Knight's Honor by Sigmund Brouwer

Author:Sigmund Brouwer [Brouwer, Sigmund]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sigmund brouwer, myrockandrollbooks, knights and castles, cyberquest
Publisher: Sigmund Brouwer
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Mok rocked back and forth on his feet. It felt like the entire stone tower had wobbled.

“What was that?” he asked.

Rachel pushed her hair back from her face. She calmly opened the cage, stuck in her hand, and pulled out a pigeon. She tied the message to the bird’s leg.

“I expect that was the beginning of the new attack,” she said. With a gentle throw, she tossed the pigeon into the air. It circled once on whirring wings, then cut a straight line across the sky.

In Egypt, Mok had believed the events around him to be a wild dream. He had enjoyed the experience then, hoping he might never wake. Now, in confusion and fear, he wished desperately to open his eyes and find himself in his sleep tunnel beneath Old Newyork.

“But what was it? I mean—”

Before he could finish his question, another whistling scream grew louder. A movement caught the corner of his eye. Then seconds later, the roar. Followed by another tremor of the tower.

“A rock,” he said with awe. “A rock the size of . . .”

“A chariot,” Rachel said. There was no emotion in her voice. “Fired from a catapult. They are close enough now to hit this tower.”

“Anything else?” Mok asked sarcastically, thinking nothing could be worse.

“Oh, they have a rope-wound bow. It takes three men to crank. The giant arrow is released with such force that it will go right through a wooden door. Or a man. And when they get closer, they have giant battering rams. With dozens of men behind them, they can run through a wall. And, of course, the burning buckets of pitch shot from smaller catapults.”

She put her hands on her hips. “But why, my young lord, do you pretend to know none of this? You saw it all as they tore away the outer walls.”

She was truly not Raha? She was simply, as she said, a servant girl, who fully believed Mok was the son of Count Reynald?

Mok closed his eyes. He wanted to weep in frustration. So many questions. And not even one answer.

Another shrieking whistle. Followed by the explosion and shuddering walls.

“Please,” Mok said, “help me.”

“My lord? You do not look well.”

“Pretend I am a stranger, just dropped inside these castle walls,” Mok said. “Explain why the army has attacked. And why Count Reynald would follow the man named Christ into death.”

Rachel studied him to see if he were joking.

Mok’s face must have showed the anguish and confusion he felt. Her frown relented and her own face softened.

“Sit beside me,” she said. “Unless a rock lands right on top of us, we will be safe here. These walls should stand for at least a week.”

She sat and drew her knees up. “Why has this army attacked? A few hundred years ago, great Crusades were fought to conquer this land. Now, we in turn are being conquered. By Mamelukes. Long ago, they were slaves brought to serve the Turks of this region. They revolted against the Turks, and have begun to lay claim to the entire Holy Land.

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