Crusade (85 page)

Read Crusade Online

Authors: Unknown

“I will,” breathed the young man.

“Then prove it!” snapped the figure, whipping back the cowl and dropping to a crouch before the young man, who recoiled from the grinning skull that was revealed, the candles on the floor up-lighting it, making the bone that much yellower and the huge, hollow eye sockets that much blacker.

Even though he knew it was just a mask, even though he caught a glimpse of dark human eyes through the sockets of the skull, his terror didn’t dissipate, and when a small gold cross was drawn from the folds of the fish-scale cloak and held in front of him, his heart seemed fit to explode in his chest.

“Spit on it.”

“W ... what?”

“Denounce its power over you. Prove you are loyal to me alone, that you speak as one with your brothers.”

The young man’s eyes darted left and right as the men moved out of the shadows. They too wore masks; blood red with the image of a white stag’s head painted on the front of each.

“Spit!” came the command again.

Feeling the men crowding in around him, blocking out the frail candlelight, the young man leaned forward over the proffered cross. He collected saliva in his dry mouth with difficulty. Closing his eyes, he spat.

Table of Contents

About the Author

Title Page

Copyright Page

Acknowledgements

PART ONE

Chapter 1 - The Venetian Quarter, Acre, The Kingdom of Jerusalem 28 SEPTEMBER ...

Chapter 2 - The Genoese Quarter, Acre 13 JANUARY A.D. 1276

Chapter 3 - The Citadel, Cairo 17 JANUARY A.D. 1276

Chapter 4 - The Temple, Acre 17 JANUARY A.D. 1276

Chapter 5 - The Docks, Acre 17 JANUARY A.D. 1276

Chapter 6 - The Temple, Acre 17 JANUARY A.D. 1276

Chapter 7 - AL-Bira, Northern Syria 26 FEBRUARY A.D. 1276

Chapter 8 - The Venetian Quarter, Acre 12 MARCH A.D. 1276

Chapter 9 - The Citadel, Cairo 12 MARCH A.D. 1276

Chapter 10 - The Genoese Quarter, Acre 12 MARCH A.D. 1276

Chapter 11 - The Genoese Quarter, Acre 12 MARCH A.D. 1276

Chapter 12 - The Venetian Quarter, Acre 16 MARCH A.D. 1276

Chapter 13 - The Docks, Acre 15 APRIL A.D. 1276

Chapter 14 - Kabul, The Kingdom of Jerusalem 15 APRIL A.D. 1276

Chapter 15 - The Venetian Market, Acre 14 MAY A.D. 1276

Chapter 16 - The Citadel, Cairo 25 MAY A.D. 1276

Chapter 17 - The Pisan Quarter, Acre 26 MAY A.D. 1276

Chapter 18 - The Citadel, Cairo 26 MAY A.D. 1276

Chapter 19 - Assassins’ Stronghold, Northern Syria 26 MAY A.D. 1276

Chapter 20 - The Street of St. Anne, Acre 27 MAY A.D. 1276

Chapter 21 - The Royal Palace, Acre 27 MAY A.D. 1276

Chapter 22 - Fustat-Misr, Cairo 17 JUNE A.D. 1276

Chapter 23 - The Temple, Acre 8 JULY A.D. 1276

PART TWO

Chapter 24 - The Royal Palace, Acre 17 FEBRUARY A.D. 1277

Chapter 25 - The Docks, Acre 25 FEBRUARY A.D. 1277

Chapter 26 - The Royal Palace, Acre 26 FEBRUARY A.D. 1277

Chapter 27 - The Plain of Albistan, Anatolia 15 APRIL A.D. 1277

Chapter 28 - The Road Outside Mecca, Arabia 15 APRIL A.D. 1277

Chapter 29 - Damascus, Syria 9 JUNE A.D. 1277

Chapter 30 - The Temple, Acre 14 JUNE A.D. 1277

Chapter 31 - The Temple, Acre 14 JUNE A.D. 1277

Chapter 32 - The Citadel, Damascus 17 JUNE A.D. 1277

Chapter 33 - The Citadel, Damascus 17 JUNE A.D. 1277

Chapter 34 - The Road from Damascus, Syria 17 JUNE A.D. 1277

Chapter 35 - The Temple, Acre 10 JULY A.D. 1277

PART THREE

Chapter 36 - Outside Bordeaux, The Kingdom of France 24 APRIL A.D. 1288

Chapter 37 - The Citadel, Cairo 31 AUGUST A.D. 1288

Chapter 38 - The Sands, Acre 20 OCTOBER A.D. 1288

Chapter 39 - The Docks, Acre 13 NOVEMBER A.D. 1288

Chapter 40 - The Citadel, Cairo 14 NOVEMBER A.D. 1288

Chapter 41 - Tripoli, The County of Tripoli 1 APRIL A.D. 1289

Chapter 42 - The Venetian Quarter, Acre 20 AUGUST A.D. 1290

Chapter 43 - The Citadel, Cairo 7 SEPTEMBER A.D. 1290

Chapter 44 - The Citadel, Cairo 20 OCTOBER A.D. 1290

Chapter 45 - The Venetian Quarter, Acre 30 MARCH A.D. 1291

Chapter 46 - The Docks, Acre 18 MAY A.D. 1291

Chapter 47 - The Venetian Quarter, Acre 18 MAY A.D. 1291

Chapter 48 - The Temple, Acre 25 MAY A.D. 1291

Author’s Note

Character List

Glossary

Select Bibliography

Prologue

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