Dark Tracks by Philippa Gregory & Fred van Deelen

Author:Philippa Gregory & Fred van Deelen [Gregory, Philippa & Deelen, Fred van]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

His feet hammering the doorstep of the village gate as he jigged and pranced, Freize slapped on the great wooden timbers with his open hand. “For God’s sake, let us in!” he shouted. “We are fleeing from the dancers, the dancers! We will help you guard your village against them. But you must help us. We are lost if you don’t let us in!”

Isolde, looking over her shoulder, saw the fiddler and the drummer leading the dancers down the final corner of the winding path of the steep slope to the bridge. “They’re coming,” she panted. Despite herself her feet made a little jig on the spot. “They’re nearly at the bridge.”

“You’re Christians!” came the shout from behind the gate. “You’re trying to trick us to open up!”

Freize exchanged an aghast look with Isolde. “Of course we’re Christians,” he said, completely bewildered. “And we call on you in the name of Jesus to open the gate.”

“And what then?” came the bitter demand. “Will you rape our women and tear our children from their arms?”

“In God’s name!” Freize yelled. “Do I look like a rapist? Or do I look like a poor man under a terrible spell, begging for refuge and help?”

“How do we know who is behind you?”

“You can see who is behind me!” Freize bellowed in frustration. “A band of cursed dancers who spread the illness wherever they go, who are determined to catch me and this lady, to make us dance till we die. If you have any pity, let us in!”

“I dare not have pity. I dare not open the gate,” the voice came, but more uncertainly.

Freize collapsed on the stone doorstep. “Then open it just a crack and let the lady in,” he begged. “Leave me out here. I don’t blame you, whatever your fears. They can take me if they will. But rescue the lady! She is Isolde, Lady of Lucretili, and I am her most faithful and most loving squire. I would die for her. Please. Let her in and I will lead the dancers away from you and away from this place, if you will only save her.”

There was silence. The Being, who had stood in complete silence while Freize went from yelling to pleading, now turned his big, round face to Freize and looked at him with limpid eyes. Slowly, he nodded, as if he had learned something very important.

“What?” Freize bellowed up at him, driven to anger by his fear for Isolde. “What are you thinking? Why don’t you just say?”

The Being stepped back from the gate and drew a breath. He spoke—for the first time Freize heard his voice. It was loud and sonorous, like a well-tuned bell. He spoke in a language that Freize did not understand at all.

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