I WALKED FROM THE HUT and tried to clear the repulsive¹ sights from my mind. I had seen it all before. Men and women hung and flayed², body parts scattered³ as if the murders meant nothing at all.

Civetot. Antioch. The Crusade...

These riders in the dead of night who wore no colors and would not show their faces. The towns burned, savagery⁴. Were these acts Baldwin's? Norcross was dead. Could his men still be running free, terrorizing villages? What precious treasure did they seek?

Put it together , I told myself.What does the puzzle signify? Why can't I solve it?

The Crusade... Suddenly it resonated everywhere. Arnaud had just returned from there. Adh俶ar too, whose horrible death I had heard of at Baldwin's court. Their villages were ransacked⁵ and destroyed-just like my inn.

Dread⁶ shot down my spine⁷. These faceless riders who killed with the savagery of Turks... Were they the same ones who murdered my wife and child?

Cold, clammy sweat clung to my back. It all began to fit.

The killers⁸ wore no crest⁹ or markings, only a black cross.

No one knew where they came from or what they sought. Then I remembered something. Matthew had said it was as if it weremy home ,our inn only , that the bastards¹⁰ were interested in.

What did they want with me?

During the long ride back, I kept to myself. I racked my brain. What did I have that could connect me with these killings¹¹

点击收听单词发音  

1 repulsive
adj.排斥的，使人反感的
参考例句：
She found the idea deeply repulsive.她发现这个想法很恶心。 The repulsive force within the nucleus is enormous.核子内部的斥力是巨大的。

2 flayed
v.痛打( flay的过去式和过去分词 )；把…打得皮开肉绽；剥（通常指动物）的皮；严厉批评
参考例句：
He was so angry he nearly flayed his horse alive. 他气得几乎把马活活抽死。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The teacher flayed the idle students. 老师严责那些懒惰的学生。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 scattered
adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的
参考例句：
Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

4 savagery
n.野性
参考例句：
The police were shocked by the savagery of the attacks.警察对这些惨无人道的袭击感到震惊。 They threw away their advantage by their savagery to the black population.他们因为野蛮对待黑人居民而丧失了自己的有利地位。

5 ransacked
v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺
参考例句：
The house had been ransacked by burglars. 这房子遭到了盗贼的洗劫。 The house had been ransacked of all that was worth anything. 屋子里所有值钱的东西都被抢去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 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。

7 spine
n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊
参考例句：
He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。 His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

8 killers
凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事
参考例句：
He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。 They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

9 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。

10 bastards
私生子( bastard的名词复数 )； 坏蛋； 讨厌的事物； 麻烦事 （认为别人走运或不幸时说）家伙
参考例句：
Those bastards don't care a damn about the welfare of the factory! 这批狗养的，不顾大局！ 来自子夜部分 Let the first bastards to find out be the goddam Germans. 就让那些混账的德国佬去做最先发现的倒霉鬼吧。 来自演讲部分

11 killings
谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发
参考例句：
His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。 The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

12 baubles
n.小玩意( bauble的名词复数 )；华而不实的小件装饰品；无价值的东西；丑角的手杖
参考例句：
The clothing category also includes jewelry and similar baubles. 服饰大类也包括珠宝与类似的小玩意。 来自互联网 The shop sells baubles as well. 这家商店也销售廉价珠宝。 来自互联网

13 pouch
n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件
参考例句：
He was going to make a tobacco pouch out of them. 他要用它们缝制一个烟草袋。 The old man is always carrying a tobacco pouch with him.这老汉总是随身带着烟袋。

14 pilfered
v.偷窃（小东西），小偷( pilfer的过去式和过去分词 )；偷窃（一般指小偷小摸）
参考例句：
Oh, I remember. Lost, pilfered, short-shipped or something. 噢，我想起来了，是有关遗失、被盗、短缺之类的事。 来自商贸英语会话 The pilfered was let off with some good advice. 小偷经教育后释放。 来自互联网

15 somber
adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的
参考例句：
He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。 His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

16 wrestled
v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤
参考例句：
As a boy he had boxed and wrestled. 他小的时候又是打拳又是摔跤。 Armed guards wrestled with the intruder. 武装警卫和闯入者扭打起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 turmoil
n.骚乱，混乱，动乱
参考例句：
His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。 The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

18 atrocities
n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪
参考例句：
They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》