慨地，大方地
参考例句：
His house was lavishly adorned.他的屋子装饰得很华丽。 The book is lavishly illustrated in full colour.这本书里有大量全彩插图。

8 stunning
adj.极好的；使人晕倒的
参考例句：
His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。 The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

9 benign
adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的
参考例句：
The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。 Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

10 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。

11 pangs
突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛
参考例句：
She felt sudden pangs of regret. 她突然感到痛悔不已。 With touching pathos he described the pangs of hunger. 他以极具感伤力的笔触描述了饥饿的痛苦。

12 thigh
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。

13 gasp
n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说
参考例句：
She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。 The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。

14 rouge
n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红
参考例句：
Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。 She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

15 maiden
n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的
参考例句：
The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。 The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

16 bickering
v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁
参考例句：
The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。 The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 fret
v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损
参考例句：
Don't fret.We'll get there on time.别着急，我们能准时到那里。 She'll fret herself to death one of these days.她总有一天会愁死的.

18 squire
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅
参考例句：
I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。 The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

19 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》

20 vouch
v.担保；断定；n.被担保者
参考例句：
They asked whether I was prepared to vouch for him.他们问我是否愿意为他作担保。 I can vouch for the fact that he is a good worker.我保证他是好员工。

21 tunics
n.（动植物的）膜皮( tunic的名词复数 )；束腰宽松外衣；一套制服的短上衣；（天主教主教等穿的）短祭袍
参考例句：
After work colourful clothes replace the blue tunics. 下班后，蓝制服都换成了色彩鲜艳的衣服。 来自辞典例句 The ancient Greeks fastened their tunics with Buttons and loops. 古希腊人在肩部用钮扣与环圈将束腰外衣扣紧。 来自互联网

22 moor
n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊
参考例句：
I decided to moor near some tourist boats.我决定在一些观光船附近停泊。 There were hundreds of the old huts on the moor.沼地上有成百上千的古老的石屋。