"Seven hellish years at war for this." "The French have us surrounded, Majesty." "They are attacking us constantly." "from three sides, not four." "Get us across the fucking river and we can get our army home!" "But we cannot cross the Somme, sire." "So we sit here, fighting off their forays, and starving through the winter?" "Majesty, the french have burned all the bridges." "There's nowhere to cross the damn river." "There must be a ford." "The french are still well supplied, but the farms are across the river." "It stands to reason..." "Enough!" "...that the french army supplies..." "Enough!" "The question remains, how do we cross the Somme and get the army back to England?" "Anyone?" "The river's narrow at Abbeyville." "The French know that, too." "They will expect us there." "Not if we get there before them." "How long a march?" "Three days." "At least." "Force it." "Get us there in two." "Look!" "Look!" "Ma, there's a man making fire over there." "Can we go and see?" "Yeah, but watch out for your brother." "Keep an eye on them." "I'm off to find Caris." "They're old enough to be on their own." "Keep an eye on them." "Gwenda!" "Hello, Sister." "Hello." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." "No." "I've brought you a fresh supply of feverwort from Wigleigh forest." "Oh, wonderful." "Let's go back to the convent, I'll pay you." "Ladies and gentlemen, come to the best in Kingsbridge!" "He uses this to make fire." "I saw." "Sam, be careful." "Don't be a baby, David." "Damn it!" "Maybe it is magic." "What do you know?" "Come on, I'm hungry." "Ladies and gentlemen!" "Hey!" "What are you doing in my oven, boy?" "Stealing my pies?" "Hold it still, boy." "Hold it still." "And Wulfric, how is he?" "Angrier than ever." "We work the land that is rightfully Wulfric's." "But Perkin pays us nothing but food." "That's despicable." "Makes Wulfric a misery to live with." "If this is love, it's a lot different than I ever dreamt it would be." "Gwenda!" "Sister Caris!" "Gwenda!" "Come now!" "Hold him." "Hold him still." "I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know." "Why didn't you watch him?" "He snuck away." "You said you'd keep an eye on them." "Gwenda, not now." "It's all right, son." "I know." "Oh, God." "We're going to need a poultice." "Use Spanish aloe." "Well, in the worst case he'll have a nasty scar he can show his own children." "Warn them not to steal meat pies." "Thank you." "Gregory, greetings." "What a pleasant surprise." "I've been told of your arrival." "Come in." "I'll have some refreshments." "No, no, Prior." "For once I'm not here to see you, I have business with Mother Cecilia." "Perhaps later." "Sorry to keep you waiting, Gregory." "How may I help you?" "And who is this?" "Sister Elizabeth." "I was told you wish to see our treasurer also." "Ah, yes." "Thank you, Mother." "I have some very sad news." "I've come from the deathbed of your cousin Marilyn Smith in Hereford." "Oh, dear." "God rest her soul." "Was she in much pain?" "It was a gentle death." "A priest was with her when I arrived." "She sent you this." "One hundred and fifty gold coins that she bequeathed to the convent." "There was no time to draw up any paperwork, she was fading fast." "God bless Marilyn." "If you think this hurt, just imagine what hell is like." "Come on, nothing more to see." "Go and get some fresh air." "Come on, David." "Try not to lose him this time." "Thank you again." "Thank you for the herbs." "What are you writing?" "An account of what we did." "I always keep a record of the visitors." "And that way, if they come back," "I know how I treated them and what works and what doesn't." "Come, have a look." "These are some of our most valuable treasures that we have." "Books?" "Foreign books." "Filled with the most incredible knowledge." "I got them from a Spanish trader." "That's Spanish?" "Well, it's Latin, translated from the Arabic." "These writers are physicians." "They know more about the healing arts than we do." "It's all in these books." "It's amazing." "Are you sure they're not written by the Devil?" "Quite sure." "I keep telling her she should write her own book." "Well, compared to these people, I don't know anything." "But yours will be in English." "Sister Caris, may I have a word?" "I'm proud of you, Caris." "I know this was not your first calling, but you've made a very fine nun." "Thank you." "So I'd like to reward you by giving you even more work." "As you wish." "God has blessed us with the funds to build your hospice." "Holger!" "Holger!" "Luke Webber." "Are we going to be in England soon?" "Nearly there." "Your Papa and Mama in Kingsbridge will be glad to see you, eh." "Thank you." "Give the men a rest, feed them, and when the train arrives we'll cross the river." "Very well, sire." "Break ranks!" "They said it couldn't be done." "I can practically smell England, we're so close." "Praise God we're almost home, sire." "They've outflanked us." "They've outflanked us." "Your Majesty!" "Your Majesty, the French, they've outflanked us." "They hold the northern part of the river." "So now we're totally surrounded." "Damn them to hell." "Congratulations." "Prior." "You startled me." "Gregory Longfellow just told me he brought a bequest." "Good news." "May I see?" "Mother Cecilia's cousin will certainly have a fine room in heaven with all the prayers she's bought." "Has she said how she intended to spend it?" "Yes, indeed." "I'm expanding Sister Caris's hospice." "You've had some time in which to build your palace, Prior, but it seems you prefer hoarding silver to spending it." "Conserving it, Mother." "It would be an act of ungodly hubris to start a project that I am unable to complete." "How saintly." "Now if you wouldn't mind." "Thank you." "Lock it up tight, Sister." "Thieves are everywhere." "He'll be fine tomorrow." "Where's Wulfric?" "Wasting money we don't have." "He does love you, Gwenda." "As much as you love him." "Caris?" "Do you miss Merthin?" "I think of him." "But Mother Cecilia does her best to keep me thinking of someone else." "Who's that?" "God." "Thank you." "Aren't you going to tell me anything about it?" "I'll tell you something about it when you stop asking me about it." "Why do you always say that?" "Are you all right?" "You seem distant." "I saw Brother Thomas and Brother Matthias together." "What do you mean?" "They were together in bed." "Godwyn must never find out." "Do you approve?" "It's considered a mortal sin." "They're good men and they don't deserve Godwyn's punishment." "I agree." "It's not as if they are betraying wives." "And I wonder if God really minds." "If it's for love." "Someone to see you, Sister Caris." "Signor Caroli!" "Hello, Caris." "How good to see you." "Have you returned for some more of our wool?" "The finest in the world." "And how does Florence fare?" "Are you safe?" "From the Great Mortality?" "And is it true what they say?" "That you go to bed well and wake up dying?" "An exaggeration perhaps but, si, yes, it can be quick." "Though it doesn't like the cold so you are safe here in England." "I brought you a letter." "From Merthin." "Thank you." "Dearest Caris," "I am living in Florence, married, and blessed with a child." "I am a builder here." "Quite a successful one." "Lulalulina?" "Papa!" "And though I love my wife and daughter, you continue to hold a special place in my heart." "I have drunk far too much wine tonight, else I could never have written this." "But Signor Caroli, I know, is travelling to Kingsbridge, which gives me a perfect excuse to tell you that I never stop thinking of you." "How I wish things had been different." "How I wish I had been able to bring you with me." "But I was younger and impulsive, and though I may never see you again I want you to know how much you remain part of my life." "Pray for me, dear Caris." "Yours forever." "Go away." "We mustn't be seen together." "I don't think Sister Mair will tell." "She would have said something by now." "We can't risk it." "I love you, Matthias." "How can I love you, Thomas?" "I've told you everything about myself, but I know so little about you." "You keep it all hidden." "If I told you, your life would be endangered." "I've already lost my soul." "What's a life compared to that?" "What are you doing here?" "Get out!" "You are not permitted to be here." "May we have it back then?" "Have what back?" "The money." "Your accomplice here has seen the error of her ways." "I assume you've kept it safe." "Why do you need it?" "The hospice, of course." "I've written to the Bishop." "He's given permission for us to start immediately." "You went behind my back?" "I consulted a higher authority." "This is Priory money." "Marilyn left the money specifically to the convent." "Do you have that in writing?" "Do you?" "Oh, how unfortunate." "You may leave." "Godwyn will drive me to seek solace in the arms of the Devil!" "Would that we had the power to be rid of him." "Wait, you met the King." "Many years ago." "Why?" "Could you get an order from him?" "That the Priory must use the funds to build the hospice." "Otherwise, this will never end with Godwyn." "Our vital work can never be achieved." "I want you to go to him in France." "Well, I doubt he'd even see me," "and even if he did..." "Make your preparations." "What is it, love?" "Doctor!" "It's urgent!" "Go away!" "There's nothing to be done!" "My wife has the pestilence!" "Yes, it's come to Florence!" "There must be remedies!" "Only two!" "Hope and Prayer!" "What happened?" "The English came and murdered everyone." "God have mercy." "Do you know where the English went from here, Mother?" "We're looking for the King." "It's easy to find them." "Follow the path of the dead." "Thank you, Mother." "Good morning, Brother." "Mother Cecilia." "Fine day for hunting." "Indeed." "Have you heard from Sister Caris?" "Not since her arrival in France." "Is there something you wish to say to me, Brother?" "You have no idea what you sent her into, do you?" "It's a dangerous mission, but it's for the glory of God." "Who will, I trust, protect her." "Have you ever been in a war, Mother?" "It's easy for people at a distance to believe that God is on their side, but in the midst of battle I've never known Him to be benevolent." "You still trust him." "Yes, I do." "But in spite of war." "I guess I will never forget the horrors that I've seen." "Caris is used to blood." "She's used to mercy." "There's little of that on the battlefield." "Sister?" "Caris, take my hand!" "I've got you." "You're all right." "You're all right." "It's horrific what we've done to these people." "At least God's on our side." "Is he?" "Do you really think that God cares who lives or dies?" "He wasn't in that well." "He's everywhere." "What if we're wrong?" "What if God's just a story that we've made up, to give ourselves comfort?" "Come, now." "No." "If it's done for love," "God doesn't mind." "Oh, my God!" "Oh, my God!" "You're English?" "Yes." "Where are you from?" "From Kingsbridge." "Really?" "How many steeples does the Cathedral have?" "Two towers, one steeple." "You sisters are a long way from home." "You'd best come with us." "It's the only way you will be safe." "Look what we've got here." "Three godforsaken weeks and still no way forward, still no plan." "You are generals, are you not?" "Experts in the art of war." "Sire, there are no simple solutions." "Our backs are to the river, and the French are closing in on three sides..." "Our longbows have the power to bring these bastards to their knees." "We should be using them to our advantage..." "To bring the longbows within range, we must first cross the river." "The French know that!" "What is the strategy?" "Save siege, starvation and the certain annihilation of my army?" "Majesty, an envoy from the French King arrived this morning." "He offers you terms." "You mean terms of surrender?" "Sire," "Philip and his main army will be here by noon tomorrow." "We can neither advance nor retreat." "We will be totally surrounded." "So this is how it ends?" "Surrender my crown to Philip, have my name cursed through the ages and all to suffer an ignoble death, alone in a dungeon like my father." "What say you, Sir Henry?" "I see no choice but to accept." "I need a moment to consider your counsel." "Your Majesty?" "What joke is this?" "A nun come to cleanse my soul before it's sold?" "I treated your arm in Kingsbridge." "I removed a fragment of arrow." "So you did." "But as a woman, not a nun." "That I do remember." "How is your arm?" "Of little consequence today." "Your Majesty, I was sent here to petition you..." "Petition me?" "What idiot would send you on such a mission?" "Well, God has, Your Majesty." "The Prior steals convent money," "and without your help..." "Please!" "I care not for church squabbles on a day such as this." "Forgive me, sire." "But I have travelled a long way in search of you." "I have seen the horrors that men inflict upon each other and I would bear it all again if you might hear my plea." "I understand that it is of little consequence to a king." "But as you have your duty, I'm afraid I have mine." "And do you think you know the duties that burden a king?" "No." "I can't begin to fathom what you must go through." "But duty is a burden that we all must bear," "I'm afraid." "And as you cannot walk away from yours, I cannot walk away from mine." "Your name?" "Caris Wooler." "Caris Wooler." "Your spirit and heart are all that I love of England." "If I am still King after tomorrow," "I will grant your petition." "So, it seems I have no choice but to bow down in defeat to that preening French prick and hand him my crown." "Well, that same crown says I have no choice but to refuse his terms." "We will attack the French across the river at dawn." "Attack, sire?" "But Sir Henry..." "I will hear no "buts"!" "This is no day for cowards or politicians." "The last thing the French will expect is an attack from a defeated army..." "You say our bowmen can win the day?" "Yes, Your Majesty." "Then all we need do is bring them into range." "A small party could cross under cover of darkness and dispatch their sentries, making a safer path for our longbows to ford the river." "It is a bold plan, but if it fails the King will withdraw his terms." "Then so be it." "Stealth, cunning and English resolve may yet win this day." "Who's bold enough to grasp this opportunity?" "I am, Your Majesty." "Sire, the French will hear them coming." "Not if they're careful and silent." "Move your men slowly, like French snails." "Remember, slow and silent." "Yes, sire." "Godspeed." "Come on." "Let's go." "Ready?" "Follow me." "You go, men." "Go!" "With stealth!" "With stealth!" "Prepare my armour!" "Forward, into position." "Nock and draw!" "Nock and draw!" "Nock and draw!" "Loose!" "Take cover!" "Draw!" "Loose!" "For England!" "For England!" "Charge!" "No quarter given!" "No quarter!" "For England!" "Sister Caris!" "Was that your prayers or my arrows?" "Either way you owe God his petition." "Oh, it's his petition now, is it?" "Boy!" "Here you are." "I shall visit Kingsbridge again and see how you have fared." "If it pleases you." "It does." "Thank you." "You're very welcome." "Onwards!" "It's time to go home!"