Part 24 (2/2)
So far, the weather had been perfect for the graduation ceremony, but for a while I orried that the valley beloould not be foggy enough for the optical effect that I wanted At last it filled with fog while ere still in clear air Perfect
We spent the re quietly on the deet grass, our cloaks wrapped around us, each with his own private thoughts and prayers As aited, the full weight of my hypocrisy lowered onto me The men aboutIn return, I was giving thee tricks, and it rode heavy on my soul Yet I had to make them believe that they were invincible, that they were capable of taking on the h and deadly ar it!
The Mongols had fifty years of uninterrupted victories behind theht and beaten armies many times their size They knew that their coy and speed had alon and would win again They had conquered half the knoorld, more land and ether
One of theirpyra every man, woman, child, animal, and bird in the cities they hit, they created such a fear that it was said that men allowed themselves to be killed rather than annoy their own butchers! Stories circulated of whole co without lifting a finger to help themselves
My vassal Zoltan Varanian had spoken to awith the rest of his sol had ordered all fourteenhim, they immediately coet on their knees and bow to hiain they did as he ordered Then he drew his sword and beheaded the first ol proceeded to take the heads off three more
”This is crazy!” the narrator of the tale had said to his fellow ood he is, he can't kill us all!”
”Quiet!” the man next to him said ”Do you want to make him mad?”
Yet another merchant was beheaded, and the narrator said, ”Fools! He is already killing us! Whatthe naol They traded a dozen blows before the other ht and that the Mongol was not invincible, the other ol was soon dead
Then they hastily buried the bodies of the dead along with the Mongol pony and all its equipage And they fled from the lands of the Khan Yet the fact remains that thirteen out of the fourteen armed lethem
How do you defeat that kind of terror? The only way I could iht it And to do that, I had to lie to and hoodwink the very men who trusted me most, and to dirty my immortal soul in the process I think that it never will be clean again The thing had to be done, but in doing it, I have earned my place in hell!
Dawn came up and with the sunrise, we recited our sunrise service, with the prince and the abbot standing silent
I then arranged the e where their shadoould soon be cast on the fog below us I asked then that ere doing was right and just We waited silently
FROM THE DIARY OF PIOTR KULCZYNSKI
I think that I have never prayed as I prayed that night God's hand had been upon h It stayed there through the night I think that I was not alone in this, for many about me were on their knees, even ht, but I think I saw tears run down those noble cheeks
The dawn came and we recited our vows Then ere bid to continue our vigil, this tiy valley below We prayed for a sign from God, to know that he blessed our efforts
I The sun rose slowly at our backs and the shadows ca down, I sawbelow But mine was different from the others
Mine was surrounded by a holy halo! I stared, unable to believe whatI raised my hand and waved it to prove to myself that it was my own head that was so mystically adorned, and it was true!
Beyond all possible doubt, I had been personally, individually and radiantly blessed by God!
FROM THE DIARY OF CONRAD SCHWARTZ
Conditions were fight I looked down and saw bea from the shadow of my own head I waited a bit to be sure that the others had time to discover their own halos
”Yes, brothers, it is real,” I said ”Each of you has been given a halo that only you can see When Moses went to the iven by God the Ten Co froiven to you now Each of you has been blessed by God Each of you has been made radiant Our mission and our duty is clear As a band of brothers, we ue of Mongols that infests it”
”Will you stand with reat work? Shall we forhts to accoiven task?”
They were stunned, shocked Miracles were soo and far away But these h fire unharmed, and now they saw halos about their own heads
Sir Vladimir was the first to recover
”I will stand by you,his place at my left side
”And I,” said Sir Piotr, his face streaked with tears All the others were soon with us, and there wasn't a dry eye a us, for even I was overwhel that I myself had conjured up
”Then so it shall be, brothers,” I said ”On this holy ground, we shall forht you all on this spot”
I knighted the thirty-five students who had not been knighted before, and then Sir Piotr cahted me this day”
”Perhaps it would be, Sir Piotr” I performed the simple ceremony on him Sir Vladimir and the Banki brothers cahted
Prince Henryk was standing back, undecided Then suddenly he was on his knees before me
”Is it possible, Baron Conrad? Am I worthy to join your order?” he asked as the tears streaked his face
”Worthy, my lord? But it is I who serve you!”
”In status, yes, and that e But you have been blessed by God, and this day so have 1 If you think h h your school Tell me, am I worthy?”
”My lord, you are the most worthy man I have ever hted my own prince
”Would that I could join you, too,” said Abbot Ignacy, ”but my duties and my oath to the Church must forbid it Yet I would do all in my power to aid you in God's work”
”This aro through our school, fight at our sides and pray for our souls If you wished, you could find us such men”
”I will do so, my son and my lord Somehoill do so”
Chapter Twenty-four
We were silent as we headed back, but as we got to the barracks, I called theether and said, ”Brothers, our order need not always be a soleraduation and quite a nu ladies have accepted my invitation to help us do it Get some rest now, and fall back in at six o'clock in full-dress uniform Dismissed!”
We only had a few spare dress uniforht size to fit the prince, and he generally wore one from that time on, as did 1 These were a lot like the uniforle Nest, except that the colors were reversed The boys hite pants and shi+rt, with a red jacket; ore red pants and shi+rt with a white jacket The brass buttons and epaulets were the same
At six, I said, ”Brothers! There are a few matters of business to be attended to before we can join the ladies”
”You have each al Those of you ere students were paid at a rate of a penny a day, so you will each draw over three hundred pence As knights, your pay froht pence a day, paid monthly The instructors will draw their back pay at this rate Froht bannerett, at sixteen pence per day, and Sir Vladimir will be your captain at thirty-two”
”After the festivities, you will have three weeks leave I've arranged for each of you to have a horse during your vacation Please take good care of it Go ho a dozen new recruits with you! We'll need them for the next class”
”One last ite toht! Fall out!”