Avi Crispin The Cross of Lead (pdf)

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

tell, the guards below hadn't seen me.
Legs shaking from my effort, I stood on the balcony and gathered my breath. Not daring to waste any tune, I hurriedly crept
inside through an open balcony door. In so doing, I entered a dim and narrow hall.
I neither heard nor saw anything to cause alarm. Only at the furthest end was there some feeble light.
I looked about. The area into which I'd come was nothing more than a shallow entryway. I edged forward, pausing to notice
doors on either side of the little hall. I set my ear to one of them. When I heard nothing, I pushed it in.
In the faint moonlight that came through a high small window, I saw only flags on wooden poles.
I turned to the other door, listened, then pushed it open too. Along one wall was a rack of glaives. Another wall bore
broadswords. A third held some daggers.
I took up one of the daggers, then withdrew, shutting the door behind me.
I now moved towards the end of the entry hall, leaned forward to peer m - and gasped.
55
ILLUMINATED BY LIGHT CAST from a few guttering candles in wall sconces was a room of vast size. It was far bigger
than any room I'd ever seen before, large enough to contain well over a hundred souls. All of Stromford could have crowded
m.
The wooden ceiling was decorated with carved interlocking flowers and vines. Walls bore panel after panel, finely wrought
upon which painted images of saints had been set
At the very far end, just opposite where I stood, was a gigantic fireplace, faced with stone and painted tiles. The dull remnants
of a fire burned.
Close to this hearth, on one side of the room, was what appeared to be the stairway.
Before the hearth stood a massive, long table, with benches and chairs round it. The table was littered with the heaped
remains of what must have been a great feast. Bones, bread, bottles and bowls lay scattered everywhere, as if voracious giants
had gathered to dine. There were mazers and trenchers, knives and napkins, goblets - things I hardly knew, and more than I
could count.
In the dimness I was able to make out a number of doors set in the walls. One of these doors was open. From the room
beyond, a little flickering light emerged. I went to it and, moving cautiously, peeked in.
I had come upon something very much like a church, but it was still a room. At first glance it seemed to contain nothing but
gold, gold that burned with a richness my eyes could barely absorb. These golden surfaces were encrusted with countless
jewels, blues, purples and reds, jewels which, in the flickering candlelight, seemed to pulse with a life of their own. All in all,
it was more wealth than I could ever have imagined existed on this earth.
At its far end was an altar upon which stood a cross of gleaming gold, Before the cross were some lighted candles that
brought illumination to the room. To one side of these candles were jewelled boxes, probably containing saintly relies.
Spellbound by such magnificence, I stepped further inside. It was then I saw that the walls and ceilings were covered with
images of holy souls. Their deep, dark eyes gazed down on me with such penetrating grief and wisdom I did not doubt they
peered into my very heart.
Then I realised that on the altar a single image had been placed. It had been set to the other side of the candles, opposite the
relic boxes. Here, within a jewel-studded frame, Our Glorious Lady in Her flowing robes of blue was revealed. Kneeling on
the ground before Her was a knight m full armour, hands clasped in prayer, his face uplifted towards the Virgin.
To my utter amazement, I recognised the face of the knight. It was my own, the very one I'd looked upon in the stream when
Bear had made me cut my hair and wash my face. But now - as sure as I knew anything - I realised I was looking upon the
image of my father.
Feeling anger and curiosity, I drew closer. The kneeling man appeared so devout, so adoring of Our Lady. Yet I knew him
otherwise, a lofty lord without kindness or regard for my mother. As for me, I doubted if he had had any thought at all. Just
to see him in his exalted state made me know with finality that I was not him. No, not any part. I was myself. What I had
become.
Thus I sank to my knees and, putting aside the dagger, prayed that God on His throne, with my mother by His side, would
judge Lord Furnival for what he truly was.
I was completely absorbed when a voice behind me said, 'Who are you? What are you doing here?'
I sprang to my feet and turned about.
It was John Aycliffe.
56
ACLIFFE BLACK- BEARDED face, hard, sharp eyes and frowning lips were frighteningly familiar. So was the sword at his [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Wątki