All Things Are Lights

All Things Are Lights
by Robert J. Shea

"How much jousting have you done?"
"A little," replied the young troubadour.
"A little!" the Templar said ironically. "In tournaments all over Europe,
Count Amalric has bested hundreds of knights. Many times he has
killed men. Of course, it is against the rules. But he is a master at
making it look like an accident." He looked at Roland with an almost
fatherly kindness. "Indeed, Messire, the best advice I could give you
would be not to enter the tournament at all."
Roland laughed. "Such cautious advice from a Templar?"
"We fight for God, Messire. Have you as great a motive?"
"Yes, I do," said Roland, seeing Nicolette's eyes shining in the darkness
before him. "I fight for love."

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holder, Michael E. Shea ([email protected]).
A full description of this license can be found at the end of this work.
Folio V from Illuminated Manuscript of King Rene's "LeCueur
d'A-mour Esptis" with permission from the National Library, Vienna,
Austria.
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition: May 1986
Acknowledgments
Many people helped me with the writing of this book in a great many
different ways. I would especially like to express my gratitude to
Jeanne Bernkopf, Bernadette Bosky, Frances C. Bremseth, Gerald
Bremseth, Ric Erickson, Christine Hayes, Dave Hickey, Dr. Joseph R.
Kraft, Mary Kaye Kraft, Neal Rest, Michael Erik Shea, Morrison Swift,
Robert Anton Wilson, and Al Zuckerman.

I
ROLAND NARROWED HIS EYES AND STARED UPWARD INTO
THE DARKNESS, across the top of Mont Segur toward the Cathar
fortress. Standing on a high walkway of planks behind the palisade of
the crusaders' small wooden fort, he heard faraway voices and saw
torches moving on the Cathar rampart.
The two men on watch with him that night, a sergeant from
Champagne and a young man-at-arms from Brittany, were talking in
low tones about the women to be had far below, at the foot of the
mountain. They seemed not to see the activity about the Cathar
stronghold on the upper peak of the mountaintop opposite their own
fort. But Roland, knowing Diane was in the besieged fortress, could not
take his eyes from it.

He knew he had to act soon. Each day the crusaders grew stronger and
the Cathars weaker. Once the Cathar stronghold fell, the crusaders
would slaughter all within, including Diane. The sergeant, chuckling,
was offering his young companion a wineskin. The Breton never
received it.
From behind the Cathar wall came the sound of a huge thump, as if a
giant's fist had pounded Mont Segur. Roland recognized the sound, and
fought panic as he thrust his arms out, trying to push the other two men
toward the ladder. But there was no time for them to climb down to
safety. The thump was the counter-weight of a stone-caster, and the
whistling noise that followed fast upon it was the rock it had thrown.
A shape as big as a wine barrel blotted out the stars. The stone hit the
parapet beside Roland, and the whole palisade shuddered. Roland
caught a glimpse of the sergeant's horrified face and heard his scream
as the boulder struck him, crushing him to the ground.
Roland and the young man-at-arms clung to the wooden wall, saving
themselves from falling twenty feet to the yard below. Right beside
them was the gaping hole in the palisade left by the stone.
Roland knew more stones would soon follow, and wanted desperately
to jump for the ladder. But he forced himself to stand still long enough
to see what was happening at the Cathar fortress. He watched the wide
main gateway swing open. A blaze of red torchlight gleamed on
helmets and spear-points -- fighting men were pouring out on the run.
He waited a moment, counting. A hundred or more.
His breathing quickened and his heart pounded. Here was the diversion
he needed.
He shouted down into the darkness, adding his cry to the shouts of men
waking up within the crusader fort. "To arms! To arms! The Cathars
are attacking!"
Pushing the man-at-arms before him, he hurried down the ladder. The
young Breton was blubbering.

"Alain. The damned Bougres