January 28, 2006 - chapter two: The Hearts of Men
"Your men grow restless. You cannot think they will stay here
much longer without trouble." The gaunt man stood at the
center of the square. The hood of his monk's cloak hid his
face, but the yellow hue of bone was just visible on his chin.
The chants of worshipers inside Saint Mark's drifted out
through the open doors toward him, carried on the humid air.
Several paces away, another man in rich blue robes stood,
his handsome face all but gray in the dim light coming from
the doorway of the church. Jewels glinted on his doe-skin
boots and on each finger. Some distance behind him, a crowd
of angry looking men, most with swords at their sides, stood
near the edge of the Batario canal. Many of them glared
in the direction of the church. "What would you have us do?
Perhaps you can encourage the Doge to lower his price."
"Your kine signed a contract in their folly. It is not my place
to violate it for their sake. I would rather be the instrument of
righteous punishment on the Franks for embarking on a holy
war without preparation OR justification." The gaunt figure
turned toward his companion, who did his best not to flinch.
"I foresee a plague taking hold in their camp." In the darkness
of his hood, his rheumy eyes drifted toward the throng of
armed men, and then narrowed in hunger.
The richly dressed man bristled, but forced his voice to remain
calm. "Why must you fight us? Surely, one as venerable as
you would be of great help to us in the holy land. Why don't
you reconsider joining us? After all, you could simply stay on
board your ship when the army lands in Dalmatia..."
"I have had enough of this discussion. Take your army against
Zara. Burn down the rest of Christendom, for all I care!" He
paused, aware that his words had reached some of the men,
who fell silent and began to step closer toward the monk who
was apparently raising his voice to their lord. The gaunt monk
lowered his speech to a dry whisper. "Tell Ryecroft and the
others I will be waiting for your return. If you see me again,
it will be when I find you."
The gaunt monk then strode toward the armed men, raising
his hoarse voice again. "Begone, ye fools! Have you ne'er
seen a leper before?" Kriezler stretched out his skeletal hand
toward the face of the nearest soldier, who gasped and fell
back in terror. The gaunt monk let out a croaking laugh. The
crusading men quickly parted to let the horrible figure through.
Egan watched the Cappadocian walk off into the Venetian
streets, the terrible laughter fading in the darkness. Then,
he turned and regarded Saint Mark's once more, where mass
was still being sung. I saw him scrutinize the building then.
Could he have detected my presence? Or was he unnerved
by the sight of the altar, and the tomb of the saint built below it?
After a long moment, he called for his men, and led them away
toward the crusaders' camp. I listened to the rest of the mass
from my perch on the roof before stealing away ahead of the
first worshipers to leave the church.
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