Shadow of the Swords by Kamran Pasha

Author:Kamran Pasha
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: 2010-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

31

Miriam followed the gruff French guard through the maze of faded tents built from red-striped canvas, and past cruder refuges made from the hide of slaughtered camels and goats. She was keenly aware of hundreds of hungry male eyes on her as she walked through the Crusader camp. She was fully covered in the black Bedouin veil and baggy Persian robe known as a burka, and she was thankful for the protection afforded by the concealing gown. The surly guard, appointed by William after their dramatic arrival earlier in the week, growled at the spectators through his shaggy brown beard. His broadsword was unsheathed and held before him in ready position should a soldier’s lust compel him to make an unwise move.

But they were unmolested. Word had spread through the camp that the infidel woman had helped save King Richard’s life, and no man, at least among those who had sailed with the Lionheart, would risk dishonor by laying a hand on her.

The sun had long vanished beneath the western waters by the time they reached the large, filthy tent that served as one of the main latrines in the army base. It was made of heavy black cloth and held up by thick wood posts that crawled with an array of vile insects. Miriam waited outside while the guard poked his head in to check if there were any soldiers going about their business. She slipped her right hand underneath the veil, pinching her nose shut to stave off the overwhelming stench that wafted from the pits inside.

With the guard distracted for a moment, Miriam turned her attention to a blue-striped tent not far away, its cloth flaps waving mournfully in the sea breeze. It was unguarded and there was no sign of soldiers in the vicinity. Although her French guard did not know this, that little shelter was her true destination tonight.

The soldier returned to the mouth of the latrine tent. He appeared utterly oblivious to the sickening smells that permeated the area. Perhaps his nose was accustomed to the stench, because his own sweat-stained cuirass gave off a charming scent not altogether dissimilar.

“Hurry up, Jewess,” he grunted. “Empty your bowels and then leave us.”

The soldier took his position outside the tent, his legs firmly planted on the ground, his weapon ready to intercept any intruder. Miriam nodded and stepped inside, pulling a worn curtain over the entryway. This was a new addition, hastily arranged by an embarrassed William to accommodate her privacy, but it served a second purpose tonight.

The interior of the tent was almost pitch-black, with only a few shards of faint moonlight coming in through small tears in the roof above. It was just barely enough for her to see the rows of pits that had been gouged out of the earth and which served as the repository for the soldiers’ bodily wastes. Miriam lifted her robes and carefully stepped around the holes that dotted the earth. She could hear skittering sounds from within some of the pits and knew they were infested with cockroaches, beetles, and other vermin.

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