"One!" "Make wayl ...and this is my bastard brother Gloucesterl" "Klng Stephen!" "Take that!" "Ha-ha!" "Take that, you!" "Oh, I'm slain!" "Thieving swinel" "Simon Goodfellow, thievery!" "Lop his hands offi" "kill himl" "Klll the thief!" "Come on!" "Don't look, Richard." "You thieving dogl" "Justice!" "Get off!" "Get off!" "Good morning, Your Eminenoe." "I hear you've been injured." "Nothlng serious, I pray." "A mere foot-soldier's wound in God's battle against Satan, dear Regan." "Percy." "Blshop." "William." "Still pining for Aliena?" "We're fortunate he turned that suit down." "Indeed." "Make way for the Kingl" "Hls Majesty, King Stephen!" "We are pleased to announce that with the events of this day, all opposition to our rightful rule is extinguished." "Maud and Gloucester's army has been put to flight, and there are now only loyal men In England." "I didn't know Maud and Gloucester were defeated." "Is this recent?" "The King tells the peasants what they need to hear, my dear, and the King needs soldiers, but is penniless." "Thls will cost us." "Bring out the traitor, Bartholomew of Shiring!" "Burn him!" "Treacherous bastard!" "Traltor!" "Die, you scabl" "Traltor!" "Burn in Hell, you traitor!" "You old bastard!" "Skin him alive!" "Flay himl" "Burn him!" "String him up!" "You'll get what you deservel" "Mercy, Your Majestyl" "My father loves Englandl" "Spare his life, I beg you, for his ohlldren's sake." "For mercy's sake." "Is this your brother?" "Yes, It Is." "How old are you, boy?" "Slxteen, Your Majesty." "I have no quarrel with the traitor's children." "If you wish, you may join my army to prove your loyalty." "Please, spare our father, sire." "Enough about your father." "Glve me your answer, boy." "I swear, by Jesus Christ, and all his saints, that I wlll not rest until" "Richard is the Earl of Shlring and lord of the land that you once ruled." "As a knight, Your Majesty, give him the knlhthood and the title that he deserves." "You're a bold woman." "Perhaps you should join my army instead." "Once you're outfitted with horse and armor, report to my oaptaln of the guards." "We'll decide what to do with you then." "Many thanks, Your Majesty, and may God save England." "With your father's death, He will." "On your knees." "God save the Klng!" "I won't fight for Stephen." "He's our father's worst enemy." "And the only man who can give you back your title." "I won't ride Into battle alongside William and his henohmen!" "I'll kill them first!" "It's easier to kill someone if you're standing beside them rather than against them." "Look at me, Richard." "Our enemies have made us strong." "We'll go to the priest and take back the money our father gave him, more than enouh to buy you horse and armor and to purchase a knighthood." "Your tears are worthless now." "We have a promise to keep." "Heave-hol Heave-ho!" "Lower It!" "Brother, nol Don't close your eyes." "You'll break your thumbl" "That's it." "That's right." "I need a measurement herel" "Go get me the straw, boyl" "Careful, Brother Matthew." "Seven deadly sins of oarpentry too, you know." "St. Joseph's watching." "I'm his enforoer." "Measure it twice, cut It once is what I always say." "Look lively, Jack." "You can move faster than that." "We are far behind schedule, Prlor." "This builder is too slow and far too ambitious." "I've seen his plans." "Those arches are untried." "This is not an experiment." "We should be building a smaller church exactly like the one we had." "Trust him, Remigius." "Trust God." "God's not happy either, Prior." "He should be using skilled labor, not monks stolen from prayer." "Work is prayer, Brother." "In the meantime," "I am oing to Wlnohester Market to sell the fleece from our flock." "Thls will bring In money which will allow us to hire workers." "Tom is going to Shiring quarry to make arrangements for harvesting the stone." "This will serve as our true beginning and our schedule shall be oounted from then." "Anythlng else?" "Forgive me, Prior." "I was just expressing..." "You were expressing your own prideful Inorance." "For your penance, you will bring water to the workers with young Martha there." "Whlle you're at it, call the community to a meeting in the chapter house before vespers." "I have an Important announcement to make." "I want you back." "I miss you so." "Philip wouldn't be happy." "He would if we were married." "Why must the Churoh always dictate how we live?" "Well, you know Phillp." "He worries about your soul." "So, he can just stop worrying." "And even if we did marry, it's no guarantee that I won't be burned." "I'm still an outlaw, Tom Bullder." "Well, I can't just..." "Stop." "Enough." "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned." "I have sinned and confessed and done penance, and still God is punishing me." "You forgave me and still He Is punishing mel" "In what way, My Lord?" "Rumors remain at oourt that the ship was deliberately sunk, that I am not king." "There will always be rumors, sire." "The Archbishop anointed you king." "God Is on your side." "Then why hasn't He put Maud and her bastard brother down?" "They're approaching Lincoln now." "If they take that city, they'll effectively cut my kingdom In half." "Why does God continually turn Hls baok upon my cause?" "I cannot answer for God, but perhaps It is not you who displeases Him." "There are others in your kingdom." "Others?" "Name them." "There is a prior In Kingsbridge." "You met him onoe." "Brother Milius, as purser, has begun a written account of our finances." "Our distant farms have been leased for cash rents." "Our sheep farming has Improved." "All thanks to you, Prior Phillp." "I don't say this, Brother Cuthbert, to garner praise, but to prepare you all for the next phase of our eoonomic revival." "I wish to turn Kingsbrldge Into a market town." "This will brin in visitors and Increase revenue for all." "There will be no visitors without St. Adolphus' skull to work miraoles." "Wasn't It lost in the fire?" "Prlor Phillp rescued it from the fire, didn't you, Prior?" "Yes." "Yes, I did." "Why didn't you tell us earlier, Prlor?" "And where Is It?" "I've put it in a safe place until a statue can be carved to honor the saint." "That could be years, Prior." "Tom Bullder has commissioned a sculptor, who's working on it now." "It's beautiful." "Not yet." "It is." "You're very ood." "Alfred's wrong to treat you badly." "What?" "What is it?" "Jack, I did something I shouldn't have." "I did it as a kindness, but I also did it for me, too." "What, Marth?" "Alfred wants you gone." "You and your ma took Da away from us." "That's what he says." "Love's not a contest, Martha." "Then why is there always something to be won or lost?" "Let's try this one." "Confesslon's in the morning, unless you're willing to pay." "Were you the confessor to Bartholomew of Shlring after his arrest?" "What if I was?" "I'm Richard, son of Bartholomew, Earl of Shiring." "Former Earl." "So what do you want?" "My father's money, 50 bezants." "I don't know what you're talking about." "He left money with you for safekeeping." "That's a lie." "You're the liar." "Plss off." "They out off the hands of thieves in this country." "I've seen It." "Then It'll be my word against the word of a dead traitor." "You lying, thieving, godless heathen!" "It's a sin to harm a priestl" "Not If he robs orphans." "Richard, cut off his nose." "No!" "No, nol No, please!" "Pleasel" "Cut It off." "Where is the money?" "I swear, I..." "Altar." "It's under the altar." "Hold this." "If he moves, push hard." "But there's only 10 here." "Where's the rest?" "It's one." "Gone where?" "I spent it." "Shall I kill him, Allie?" "Hell is too good for him." "I may come back and kill you one day." "What can we buy with 10 bezants?" "A horse and armor?" "No, we can barely buy a stirrup with this." "This is all the money that we have in the world, Richard." "We can't spend it on food or lodging." "Well, what can we do with It then?" "Here, I'll load that for you." "Twenty bags of fleece, 25 pounds." "We can quintuple it." "You Otto Blackface?" "Yes." "I'm Tom Builder." "You're working for me." "That's my son, Alfred." "That's my stepson, Jack." "These are my four sons, my oousln, my brother-in-law and his two boys." "So you've worked here before?" "I know the quarry." "Yes, It's good stone." "Enough for two oathedrals." "So, how do you plan on getting it to Kingsbrldge?" "By river most of the way, then by cart." "Shouldn't be too difficult." "Right." "How soon can you start?" "Soon as you have the money to pay us." "Shouldn't be too difficult either." "Come on, boys." "Let's get to work." "Who's In charge here?" "I am." "I'm Tom of Kingsbridge." "We'll be quarrying this stone to build our new cathedral." "This quarry is owned by the Earl." "When the King gave the quarry to the Earl, he gave the priory permission to use the stone." "And I am not to allow that." "By whose orders?" "By orders of the King." "Guards." "I know you." "How do I know you?" "I was building you a wedding house." "Building it badly, If I reoall." "Walter." "The King has rescinded his permission for you to quarry stone." "Now turn around and go home, or you're all dead men." "What proof have you got the order's been resolnded?" "My soldiers are proof enough." "Your soldiers will die before you." "They'll take their chances." "If you attack us, you attack the throne and God." "kill us, and you burn in Hell's everlasting firel" "Excellent idea." "What would you say to a duel?" "One of your men armed with a mason's hammer against Walter." "Walter will fight without a weapon." "I think I'll take my chances with the King, thank you very much." "It'll be months before he hears your claim, and I have the Blshop's word he'll deny it." "God wants a Kingsbridge Cathedral." "Then why did God burn it?" "I'll fight." "I'll fight." "What are the rules?" "Jack, I forbid It." "We lose the quarry, we lose the cathedral." "What are the rules?" "The first one to cry out with pain loses." "And the winner?" "The quarry's his." "This is foolishness, Jack." "I don't trust these people." "I won't go back to who I was, Tom." "Stay back." "No!" "He needs to cry out, not you." "Don't murder him, Walter." "Break something instead." "This is outrageous." "First the Hamleighs cheat us of ownership of the quarry, and now they're tryin to cheat us of the stone." "Send a deputation to the Kin and ask him to enforce the charter." "Who's to say the King won't side with Percy?" "Percy has soldiers, whioh the King needs now more than he needs a new oathedral." "What will we do then?" "Tom..." "Tom, is there any way of continuing work without the stone?" "No." "Is it broken?" "Yes, I'm afraid so." "You mustn't use It, not for a month at least." "I have a statue to make, Ma." "That can wait." "No, it can't." "Then you'll be crippled for life." "Hold still." "Do you wish to come home, Jack?" "Say It." "Is this too much for you?" "I'm hungry, Ma, but the food's not here." "The niht you were born, I had a dream." "In a room full of darkness, you opened a box..." "Filled with light." "It doesn't mean anything, Ma." "I never told you all of it." "The room you were in was a grave, filled with hundreds and hundreds of dead." "English soldiers, workers, kings." "We all must die, Ma." "But not so young." "You were so young." "Scaroely older than you are now." "I fear for you, Jack." "How much do you get?" "What?" "For a fleeoe, how muoh?" "A penny." "At the market in Winohester?" "Aye." "Come along, Allle." "We need to find food." "It's a day's walk to Wlnohester." "You lose two days in the field." "What choice do I have?" "You can sell the fleece to me." "We don't need wool!" "What's the snag?" "I can only give you two pence for four." "That's not worth it." "Three pence then." "I'd lose a penny." "And save a two-day journey." "I never heard of nothing like this before." "Is an extra two days worth a penny to you or not?" "What are we to do with four fleeces?" "Take them to Wlnchester and sell them." "For a penny profit?" "That's nothing." "Not if we buy wool from fifty peasants, Richard." "It will set us on our path to horses and armor." "Tom." "Brother?" "I have a plan." "I don't know whether it'll work, but it's worth a try." "Have your men ready to leave at midnight tomorrow night." "Midnlht?" "Our enemies are weakest in the dark." "How long till sunrise?" "Minutes." "Shut your mouth, priest." "Shut up!" "It's a sign from God." "Thank the Lord!" "Kneel, kneel." "Praise be to God." "It's a miracle." "Thls Is God's work, and this Is God's will." "I intend to hire all quarry workers at the standard rate, and I grant you all plenary indulgences for laboring on our cathedral." "What say you?" "Praise God!" "Pralse Godl" "This stone's for the foundation." "This wool's ready for market, Prlor." "Good." "Leave It here." "Here." "Thank you." "Occaslonal defeats are to be expeoted in war." "They make our victories all the sweeter." "I'll burn, Mother." "What?" "In Hell." "He told me that." "Nonsense." "God Is on our side." "Not according to that priest." "Well, you're to pay him no mind." "His motives are entirely selfish." "Now tell me, whom do you hate the most?" "Prior Philip." "Mmm." "And what would you do to him?" "Cut out his heart and roast It on a spit and eat it." "Mmm." "And so you shall." "And who do you love the most?" "You." "And what would you do to me?" "Smlle, sweet William." "Yes, Walter?" "Blshop Waleran is here, milady." "Some months ago, you induced the Prior of Kingsbrldge to double-cross me." "You never keep your promises." "I delivered you Shirlng." "Past promises, remember?" "I have no idea, dear lady, what you're talking about, but that Is beside the point." "The Prior, it seems, has outwitted us both." "Well, for all his saintly innocence, he's got the cunning of a political rat." "Rats can be easily dealt with once one finds their nest." "And his Is..." "In Kingsbridge." "What of it?" "Perhaps the cathedral should be built somewhere else?" "What?" "Klngsbridge is a village in the middle of nowhere, Percy." "It isn't rich enough to maintain a cathedral, let alone build one." "It needs to develop a market and pilgrims." "We could build It in Shirlng." "You have a market, an annual fleece fair and you're on the main road." "Well, If the cathedral was here, who's gonna pay for it?" "I hope you don't expect me to..." "If the cathedral moves, the priory's property goes with it." "The farms, the sheepfolds, all the income they produce." "Kingsbridge becomes fallow, and the rat, a castrated field mouse." "Excellent." "So, how do we do it?" "We can do nothing without the Klng's approval." "What do we tell him?" "We don't." "We show him what little progress Is being made in Kingsbrldge." "How?" "The feast of Adolphus is coming up, their patron." "The King is very fond of Adolphus." "I'll organize a pilgrimage." "Hmm." "Damp down your flresl" "Damp down your flresl" "The bastard." "Go away." "Leave me." "What I did, I did for God's glory." "You shall rule for ill or good, till saintly skulls weep tears of blood." "I'll rule forever then." "How long until the war ends?" "Let peace survive and war depart, when arrows pierce my daughter's heart." "Name my greatest enemy." "Whose hair aflame?" "An artist boy's." "One king he crowns, one king destroys." "Roast chlckenl Roast chickenl" "Meat, Allie." "We'll have meat tonight." "We'll have more than meat." "We'll have at least a pound of silver." "Look at the orowd, Richard." "There are fairs everywhere throughout the summer." "We can get another sack full, then another, and then by the summer's end..." "It's a full sack, but the quality's poor." "I'll give you a pound." "Agreed?" "Hands." "One saok?" "Yes." "Mixed quality." "Half a pound." "What?" "But you gave a full pound for a sack of poor quality." "Half a pound." "That's my offer." "But this is better wool." "You said it yourself." "Take it or leave it." "Give me what you gave those men." "No." "Why?" "Because nobody pays a girl what they pay a man." "Unless..." "Look, miss, I'm doing you a favor here." "Nobody will pay you what I'm willing to pay you." "Go and ask." "Next!" "How many sacks, boy?" "Boy, how many sacks?" "Eleven." "Unload them, Jack." "Eleven and a half pounds of silver and 12 pennies." "You didn't test it." "You didn't even oheok the bags." "He's a monk." "I'll take his word for It." "Walt." "There's only 10." "There's only 10 sacks." "There are 10 on the cart, yes." "That's the 11th." "No, no." "I've already agreed to pay her half a pound for this one." "But I'm buying it instead." "You told her to ask If any other merchants were Interested, and I am, and I'll pay her a pound." "If that suits you?" "Last I saw you, you were still at Shiring Castle." "I told the Hamlelghs to keep watoh over you." "God forgive you for that." "What happened?" "Let's just say that they were less than kind." "Oh, I..." "I'm sorry." "Any misfortune that oame your way, I..." "I..." "Here." "Come and visit us at the end of the month." "There's to be a fair at Kingsbridge In honor of St. Adolphus." "You can bring more fleece." "You'll do very well there." "Perhaps we will." "I'm sorry, I forgot..." "Philip." "Thls Is Jack." "Works for me." "Milady." "Have we met before?" "Come along, Richard." "Thank you, Prlor Phllip, from the bottom of our hearts." "We need a protector." "You have two now." "God and me." "And me." "You have me." "Go away!" "Let me kiss them." "Beautifull" "Pray with me, Jack, would you?" "You remind me a little of myself at your age." "Want to fuck, boy?" "Mmm?" "I'm sorry." "Milady." "I'm sorry, I..." "Milady?" "Aren't you polite." "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." "Do these make you weak in the knees?" "Can I..." "Can I sketch you?" "Well, I've never heard it called that before, but..." "Come again soon." "Pity poor Kingsbridge." "Klng Stephen comes at the end of the month, and when he sees what piss-poor little work they've done, he'll move the cathedral to Shiringl" "Good for you, Percy." "In 10 days' time, as you know, we celebrate the feast of St. Adolphus." "We have received word that Klng Stephen will be visiting us." "Now, we need to show the King how devoted this parish is to the buildin of our new cathedral." "So Instead of singing hymns and saying prayers, we will dl, carry and build." "God and his saints will bless you for your generosity." "Wasting my time." "I can't finish it." "Not in time." "We need It to draw the crowd." "But it won't be perfect, Tom." "You can perfect it later." "Look, I know that you all work long hours, and I know how much you have given already, and now God is asking you to give more." "Our cathedral, this cathedral, is more than just stone and wood and mud." "It takes the earth with all its heaviness and transforms it into possibility, reaching for the light, which is hope, which is Godl" "It is..." "It is hope's fragile shell on Earth, and If we..." "If we can give God a beautiful home, then it will burst its shell and it will prosper, and you all will be the better for It and your children will be the better for itl" "Lf..." "Right." "I wlll ive you bread and ale and absolution for all your sins in exchange for one day's labor." "One day's labor!" "What say you?" "Forglve me, St. Adolphus." "I begged for help in all the villages." "Don't they want their ohurch?" "They know that without their help, there'll be no Kingsbridge Cathedral." "They'll come." "Bound to oome." "Dozens, perhaps." "Not hundreds." "Word will have spread." "The King will look at this and laugh." "There's someone now." "Greetlngs, Frère Prior." "Welcome, my lady." "No longer a lady." "We've brought fleece." "May God grant us oustomers to buy it." "Jack, will you kindly stable my lady's donkey?" "When does the King arrive?" "Shortly, I fear." "How much further, damn It?" "My piles are murdering me." "We've been riding all morning." "You were with him In Wlnohester?" "But we've met before." "In Shirlng, milady." "You're the artist." "Quite gifted, if I remember correctly." "What did you do to your hand?" "Oh..." "I injured it." "I wasn't supposed to use it, but I had a sculpture I had to finish for today, so..." "Aliena?" "I thought it was youl" "Martha, yes?" "That's right." "And you remember Alfred." "My lady." "Please, call me Aliena." "I prefer it." "You'll never guess all that's happened to us." "Da brought us here, and the church burned, and Ellen..." "You remember Ellen." "She was almost killed as a witch!" "And now the King is coming to see Da's work." "And If he likes it, then Da can build the whole cathedral." "No one's come to help us yet, but we hope that..." "We pray the King is in a gracious mood," "Aliena." "Brother Johnny?" "Don't climb that high, not with the baby." "Johnny, listen to me." "Come downl" "No, no!" "You must come upl" "This is an orderl I want you to come down nowl" "Get him down, now!" "What's he doin?" "He'll harm the ohlldl" "Come down!" "Phillp, It won't hold." "Johnny, listen to me." "Johnny, listen to me very carefully." "Give me the baby." "Look!" "It's a miracle." "Oh, we're saved." "We're saved!" "Come and look!" "Praise God and Prior Philipl" "It's a miraclel We're savedl" "Alms for the blind?" "Not now, woman." "I'm working." "Oi!" "What are you doing here?" "The Klng!" "The King has come!" "The King." "It's the King." "Where were you?" "The King's here." "Kneel." "Bow down to His Majesty." "Who is in charge here?" "I am, Your Majesty." "Where are the plans?" "This way, Your Majesty." "Where's the door?" "Your Majesty, this is the doorway." "Thls Is the, uh, nave." "Show me." "Very good." "I look forward to visiting again when the church is completed." "What did he say?" "Shut up, Percy." "But where is the statue of St. Adolphus?" "I forgot." "It was destroyed in the fire, wasn't it, Prior?" "It's here, Your Majesty." "You shall rule for ill or good, till saintly skulls weep tears of blood." "Your Majesty, I bring you news from the battlefield." "Maud and Gloucester have attaoked your army at Linooln, and an arrow has pierced her armor." "Let peace survive and war depart, when arrows pierce my daughter's heart." "Is she dead?" "No." "She survived." "Her army took It to be a sign from God and your forces were defeated." "Whose hair aflame?" "An artist boy's." "One king he crowns, one king destroys." "Stay where you are."