Chapter 21 Chapter 21

Ah, since people sat around this table, Since the candles have illuminated this table, How many long years have passed! But the ancient voice seems to still linger in our ears, still round these dark and empty vaults, As if those who had already rested in their graves, Still lingering here, whispering. "Ola, A Tragedy" While making intense preparations to rescue Cedric and others, the armed criminals who kidnapped them were sending them to the scheduled place of imprisonment.But the night was getting darker, and the gang of strong men seemed to be unfamiliar with the path in the forest.They had to pause again and again, which took a long time, and once or twice had to fall back to see which way to go.Early in the summer, when the first light breaks, they are not quite sure whether they are on the right track.But when the sky was bright, confidence was restored, and they were able to move forward swiftly.At this moment the following conversation took place between the two leaders of the robbers:

You may go now, Sir Maurice, the Templar told De Blasey, and it is time for you to prepare the second part of this covert operation.You know, your next step is to play as a savior knight. I've changed my mind, said De Blasey, and I won't leave you until my beauty is settled in the General Buffalo's castle.There I was able to present myself to Miss Rowena in my true colors, and I trust that my ardor would move her to forgive me for my fault in this violent act. What was your reason for changing your plans, de Blasey?asked the Templar. That has nothing to do with you.replied his friend.

But I hope, my lord, that your change of mind has not cast doubt on my honest intentions, which Fizzy has endeavored to instill in you? My thoughts are mine, replied De Blasey, and they say the devil laughs when one robber robs another; Stop the Templars from doing whatever they want. That said, the leader of the Liberty Party also fears being tricked by a companion and friend, replied the Templar, despite the fact that he himself plots against others on a daily basis. It is unreasonable and dangerous for you to bite me back, De Blasey replied, you have to understand, I know the credibility of the Knights Templar, I will not give you a chance, let you take such a big risk on me Dangerously obtained beauties tricked away.

What nonsense, said the Templar, what have you to worry about?You know the oath of our Knights. That's right, said de Blasey, and how you keep your promises.Come, my lord Templar, the code of chivalry in Palestine is open to interpretation; and on this point I cannot trust your conscience. So to tell you the truth, said the Templar, I am not interested in your blue-eyed beauty.There was another girl in the group who was more to my liking. What!You want that maid?De Blasey said. No, Your Excellency, said the Templar haughtily, of course I would not want that maid.The one I had my eyes on was as lovely as yours in captivity.

My goodness, you mean that pretty Jewish girl!De Blasey said. If I will, said Bois-Guilbert, who dares to object? No one would object, de Blasey said, unless your celibacy vows or your conscience forbid you to have an affair with a Jewish girl. Speaking of my oath, said the Templar, I have been dispensed by our Grand Master to be free.As for conscience, a brave man who has killed three hundred Saracens need not consider every little transgression, and he is no country girl to count everything as a sin in his first confession on Good Friday. Your rights, of course, you know best, said De Blasey, but I can swear you want mainly the old miser's pocketbook, not the black-eyed daughter.

I'll have both, replied the Templar, and besides, I'll only get half of that jew I'll have to split his property with the General Buffalo, he won't get any good and won't lend us his castle.In this heist I had to have something to myself, and I considered this little Jew to be my special trophy.Now that you know my intentions, you can follow your original plan, can't you?You see, you don't have to worry about me taking your sweetheart away. No, replied De Blasey, I must stay with my beauty.It may be true what you say, but I don't like the privilege you get from your Grand Master, nor the feat you get from killing three hundred Saracens.Now that you have the privilege of being forgiven at any time, you don't take those little offenses to heart.

While this conversation was going on, Cedric was making friends with his escorts, hoping to learn from them who they were and what their intentions were, you should be English, he said, but, my God!And you frame your countrymen as if you were Normans.You should all be my neighbours, and therefore my friends; for whoever is my neighbour, should be my friend, how could it not be so?I tell you, fellow countrymen, that even those among you who were accused of brigands were under my protection; for I sympathized with their misery, and cursed their oppression by the despotic nobles.So what do you want from me?What can such violence get you?What you do is worse than beasts, don't you want to imitate them to be dumb?

Cedric's persuasion had no effect on those escorting him. They had too many reasons to keep silent, so no matter whether he was angry or said good things, they would not open their mouths anyway, but kept urging him to leave quickly. .Thus they hastened on, and at last they came to an avenue lined with tall trees, at the end of which stood the castle of Torquaystone, Reginald the Buffalo, which had a long history and was quite old. ancient.It was originally a modest fort consisting of a tulou, a tall and large square tower surrounded by lower buildings, all in the center of an inner courtyard with a deep moat along the outer wall , the water was brought in from a small river nearby.The character of the Bull-faced General made him often quarrelsome with his enemies, and he added many more buildings to the defense of the castle, and built towers on the outer walls to shield its flanks from every corner.The entrance was similar to that of ordinary castles of the time, through a vaulted watchtower or barracks, which was defended by a small tower at each corner.

Cedric glanced and saw the moss-covered gray battlements of the small towers of General Buffalo's castle, gleaming in the morning light over the surrounding woods, and he understood at once what was to be said for the catastrophe. There is a clearer understanding of the reasons. I misunderstood these strongmen and bandits in the woods, he said, and I thought it was these people who kidnapped us.I was so confused that I confused the man-eating jackals from France with the foxes.Tell me, you beasts, do you want my life or my property?This country has belonged to us Saxons for generations, and now the two Saxons, Athelstan and I, have our land here, shouldn't it?Then put us to death, you first deprived us of our liberty, and now you want to deprive us of our lives, and your tyranny will be complete.If Cedric the Saxon could not save England, he was willing to die for it.Tell your domineering masters that I have but one request of him, and that is that Miss Rowena should be given an honorable and safe liberty.She's a woman, he doesn't have to be afraid of her, no one will fight for her when we die.

After hearing this, the servants still kept silent.They were now standing before the gates of the castle, and de Blassy blew the horn three times; and the crossbowmen, who saw them approaching, had been standing ready on the castle, let down the drawbridge to let them in.The prisoners were dismounted by the escort, and taken into a room, where some food was hastily brought to them, but no one except Athelstan was in the mood to eat.However, the descendant of the Confessor [Note] did not have much time to enjoy the dishes placed in front of him, because the escort immediately informed him and Cedric that they had to be separated from Rowena and confined in a room alone .It was vain to resist, and they were sent into a large room with thick and massive columns, of the sort of Saxon architecture which resembles the old-fashioned refectories and halls which we still see in our oldest monasteries.

[Note] Refers to Edward, a Saxon king in England (reigned in 1044-1066).When the Danes invaded England, he had been in exile in Normandy for a long time. After returning home, he appointed many Normans to take up important positions, and even appointed Duke William of Normandy as his heir to the throne. and an excuse to conquer Britain.But he repented before his death, and appointed Harold the Saxon as his successor, so he was called the penitent.He is mentioned several times in this book. Then Miss Rowena was quarantined, too, in a room far off; indeed, she was invited politely, but at any rate without her consent.Rebecca was equally miraculously favored, in spite of her father's entreaties not to part with her at this critical moment, and even the promise of money.One of the escorts replied: Christless bastard, when you see your dog house, you don't want your daughter to live there.In this way, there was no room for negotiation, and the old Jewish man was dragged away, and the place where he was held was not in the same direction as the other prisoners.Their families, searched and disarmed, were all herded into another part of the castle; Rowena's request that her maid, Elgisa, stay with her to serve her was also refused. Let us first look at the situation of the two Saxon parents.The room in which they were imprisoned, which now serves as a prison cell, had formerly been the great hall of the castle, but it has since been degraded, for the present owner, in enlarging the baronial residence for comfort, security, and beauty, had built A new grand hall, with its vaulted roof supported by thinner, more delicate columns, and more elegantly decorated, expressed the grand style of architecture which the Normans had begun to adopt. Cedric was pacing up and down the room, looking angrily at the past and the present, while his friend was downcast, not wanting to philosophize and fortify himself against anything, but simply not comfortable with the situation in front of him. ;Actually, he didn't feel this kind of discomfort deeply, so he told Cedric sternly and impassionedly, but occasionally answered a sentence or two. Yes, said Cedric, partly to himself, partly to Athelstan, in this very hall, Torquell.My grandfather was there when Wolfganger dined for the heroic and unfortunate Harold, who was on his way to attack the Norwegians for their support of Tostig's rebellion.It was in this very hall that Harold gave his solemn answer to the rebellious brother's envoys.My father talked about it several times, and when he talked about it, he got very excited.Tostig's envoys entered the hall, when the spacious room was almost filled with Saxon noble leaders, who were surrounding their sovereign, gulping blood-red wine. [Note] That is Harold II, who became King of England after Edward in January 1066. This man is extremely talented and brave in battle.But after only a few months on the throne, he was killed in the Battle of Hastings against the Normans in October, thus ending the Saxon dynasty in England.Tostig was his brother, who launched a rebellion in 1066. King Harald III of Norway supported Tostig because he coveted the British throne.In September of this year, both Tostig and Harald III were killed by Harold in battle. This part of Cedric's discussion moved his friend somewhat, and Athelstan said: I hope they don't forget to bring us some wine and food at noon, I didn't eat anything in such a hurry just now; I usually can't eat immediately after dismounting, because I always feel that there is no taste, although the doctor believes that I should use some food after riding. Cedric went on with his story, ignoring these feelings of his friend. Tostig's envoy came up the hall, and he said, not discouraged by the glaring faces around him, went to King Harold's throne and saluted. Your Majesty, said he, your brother Tostig wishes to know, if he lays down his arms, and offers you peace, what will be your terms? I renew my brotherhood with him, replied the magnanimous Harold, granting him the rich earldom of Northumberland. But if Tostig accepted these conditions, the envoy continued, his loyal ally King Hardrada of Norway [Note: That is Harald III, this is his nickname, which means cruel ruler. 】What territory can be obtained? Seven feet of British land [Note: Refers to the grave. ], Harold replied sternly, but I heard that Hardrada was born tall, and I might give him an extra twelve inches. There was a round of applause in the hall, and all the glasses, big and small, were filled with wine, congratulating Hardrada that he would get this piece of British territory soon. I want to toast him with all my heart, too, said Athelstan, my tongue so dry that it sticks to the palate. The frustrated envoy, Cedric, continued his story with gusto, although the listeners were not interested in the matter, and returned to Tostig and his allies with this ominous reply from his angry brother. Doomed.Thus the distant towers of Yorkshire and the Derwent saw the bloody battle, which turned the waters red, and the King of Norway and Tostig, after a most fearless valor, fell into a pool of blood 10,000 of their warriors also died.Who would have thought that the same wind that blew the victorious Saxon banners on the proud day that battle was won, also blew the Norman galleys to the unhappy shores of Sussex? The army landed in Sussex in September 1066, and the Battle of Hastings took place immediately. 】?Who would have thought that in just a few days, Harold would lose his kingdom and be left with a small piece of land that he had promised to the Norwegian invaders in anger?Who would have thought that you, noble Althelstan, scion of Harold's blood, and I, scion of my grandfather who valiantly defended the Saxon dynasty, should be the prisoner of a vile Norman, In the halls where our ancestors once held solemn banquets? It's rather sad, replied Athelstan, but I believe they're asking us for a small ransom.In any case, they couldn't possibly be starving us outright.But it's almost noon, and they haven't seen them ready to deliver lunch yet.Look up at the window, my lord Cedric, to see where the sun is shining, and see if it is not nearly noon. Probably soon, replied Cedric, but I cannot help thinking of many things when I look at the stained glass, not only the present moment and the lack of food and drink and so on.When this window was built, dear friends, our hard-working ancestors could not make glass, let alone stained glass.Self-satisfied, Wolfganger's father sent a craftsman from Normandy to decorate the hall with the new stained glass, which breaks up the bright sunshine that God has given us into many bright shades. color.The foreigner came penniless and pauper, groveling and flattering us, and doffing his hat to the meanest servant in the house.But when he came back he was rich, and when he saw his greedy natives, he boasted how rich the Saxon nobles were, and how honest they could be deceived. Oh, Athelstan, this is a bad omen, Hengist and his hard work The descendants of the various clans, who have maintained their style of hard work and simplicity, are all foreseen.We regard those foreigners as confidantes and dependable servants, we have invited their craftsmen, borrowed their techniques, and abandoned the simplicity and hard integrity of our brave ancestors; We were crippled by Norman technology long before we were conquered by Norman force.How much better to live in peace and freedom with the food of our own country than to make ourselves the slaves of foreign conquerors in order to covet luxury and fine dining! Well, replied Athelstein, even a simple meal is a luxury to me now.My lord Cedric, I find it strange that you have such a clear memory of the past, but you seem to have completely forgotten the present lunch. This is playing the piano to the cow, Cedric said impatiently to himself, it's useless to talk to him, all he cares about is his stomach!Hardiknut [Note: A king of the Saxon dynasty, violent and gluttonous, finally died of eating and drinking at a wedding banquet. ]'s soul has possessed him, and he is not interested in anything except eating and drinking, and eating and drinking constantly.Alas, he looked at Athelstan with a pitiful face, for such a beautiful appearance concealed a callous heart!well!The great cause of revitalizing Britain depends on such a pair of rusty hinges!Indeed, marrying Rowena, her nobler and richer soul, might awaken the better gifts in him, and bring them to the fore from their insensitivity.How, though, now that Rowena, Athelstan, and I are in the hands of these brutish thugs; perhaps because they realize that our liberty is a threat to their usurpation of state power? The Saxon was lost in painful thought when the door of the cell opened and the steward entered, holding a white stick as a scepter.This important figure in charge of the meals, walked with solemn steps into the center of the room, followed by four servants who carried a table laden with dishes. Their presence and fragrance lifted Athelstan's spirits and dispelled his doubts. Not comfortable complaining about everything.Several of the catering staff wore masks and gowns. What kind of trick is this?Said Cedric, Do you think we don't know who is imprisoning us when we come to your master's castle?Tell him, he went on, that he would take advantage of this opportunity to negotiate their release, and tell your master, General Reginald, that we understand that he deprives us of our liberty only to extract money illegally from us.Then tell him that we are willing to give in and satisfy his greed, just as we are compelled to do the same when we meet real robbers.Let him set a price and explain how much ransom is needed. As long as his blackmail is in line with our strength, we can pay according to it. The butler didn't answer, but just nodded. Tell Sir Reginald, the bull-faced general, said Athelstan, I am not afraid of him at all, and I challenge him to a duel, within eight days of our freedom, on foot or on horseback, wherever it is safe It will be all right.If he is a true knight, he has no right to refuse or delay in this case. I will convey your challenge to the knights, the butler replied, now please rest assured to eat, and I will take my leave. Athelstan's challenge was not straightforward, because he had a big mouthful of food in his mouth at the time, and he needed to move his upper and lower jaws at the same time, and his natural indecision greatly weakened the effect of this bold protest.Yet his words were appreciated by Cedric as an undeniable sign of his friend's spiritual revival. However much he respected Athelstan's parentage, his previous numbness had made him a little impatient. .So he shook hands with him warmly, expressing his great satisfaction, but then a little disappointed, because Athelstan said again: These people are really bad, so much garlic in a good soup, if my challenge can Let us leave this ghost place immediately, even if there are twelve bull-faced generals, I will not be afraid.However, although these words again revealed the insensitivity of appetite, Cedric sat down opposite Athelstan and immediately began to gobble it up, which proved that although the anxiety of the motherland can make him feel good about The imaginary food was left alone, and when it was actually placed on the table, the appetite of the Saxon ancestors seemed to have been passed on to him along with their other traits. But the two captives had not long enjoyed their meal, when they were interrupted from this most solemn task by the sound of a horn.The sound of the trumpet was repeated three times, and the sound made the mountains and the ground tremble, as if the knight who had been ordered to exorcise the villain had arrived at the gate of the devil's den, and was about to use his trumpet to destroy the halls and towers, castles and battlements, and make the whole castle disappear.Two Saxons jumped up from the table and ran to the window.But their curiosity was thwarted, for from these windows only the castle yard could be seen, and the trumpets sounded from outside the castle.Yet the sound of the horn seemed to have special importance, for in an instant the interior of the castle was buzzing and bustling.