"That's it." "Forgive me, God, for I have sinned." "I am king." "I am king." "You have made me king." "You have made me king." "...forgiveness for your sins?" "Do you ask God's forgiveness for your sins?" "Do you ask God's forgiveness for your sins?" "Do you ask God's forgiveness for your sins?" "Dear God!" "Philip." "If you wish Maud to make your son Earl of Shiring," "I need to successfully trade Stephen with Gloucester." "I'll contribute to the ransom fee, if that's your concern." "No, my concern is Stephen." "If he is redeemed, will the war continue?" "Undoubtedly." "Therefore Queen Maud may not rule for long." "And then whose side are we on?" "We need to play both sides." "I intend to do that as negotiator, but your position is not as flexible." "Are you with Maud or are you against her?" "That's what Stephen will think." "And as of this moment, you are most decidedly with." "Well, then, if he wins, you will have to intercede for us." "You presume our position is that of equals." "I need you to serve me, not command me." "Dear Lady, you mistake my meaning entirely." "Well, then, what would Your Eminence have me do?" "Whatever your wish, I am happy to obey." "I wish to be made Archbishop of Canterbury once Stephen regains his throne." "The current one will have to be removed, of course." "Drink this, Brother." "How did I come here?" "I told the executioner that, as the Queen's secretary," "I would answer for your innocence." "But I thought you supported Stephen." "He's as self-serving as his predecessor." "I've become a politician, Philip." "I serve who best serves me." "And I hear you have a cathedral." "Not yet." "I need a few miracles first." "Then let us give thanks, Brother." "This is a day for miracles." "I found you, Maud is now in power, and the dead have returned to life." "They found him crawling from a mass grave." "You're a new man, Jack." "A Lazarus." "I'm sure I stink like Lazarus." "You must have died, too, from the look of you." "Nearly." "God has further plans for me." "For you, too, I suspect." "What plans?" "What do you remember of the last three days?" "Did you pray?" "I was laying with the dead." "I suppose I don't remember." " I dreamt, though." "I remember that." " What of?" "Of Aliena." "Lovely evening." " What are you doing here?" " I just came out to look at the moon." "What?" "No." "No, wait." "Aliena, don't go." "I can't swim very well." "Help!" "Aliena!" "Help!" "Alfred?" "Don't come near me again." "What?" "But I love you!" "I love you!" "The Empress's terms are non-negotiable." "Stephen must sign a document acknowledging her sovereignty and leave the country forever." "In addition, you will pay Maud 1,000 pounds in gold and hand over Robert of Gloucester in good health." "Interesting." "We were gonna ask 1,000 pounds from you." "Why not cancel the ransom fees and proceed from there?" "Your Eminence, may I have a word?" "We need the fee in order to bankrupt them." "Otherwise, what guarantee do we have that Stephen won't ignore anything that he signs and begin a war again?" "We need a guarantee." "If we ignore the ransom fees, we need to hold Stephen's son, Eustace, until his father has left the country and peace has been kept for five years." "King Stephen will never agree." "It's not his decision." "Think about it overnight, dear Richard." "No one at Maud's court knows what Eustace looks like, do they?" "And what's your name?" "Elizabeth." "That's a pretty name." "How old are you, Elizabeth?" "I'm 12." "You're a very pretty girl with very pretty lips." "Has anyone ever told you that?" "Good day, Bishop." "I thought you were for Stephen." " Do you see these people before us, Henry?" " Yes, Mama." "They've come to ask us favors." "Do you know why?" "You're the Queen." "I'm the Empress." "I rechristened myself this morning." "And one day, you will be Emperor, and people will come to ask you favors." "So I want you to listen." "Francis, you may speak first." "And who is this handsome man?" "This is my brother Philip, Empress, the Prior of Kingsbridge." "Handsome, I pray, before God, Empress, but very plain to others." "Humility and humor, a rare combination." "You ask us to grant you a license to hold a market?" "The income from which will be used to finish building a cathedral." "Finish?" "How did you pay for the start of it?" "We had a license, Empress, but it was lost." "King..." "The usurper Stephen refused to grant us another." " Why is that?" " He kept his reasons to himself." "May I speak, My Empress?" "The market at Kingsbridge was closed because it took money from the one at Shiring." "The rule is that markets must be at least 14 miles apart." "Kingsbridge and Shiring are 20." "Stephen nevertheless decided..." "What Stephen decided is of no interest to us." "You also ask for the right to take stone from the Shiring quarry." "We have had those rights for years, Empress, until William..." "I closed the quarry in retaliation for his illegal market." " Who owns the quarry?" " We do, my Empress." "It was the usurper Stephen that allowed Kingsbridge to take the stone." "A foolish bequest, giving quarry rights to one party, yet letting another mine it." "We quite agree." "The quarry and all its mining rights shall belong to Shiring." "Thank you, My Empress." "On the condition that you successfully negotiate the release of our brother Gloucester from the enemy." "Kingsbridge, however, shall have similar market rights to Shiring." "The same condition applies." "Thank you, Empress." "In addition, Henry here would like a toy from each of you." "And I'd like a toy, too." "One hundred pounds, or your requests will be denied." "Next." "Can you borrow it?" "Money lenders charge exorbitant interest." "I could never afford to pay it back." "Is there no one else?" "A merchant, perhaps, who benefits from the market?" " He might find it to his advantage." " She." " What?" " She." "I did her a favor once." " We've just received the word!" " What?" "Martha, what is it?" "Jack's alive!" "Is that Jack Jackson with the Prior?" "You don't look dead to me, Jack." "My God!" "Jack!" "Yes!" "Brother, welcome home." "Welcome home." "Great to see you, lad." "A hundred pounds?" "I'd lend it to you gladly if I could, but I need it to buy next year's wool." " When would you need it returned?" " Early spring." "Can you manage it?" "No." "No, not unless..." "Why can't I sell you next year's wool?" " You haven't got it yet." " But I will, in the spring." " You'd sell it to me in advance?" " Yes." "You pay me now, and I'll give you the wool from the first shearing." "I've never heard of business being done like that." "Why shouldn't it be?" "Well, I'd have to offer you a lower price for it than you get by waiting." "The price for wool, I mean, goes up in the spring." "No matter." "I'd be able to keep building during the winter, and everybody would be employed." "So I give you the 100 pounds, you give it to Maud, and you get a license for the Sunday market?" "Yes." "Yes, the same as Shiring." "In addition to the Sunday market, Shiring has the annual fleece fair." "That's where I make most of my money." "I don't follow." "Why don't we have one here?" "If the license is the same as Shiring's, why can't you host a fleece fair next year to compete with Shiring?" "It would save me transportation." "I could lure the Flemish buyers here." "You would make more money in a week than you would in a year of Sunday markets." "And it would break the Hamleighs' back." "Brilliant!" "William would be as mad as a bull." "Yes, and there's nothing he can do about it." "Welcome back." "Thank you." "I knew you weren't dead." "You shouldn't be here." "They'll see you." "No, even Waleran can't keep me from my son." "Come on!" "What are you doing?" "I'm trying to be helpful." "Walter will take the boy." " Who was that boy you gave them?" " Your son, Eustace, Sire." " That wasn't Eustace." " Well, they don't know that." " Brother." " My dear Maud." "So, war begins again and chaos is king." "I don't see how that benefits us." "When chaos reigns, dear Lady, Satan often forgets about God's humble servants, and we may carry on with our holy work without interference." "Attack!" "We are betrayed!" "Stephen has attacked us once again!" "Does he honestly think we'll spare his son?" "Empress, I fear, sadly, the boy is not his." "He says his name is Charlie and he's missing his pigs." "Richard of Kingsbridge substituted a farmer's child for Eustace." "He resembles the usurper's son near enough." "He even fooled me, Empress." "Kill him anyway." "Stephen will learn that we, at least, keep our promises!" "And we are not to be crossed!" "Dear Sister, once again we're at war." "Advance is slow but sure." "And we hope by spring to defeat Maud and Gloucester." "Of course, since I fight for Stephen, if Maud wins," "I might never regain Shiring and Father's title." "William and his mother have taken Maud's side, for the time being." "But their loyalty is as dependable as snow and goes wherever the winds of power blow it." "Their ally, Bishop Waleran, has already laid the ground work for siding again with Stephen if he were to win." "You must forgive my despair." "Winter slows the war and gives me too much time to brood." "It has stopped cathedral work, too, I imagine." "But come spring, hope may blossom, the war may end, the church walls may rise ever higher, and I will once again return to your dear self." "Until then, I remain your loving brother, Richard." "One, two, three!" " You started work late today." " Late?" "Well, there's not much we can do without a stock of stones." "Nevertheless, I thought it'd be further along by now." "We can't work in the winter, Prior." " And when we get more stones..." " And if we don't?" "You should've conserved their use, Tom." "Jack's been using too many, carving gargoyles." "Well, you can purchase some more soon." "You paid your debt to Maud." "She's given you a license for a market, hasn't she?" "Maud is losing battle after battle." "What happens to my fee if she's deposed?" "They'll be no more stones, and the coffers will be empty." "Steady hands." "Keep it level." "Perfect." "Da, look!" "If I can do this, I can build a stone vault." "How many times do I have to tell you?" "A stone vault is too heavy." "It can't be supported." "Why don't you listen?" " How many of these have you made?" " Sixteen, so far." "It's a little bit of fun in God's house." "What a waste." "Philip's in a sour mood." "All employers get like this at some point." "See, the work starts to slow down, it costs more than they ever imagined, and all they can think to do is complain." "They can't see the future, which, as a builder, I have to." "As a cathedral builder, especially." "No pessimists allowed." "Realists, yes." "I won't see this church completed." " Da?" " Nor will you, Alfred." "Or you, Jack, most likely." "I may see it roofed." "You might see the interior well on its way." "But it might be 50 years before it's finished, which is why I teach you." "That's why you must never stop learning, even after I'm gone." "Learn from who?" "From your pupils." "Your younger masters, who might find new ways to perfection." "Do you know what this is?" "That's glass." "What if I were to tell you that one day this is what cathedrals will be built from?" "Never." ""Never" is a word you must never use." "Now, this is all I have, right here, to pass on to my successor." "You're both my sons." "Now, I'd like to be able to share ownership between the two of you, but I know that sometimes you work at cross purposes." "I'd really like it if you could try your best to be friends." "And if not, the one that gets this, will be the one that best embodies my vision, my knowledge, and my belief in the future." "Do you understand that?" "Bastard!" "Jack, you bastard, you are not my brother!" "Marry me." " Marry me." " No." "Morning." "Oh, God!" " Don't ever sneak up on me." " I didn't." "I made lots of noise." "You were just so engrossed in that, that you didn't hearme." "I've never heard of a woman with such a library." "Which one is this?" "The Song of Roland." "It's about this knight who has a big horn." " And he blows it so hard that..." " That his head bursts." "You know it?" "My mother told it to me when I was a boy." "But she didn't call him Roland." "She changed the name to Foolish Jack." "How had she heard of it?" "My father told it to her." ""The French seduction" is how she described it." "He was French?" "He was a storyteller." "Apparently she laughed so hard at that one, he got very angry." " Did she know any others?" " She knew a few." "But the best were the ones that I told her." "You?" "Yeah, I made them up, you know." "There once..." "There once was a very brave knight..." " Who..." " Who..." "Who went into battle and received a mortal wound." "And as he lay there, dying," " his soul..." " Flew to the house," " where there lived a woman..." " That he loved." "Yes." "And his soul ate with her, and slept with her, and was so filled with longing for her..." "He flew back to his master and brought him back to life, in hope that one day..." "No." "Don't touch me there." "Don't you ever touch me again!" "Jack!" "Jack!" "Come quick!" " It's Alfred." "He smashed all of your statues!" " What?" "He smashed them all!" "Come on, boys, help me!" "There's fighting." "The scaffolding is not made for that violence!" " It's not the first time, Tom." " Philip, what brother..." "No, no excuses!" "If two of your workers continually fight, destroy property, teardown work that you spent months building up, what do you do?" "I will not have Jack and Alfred working together." " Look..." " One of them must go." "He's an apprentice." "I'm a master stone mason." "Send him away, Da, not me." "I'm your real son!" "If Ma was alive, this wouldn't even be a choice!" "We were a team once, remember?" "I was supposed to be your successor!" "Alfred, you'll have to pay a fine for the damage caused." " One month's wages." " A month?" "I doubt the prior would accept any less." "Could you leave us for a moment?" "Da!" "Go, before I double it." "That one over here?" "I'm sorry, Jack." "Why me?" "I pleaded with Philip, but he wouldn't soften." "This is my life." "He's my son." "I'm your son, too." "You said it." "You're the one that Philip will miss." "Now, Alfred, he's competent." "But you're brilliant." "Now, in a week or a month, the Prior will see his mistake." "And if he doesn't?" "You wouldn't even have a job if it weren't for me." " That's enough." " No, do you hear what I'm saying?" "I burned it down." "I burned the old cathedral so that you would have work." "God forgive you, then." "Get out." "Get out!" "Can I climb it?" "What do you wanna climb all the way up there for, Jonathan?" "Brother Jonathan." " Brother Jonathan." " So I can see Jack." "He's gone away and he hasn't said good-bye." "Sit down." "Jack went away because he'd done something bad." "He hurt Alfred." "Like Cain hurt Abel?" "No, not as bad as that, but, anyway, Jack and Alfred are not really brothers." "Isn't Jack your son?" "I'm raising..." "Was raising Jack, as a favor to Ellen, like Johnny Eightpence raises you." "He isn't my mother, but he likes to think he is." "I know." "My mother's dead." "I know that." "Do you know who my father is?" "Who?" "God." "He's everybody's father." "Of course he is." "Where will you go?" "Wherever they're building cathedrals." "I'll go to Jerusalem if I have to." "Philip is wrong." "He will understand that he made a mistake." "Philip's stubborn." "You push against him and he pushes back." "It would take witchcraft to change his mind." "Come in, Tom." "What are you doing here?" "You saved my life, once." "I know you're a man of mercy." "How did you get inside?" "Not all of the brothers fear me as you do." " Ma." " Let me speak, Jack." "I don't fear you." "I oppose what you stand for, which is hatred of God, and church and morality." "I love God." "Though I don't worship her quite the same way as you do." "My church hasn't as many rules as yours, and is a lot more forgiving." "And as for morality, I use love as my compass, which Christ seemed to approve of, even if you don't." "Ma, you promised to be civil." "Come in." "Close the door." "I spend too much time making decisions on the building." "I need an assistant, who can answer queries on construction, who can keep track of the money and raw materials, who can handle payments to suppliers, who can pay wages." "You wouldn't be carving stone, but you would be supervising the entire design on my behalf." "Really?" "Prior, that's fantastic." "In your spare time, if you had any, you'd learn to speak and read Latin," " you'd serve me during Mass..." " Why would he need to do that?" "Because my assistant must be a monk." "No!" "Your church is not having my son." "That's Jack's decision, not yours." " It burned his father." "It tried to burn me." " Ma!" "If I found the time, could I do some carving?" "Yes, of course." "And I'll have free rein to walk the grounds, speak with whomever I wish?" "You may speak to men, on business, yes." "God wants you, Jack." "Of that, I'm certain." "He saved your life." "He speaks to you through your art, as clearly as he spoke to Augustine," "Gregory, all his artist-saints." "The question is this:" "Do you want God?" "It's a simple choice, not an easy one." "Rise." "Put your hood on." "Kingsbridge is planning a fleece fair, and Shiring shall become a village of ghosts!" "Who told you this?" "Two of the Flemish traders who normally do business with us." "It's planned for the last Sunday in June." "That's two weeks from now." "How can we stop it?" "That is a lovely stone." "No." "This belonged to my father." "It's all I've got left of him." "Queen Maud, as you well know, is fleeing back to France." "Stephen thinks you are both traitors." "How else will I convince him you're not?" "He loves a gift." "Get him to stop the fair." "Dear Lady, the fair will begin as planned, but it will not end as planned." "Will it, William?" "Don't be nervous, My Lord." "Take your lesson from their cathedral." "Some take it as a work of art, a reason for living." "Well, I say destruction is a work of art and requires significant talent." "You have a gift, Lord William." "Let's make your mother proud." "You couldn't ask for a better crowd, could you, Father?" "Or better weather." "God's been good to us today." "Entrance." "Five each." "Entrance fee." "Right in." " Hello, Brother dear." " Kate!" "Kate!" "Have you come to be shriven?" "Sweet Jesus, I pray for this every day." "I came to sell my wares, Cuthbert." "Any of your monks interested in buying?" "Did I see Ellen here?" "Yeah, she came to see her son." "Not me." "She's still angry with me, forgoing along with your idea." "She's a good woman, Prior." "You should accept her as she is." "You're not going to be able to convert everyone, are you?" "But I can bring her son to God." "He's doing wonderful work." "You should tell her that." "If the good Lord, himself, came down from Heaven to praise him," "I don't think that'd make her happy." "40,000 sheep sold me their winter coats, would you believe it?" "It's cost me 200 pounds, but I'll make 300." "Even I lose my breath when I think about it." "If you need help, I will gladly stick around after I see Jack." "Ellen, I know how hard it must've been for you." "I'm perfectly fine." "It's Jack you should worry about." "He seems happy." "Good, that's all a mother asks for." "What is?" " I don't look that bad, do I?" " You've lost weight." " They're starving you." " They feed me too well, Ma." "You look exhausted." "How many minutes of sleep do they allow you between prayers?" "I skip most of the services, so..." "Do the monks try to sleep with you?" "Ma." "No, I have no interest along those lines, and even if I did, it's forbidden." "Do you have interests along other lines?" " What?" " Well, do you pleasure yourself?" "Ma!" "No, I don't." "No." "It's unnatural." "I want to make a confession, Father." "You're Kate, aren't you?" "Brother Cuthbert's little sister." "I remember you well." " What's it to you?" " You are everything to him." "He prays for you daily." "You are a knife in his heart." "See the dogs fight the bear!" "Six on the brown dog." "Who wants a piece of it?" "Winner takes the pot!" "What are they gonna do with him?" "They're gonna fight him." "Do they kill him?" " In the end, yeah." " That's sad." "Not so much, not for him." "See, he gets to die bravely, fighting for what he longs for." "What's that?" "Honor, really." "And he gets to go to bear heaven, wander around, eat as much fish as he likes." "Come with me, I got a surprise for you." "Up you climb, then." "You really mean it?" "Go on, I'm right with you." "That way." "There you are." "Don't get too close." "I can see everywhere!" "I can see London, and the ocean." " I can see Heaven." " You know, Jonathan..." "I mean, Brother Jonathan, I'm sorry." "There's something I wanna tell you." "I think I can see an angel." "Listen to me." "You know how you and I are friends, yes?" "Well, suppose I was to tell you, we were something closer than friends?" "Now when Jack went away, for me that was sort of like losing a son." " But..." " What's that?" "Ellen, get inside the priory." "William Hamleigh's attacking!" "Get inside the priory!" "William Hamleigh's attacking!" " Alfred, we've got to get away from here." " Let go, I got sixpence on the..." "Never mind that now!" "Get inside, everyone!" "Everybody!" "Run for your life!" " Jack, no!" " Come, Aliena, we need to go!" " I can't!" "No, it's all I have!" " Leave it, Aliena!" "Stay here." "Stay here, Aliena." "Shut these doors." "These doors need shutting." "And you stay here." "Stay!" "Close it!" "It's locked!" "We'll go to the cathedral." "Follow me!" "Open the door!" "Forthe love of God, let us in!" "Open the doors!" "Somebody get the keys from the monks!" " Remigius, what is it?" "What's happening?" " Prior Philip, there's a riot or something!" " Someone's attacking the fair!" " Well, open the door." "Let them in!" " Don't be a fool!" " Get out of my way!" "Out!" "Dear God!" "Dear God, why?" "Let me through." "Let me through." "I can open it." "Let me through." "Ease back." "Let me through." "Don't worry." "Don't worry." "I can open it." "Quickly!" "Please open it!" "Burn it!" "Burn everything!" "Burn the wool!" "All of it!" " Burn it!" " Bum the wool!" "Burn it!" "Aliena!" "Burn, witch." "No!" "No!" "No!" "Tom!" "Tom!" "Don't meddle, monk." "It was all for nothing, Tom Builder." "Let's go!" "He was my friend." "He gave us this cathedral." "We planned and argued" "and dreamed." "It seems impossible that he is gone." "He..." "William Hamleigh burned it down and murdered Tom." "He tried to burn me, too, but Alfred put out the flames." " He should hang for this!" " Who will arrest him?" "There is no king." "There is no queen." "There is no law in this land!" "There will be soon." "The war's over." "Maud and Gloucester have fled to France and Stephen is king again." "Oh, God!" "Oh, dear God!" " What?" " It was Maud who gave the license for the fair!" "It's over." "We're ruined!" "There is nothing left!" "Nothing?" "I need money for a horse and weapons!" "All my gold went to Philip to pay Maud." "And all my wool went up in flames!" "We are poor again, Richard!" "I need the money." "I can't buy weapons and pay men." "I can't..." "I can't fight for Stephen!" " What am I supposed to do?" " I can't support myself!" "I have done everything I could do!" "I have done enough!" "I want to replace him." "I'm a master builder." "Father gave me his tools." "I know the site and the plans." "You don't have the experience." "Neither did he when you hired him." "I have his ambition." "And I have his skill." "The men listen to me, and I'm willing to learn." " I need to pray on this, Alfred." " No, you need to think of the future." "I have." "Let me show you." " I want to vault the cathedral in stone." " That's impossible." " Tom said that wood is the only material..." " Wood is cheaper, yes, but it can burn." "That's how you lost the first cathedral." " Will the walls take the weight?" " Yeah, we can reinforce them." " I know more about stone than he ever did." " It will cost more and take longer." "But it will last forever." "That's the point, isn't it?" "That why you're building this church." "God's mark on history." "I can do it cheaper than Da." "You can pay me less." "He wanted to tell me something." " Who?" " Tom Builder." "But he went away." "What do you think Heaven's like?" "High up." "What else?" "Who do you think is there?" " My ma." " Yes." "Did Tom Builder go to see her?" "Yes." "Yes, he did." "He knew her?" "Tom Builder had a secret." "He didn't think I suspected, but, his daughter, Martha, confirmed it to me after he went away." "What secret?" "Tom loved your mother very, very much." "And he went to tell her what a wonderful boy you are." "And he went to build her a beautiful home." "And there will be a room in that home for you one day." "Although, you probably won't need it for a very long time." "All right, go to bed now." "Who are you writing to?" "The King." "There's talk of a crusade, and I want to volunteer." "As a knight?" "As a very poor one." "Oh, Alfred." "Come in." "Take a seat." "I've just been told I am to replace my father." "Congratulations." "He'd be proud." "I'll have a steady income." "Not as much as Da, but more than I made before." "So I've come to ask for your hand in marriage." " Alfred!" " I saved your life." " And I appreciate that." " I love you, Aliena." " Yes, but I will never..." " I promise to take good care of you, to help rebuild your business and support your brother's knighthood and continuing quest for the Earldom of Shiring." "You'd have to sell your house to maintain his position." "I've saved enough to let you keep the house and cover his expenses as knight and future earl." "I'll leave you alone to talk." "Whatever your decision..." "I'll abide by it." "You promised Father." "I swear that I will not rest until Richard is the Earl of Shiring and lord of the land that you once ruled." "Welcome to my poor home, Lord Archbishop." "Still a ruin with a roof, I see." "Kingsbridge needs the stone more than I do." "You'll never succeed me without a proper place to live." "Never mind going to Rome." "Succeeding you is farthest from my mind." "And Rome, just a dream." "I beg you once again, dear Lord, grant me your sweet favor." ""Lady Regan," ""as you well know, our political bets were entirely well-placed." ""Maud and Gloucester lost their battle and were forced to flee to France," ""where they now lick their wounds." ""Meanwhile, our dear King Stephen is back in power." ""You see, dear Lady, it was really wise of you to have sided with me again." ""However, I'd like to remind you" ""that our alliance is based on certain conditions," ""which I clearly presented you with at the Lincoln Chapel."" "I wish to be named Archbishop of Canterbury once Stephen regains his throne." "The current one will have to be removed, of course." ""My dear Lord Bishop," ""the surest way for me to sequester the Archbishop" ""is to bring him to Shiring on the pretext of performing some ceremony." ""Say, a marriage." ""I would need the King's permission for such a wedding," ""but I assume you have yet to give him my father's precious ring," ""else I would have heard from his gracious Majesty." ""You haven't spent it on your palace, have you?" ""His Majesty would be most unhappy to hear that."" "Why so sad, William?" "You've hardly left your bed since the battle at Kingsbridge." "I'm going to Hell, Mother." "My sweet William, I doubt that." "I killed a man." "I'll be hanged and I'll burn forever." "But Bishop Waleran forgave you in advance, my dainty." "Besides, it was a war." " You've killed hundreds in war." " It's not a proper war!" "It's very proper." "It's your war." " To win the title of earl." " A lost war, a useless war." "We're penniless." "Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." "There was a young lady you were drawn to at Maud's court." "And now, with Stephen in power, her family are in disfavor." "They want a marriage to an ally of Stephen's." "And Bishop Waleran assures me we'll soon be back in the King's good graces." "They have, by the way, a lot of money." "Who is it?" "Is she pretty?" "You thought so." "Is she a virgin?" "She's only 13." "Now tell me, whom do you hate the most?" "Aliena." "She didn't die in the fire like I wanted her to." "And what would you do to her?" "Have my way with her again and again until she does die." "And so you shall." "And whom do you love the most?" "You." "And what would you do to me?" "Fight him, Eustace!" "My finger!" "Where's your guts?" "Where's your noble blood?" " I don't like fighting!" " He's too much with his mother." "If it were up to women, there would be no wars." " Could you stomach that?" " Oh, never, Sire." "I feel so much better when I'm conquering an enemy." "I'm told it was your idea to substitute the farm boy with Eustace, by the way." "Oh, I suppose I should be grateful." "God inspired me, Your Majesty." "He speaks to me directly now." "He appeared to me in prison and told me in no uncertain terms that the sinking of the White Ship was part of his plan." "It was a terrible tragedy, Sire, but it made you king." "God's plans twist at times but always end up in the greater good." "Quite." "And in order to further that good, you might grant two small requests." "Lady Regan wants permission for her son to marry Elizabeth of Weymouth." "A generous fee will be paid to the Crown, of course." "I'll speak to God about it." "But I expect he'll say yes." "The second favor?" "The Archbishop of Canterbury is failing, Sire." "You'll soon need to name a successor." "Good!" "I didn't know he was ill." "Yeah!" "Now the right." "That's it, Henry." "Protect your mama from the evil Stephen!" "You let me win, Uncle Robert." "No, Henry, on my word of honor." "Your mother's right." "Soon you too will be fighting Stephen for our crown." "Today, on this third Sunday in July," "I announce the banns of marriage between Alfred, son of Tom Builder, and Aliena of Shiring." "They're to be married in two weeks' time." "May God's blessings descend upon them..." "No!" "She's mine." "You cannot take her." " You will not take her!" " Not here, Jack." "Aliena!" "Aliena!" "No!" "Get off me!" "Don't make me chain you, Jack!" "I must keep you here, for your own good, until the marriage is performed." "Now, I hope you can use this time to decide on whether or not you wish to remain a monk." "It is my path to God, but I see now that it might not be yours." "If you decide to leave, I understand." "But you will be banished from Kingsbridge forever." ""My dear Bishop, knowing of your interest in Jack Jackson," ""I write to inform you that he's being held in prison" ""due to an attachment he seems to have formed with Aliena of Shiring." ""She's soon to be married to Alfred, and Jack Jackson, now a monk," ""has expressed displeasure in rather violent terms." ""He will be kept in our basement cell until after the wedding ceremony."" ""Brother Remigius," ""ifwhat you say is true, God's wishes are clear." ""Jack Jackson's mother is a witch, and he's the Devil's offspring." ""His blasphemous stonework attests to that." ""For years, he has been an irritant to GodÂ's plan," ""and now God wants him stopped." ""Spice his dinner with the contents of the enclosed package," ""a pinch should suffice," ""and have it delivered to the prisoner by a monk he knows and trusts." ""Ego te absolvo." ""In the name of Jesus Christ."" "You'll be free this time tomorrow." "You ought to be happy." "She'll be wed this time tomorrow, Johnny." "I will never be happy again." "I'll be seeing these on my wedding night, boys." "Hey?" "Hey, hey!" "Get your hands off, hey?" "You better get us some of that!" "Oh, hey!" "Hey!" "Hey, boys!" "Hey, boys!" "On my wedding night, wait till she gets a hold of that." " Mother!" " Quiet." "The monks will hear you." " Who told you I was here?" " Young Martha sent word." "It broke her heart to hear you were imprisoned." "I think she's a little taken with you." "How did you get in here?" "The water channel runs under here." "It's how I visited your father and got pregnant with you." " My father?" " Yes, it was here." "The prior who accused him of stealing the chalice was the Prior of Kingsbridge, Prior James." "He died just before Philip took charge." "Philip was raised by Prior James." "So that's why you mistrust him?" "But he had nothing to do with Father's death, did he?" "Your father was brought here after they found him." "It was my fault that he was found." "So I decided to free him." "I left my convent and traveled here and bribed one of the monks, who revealed to me the secret entrance from the outside world." "I couldn't free him." "He was chained." "And all I could do was love him." "The next week, he was taken to another cell." "I didn't lay eyes on him until the day he was burned." "I wanted him to see his son." "Why would Prior James accuse him falsely?" "He was acting under orders, I'm sure." " Under whose orders?" " Who ever wanted your father silenced." "Whatever he knew, it died with him." "Unless it was somehow connected to his ring." " My ring that Alfred stole?" " Yes." "You love Aliena, don't you?" "She doesn't love me, Ma." "She said it was impossible." "Go to her." "Ask her why, then do what your father and I could not." "Run away together." "Eat something." "You need your strength." "Eat." "I wish this night could last forever." "I want to marry you." "Richard will hear." "We'll run away together." " I've lost my money, and you have nothing." " I've got my hands." "I can get work on any church in the world, I'm sure of it." "It's not enough." "I made an oath to my father that I would do everything to help Richard regain his title." "That might be never." "An oath's just words, Aliena." "It's nothing compared to this." "Come away." "I have to marry Alfred." "No." "No, I can't give you up again." " It's my duty, Jack." " No, your duty is to me." " What?" "What is it?" " Nothing." "It's you." "I will go away and you'll never see me again." "Is that what you want?" "Is it what you want?" "Jack!" "Jack!" "Drink this!" "It will get the poison out of you." "It was Alfred, wasn't it?" "He had one of the monks put something into your food." "Damn him!" "Wake up, William." "Wake up!" "Today is your special day." "Alfred, son of Tom Builder," "I take you as my husband and swear to be faithful, always." "William and Elizabeth, you are now married in the eyes of God." "Alfred and Aliena are now married in the eyes of God." " And may God's blessing..." " I curse this wedding!" "I curse this marriage with sorrow." "I curse this marriage with impotence!" "With hatred, with regret and bitterness." "Oh, God, you're lifeless!" "It's like making love to a corpse!" " What can I do?" " Enjoy it!" " Good morning, Archbishop." " Lady Regan!" "What a delight." "You're an early riser, too, I see." "I wanted to speak with you in private, if I may." "I have a rather troubling confession to make." "Well, I'm sorry." "Isn't Bishop Waleran your confessor?" "Yes." "But my sin is for the ears of the Archbishop of Canterbury himself." "I don't understand." "I have been asked to..." "I have been asked to commit a murder." "Oh, my dear." "By whom?" "Bishop Waleran." " Which is why I can't..." " Yes..." "I see." "He mustn't know that I've told you." "No, my dear." "My lips are sealed." "Whom does he wish you to murder?" "You." "So where will you go?" "I don't know." "France, maybe." "Search for Father's family." "Jack!" "Jack!" "I want to come with you!" "No, Martha." "He must go alone." "Canterbury's a much nicer palace and already built." " What do you want now?" " My son's title." "I've cleared the path for your ascent, and Stephen still hasn't confirmed William as Shiring's earl." " You promised he would." " Promises take time." "I've been waiting months for my confirmation as Archbishop." "You've been waiting all your life, and I doubt it ends at Archbishop." " Patience is a virtue..." " I have been patient with you for24 years!" "You'd burn for it, William." "Nonsense." "You forgave him all his crimes, remember?" "Slit his throat." "I'll talk to the King Sunday next when he visits Kingsbridge." " What brings him there?" " May Day." "Philip dedicates his cathedral." " It's finished?" " No, not nearly." "But it's been vaulted." "Thank you." "Hold it steady!" "That's it!" "Please, Alfred mustn't know." "He hasn't noticed." "Oh, the light!" "Thank you." "Plenty of place to worship." "It's a miracle they finished it in time." "They rushed it." "They only took down the false work" " this morning." " Like I said, it's a miracle." "Brother." "Is it too late to ask forgiveness?" "Kate." "Little sister." "You've prayed for this for a long time." "It's eating me away." "My life." "I want to serve God, like you." "The consecrated part of our cathedral is now, at last, vaulted." "We could not have come this far without the divinely-guided support of our good King Stephen, and our blessed Bishop Waleran, whose elevation to Archbishop of Canterbury we celebrate here today." "But equal honor is due to a man who is not here." "His name is Tom Builder, and his death casts a shadow on this day." "He would have been so very proud and happy." "Thank you, Prior Philip." "We have another honor to celebrate today." "I have been speaking with His Royal Highness, and he has given me permission to announce, with great pride and pleasure," "the confirmation of William Hamleigh as Earl of Shiring." "Yes!" "Yes!" "It's the roof!" "My Lord, this way!" "This way!" "Sweet Jesus!" "Why?" "She came to you for mercy, and this is your answer?" "I gave my life to you!" "Why did you kill my sister?" "Why Kate?" "Where's Aliena?" "I don't know." "Aliena!" "Aliena!" "Brother Thomas..." "Help me!" "Somebody!" "Brother, help us!" "No." "Whore!" "How many died?" "Seventy-nine." " And what caused it?" " No one knows." "It was Alfred Thomson's fault." "He took down the false work before the mortar had properly dried." "The Prior Philip order him to rush." "Don't blame Philip!" "The walls weren't strong enough!" " There'll be an examination!" " Silence!" "It is clear, Prior Philip." "Bad decisions were made." "And the ultimate responsibility for those decisions lies with you." "An investigation will be conducted, Eminence, and its conclusions will be weighed by your successor, when he is chosen." "There will be no successor." "King Stephen took today's misfortune as a sign from God." "He is reneging on his promise to name me Archbishop." "I am sorry." "Are you?" "Your pride betrays you, Philip." "It's pride that orders a roof of stones and denies culpability when it collapses." "I order you to resign as Prior of Kingsbridge, effective immediately." "With all due humility, my Lord Bishop, that must be put to a vote." "May I be heard, Your Eminence?" "The vault may indeed have collapsed because it was improperly built and rushed." "But those are merely material causes." "There is a divine cause, too, as there is in all things." "Oh, get to the point, Remigius." "The statue of St. Adolphus and the skull it carried were crushed." " Yes?" " This is my point, Your Eminence." "The vault fell on Philip's deception." "What are you talking about?" "I ask you, Philip, did the skull belong to St. Adolphus or not?" " Of course it did." " Let the prior speak." "I lied." "The original relic was destroyed in the fire." "I substituted another skull from the crypt." "Without the relic, or something like that, people wouldn't come to worship and the cathedral could not be built." ""Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit."" "There haven't been miracles for nearly 50 years." "I dare say the other skull was false, too." "That's blasphemy, Prior Philip!" "How did you know about this, Remigius?" " Were you spying?" " Enough!" "Enough!" "Philip has deceived us all." "Wasting thousands of pounds building a cathedral which should've been abandoned, and in the process, killing at least 79 people, including your sister, the whore." " She came to be shriven, Your Eminence." " Not in good time." "She will be buried now in unholy ground, which means Philip has sent her to Hell." "These are reasons enough, I think, for your monks to vote you out of office." "Your cathedral is done for." "Your ambition crushed." "This is what comes of arrogance, Philip." "Get out!" " This is my house!" " It's mine now!" "You married me!" " Alfred, please, I have nowhere else to go!" " That is not my affair." "You slept with Jack Jackson!" " Before we married." " When were you gonna tell me?" "Making love to Jack was the greatest sin I've ever committed." "And I ask God and you for forgiveness." "You are a whore and a liar and have made me a cuckold and a fool!" "It was also the only true good thing I have done in my entire life." "Ellen!" "I hear I have a grandson." "What happened?" "Alfred kicked me out." "You'll stay with me then." "Let me see him." "Well, there's no doubt he's Jack's." "He's small, but tough." "Tough like his grandmother." "May I?" "You have to find him, Aliena." "My grandson needs his father." " Where did he go?" "Do you know?" " To seek his own father's family." "To France?" "How..." "How could I possibly find him there?" "Do you love him?" "Yes." "Then you'll find him." "Thank you." "Where is the Church of Saint Denis?" "Follow the main road" "Thank you very much"