Chapter 9 Chapter VII

At the house of businessman Amirei, Macko and Zbyszko are considering what to do.The old knight was about to die; Father Kipek, a Franciscan friar with experience in wound healing, also diagnosed him in the same way, so he was going back to Bogdaniec to die, where he could die. Buried next to the cemetery of his ancestors in Ostrov. Not all his ancestors were buried there.In ancient times, his family was a thriving family of knights.Their battle cry was: "Grache!" and their shields bore the coat of arms of "Demba Podakova" because they considered themselves more prominent than those nobles who had no right to use coats of arms.In 1331, at the battle of Plovtsi, seventy of Bogdaniec's warriors were shot dead in the moor by German archers.Only one Fuyi Cuihe, nicknamed Duer, escaped.After this defeat by the Germans, King Vladislav Logedek gave him a coat of arms and gave him the land of Bogdaniec as his domain.Fu Yi Cui Hyuk returned home and found that his family had been completely extinct.

① A long-horned bison, now extinct. While the warriors of Bogdaniec were dying under the bows of the Germans, the robber knights of Silesia came to attack their homeland, burned their houses, slaughtered the peasants, or took them into slavery.This Fuyi Cuihe inherited a large and desolate land of the whole "Vrodika" family all by himself.Five years later he married and had two sons, Jasko and Macko.Later, while hunting in the forest, he was killed by a long-horned bison. The two sons were raised by their mother.Her mother's maiden name was Kahena of Spallenica.She was so brave that she avenged herself by defeating the Germans in Silesia twice on two expeditions; but she died in the third expedition.Before her death, she built a small town in Bogdaniec with the help of her slaves; so Yasko and Matsko, although both are called the As "Wrodika", but now he has become an important person. When Yasko came of age, he married Jagienka of Mokhatsev and gave birth to Zbyszko; Still take care of the property and nephew as much as possible.

However, during the period of civil war between the Grzymarchik and Nalenchi families, Bogdaniec was burned again, and the peasants were separated.Although Macko worked hard for several years, he still couldn't revive the family business.In the end, he mortgaged the estate to one of his abbot relatives, and took little Zbyszko to Lithuania to fight the Germans. He never forgot Bogdaniec.The reason why he went to Lithuania was that he hoped to get some booty and become rich so that he could return to Bogdaniec to redeem the pledged land, let the slaves develop it, rebuild the small town, and make Zbyszko settle here.So now that Zbyszko had been freed, they discussed the matter at the house of the merchant Amirei.

They already had enough money to buy back the land.The booty they had obtained, the ransom they had received from the captured knights, and Witout's reward, already amounted to a considerable fortune.They fought the two Frisian knights and gained a lot of benefits from it.The two sets of armor alone were considered to be a great wealth of the family at that time; in addition to the armor, they also captured carriages, men, clothes, money and a large number of war equipment.The merchant Amy Rey bought many of these things from them, among them two bolts of beautiful Flemish broadcloth.Macko sold a splendid suit of armor because he didn't think he'd need it.The merchant sold it the next day to Marcin of Vrocimovici, whose coat of arms was "Porkoza".He sold it for a good sum, for in those days Milanese armor was considered the best armor in the world, and was very valuable.After selling, Zbyszko regretted it very much.

① Flanders (Flandes): The name of the ancient country, including the current Belgium, southern Netherlands, and northern France. "If God restores your health," he said to his uncle, "where will you find such armor?" "It's the same as this one, and I'll look for it from the Germanic dagger," Macko replied. "But, I can't escape death. I can't pull out the spearhead on my body. Every time I pull it out with my hands, it gets pulled deeper and deeper. Now there is no way." "You have to drink two or three pots of bear oil."

"Hey! Father Kipek also said that bear oil is an effective medicine. But where can I get it in this area? It's not as easy as killing a bear in Bogdaniec!" "Then we must go back to Bogdaniec! Only you must not die on the way." Old Macko looked at his nephew lovingly. "I know where you're going; either to the court of Duke Janusi, or to Jurand in Spyhol to fight the Germans in Herminczyk." "I don't deny it. I would be glad to go to Warsaw, or to Ciechanov, with the princess's court; and I hope to stay with Danusia as long as I can, because now she not only My lover, and my lover too. I tremble all over when I think of her! I would even follow her to the ends of the earth; but, of course, you are the most important thing now. You have not deserted me, so I also decide Not forsaking you. We must go to Bogdaniec.

"You're a good boy," Macko said. "God will punish me if I don't care about you. Look, they're all ready! I ordered a carriage to be stuffed with hay. Amirevovna has made us a stuffed quilt, But I'm afraid it will be too warm for you. We walked slowly with the princess's court, so that you are well taken care of. When they go to Mazovia, we will go home; God help us !" ①That is the daughter of Amichoi. "I wish I could rebuild the town with my own hands before I die!" cried Macko. "I know you won't think about Bogdaniec after I die."

"Why wouldn't I?" "Because your thoughts are full of wars and love." "Haven't you thought of war before? I've already planned what I have to do; first, I'm going to rebuild the town." "Are you really going to do that?" Macko asked. "Okay, what about after the town is built?" "As soon as the town is finished, I'll go to Warsaw to the Duke's court, or to Ciechanov." "After I die?" "If you die soon, then wait till you die; but I will go after you have a proper burial; and if the Lord Jesus restores your health, you will stay in Bogdaniec. Duchess If you promised me, the duke will give me the knight belt. Otherwise, Lichtenstein would not fight me."

"Are you going to Marlborough then?" "To Marlborough, and even to the ends of the earth to find Lichtenstein." "I don't blame you for this! You two must die!" "I'll bring his belt and gloves to Bogdaniec, don't worry!" "You must be careful not to be fooled. There are a lot of bad people among them." "I will beseech Duke Janusi to write to the Grand Master for a pass. It is a time of peace. I am going to Marlborough, where there are always many knights. You know what will happen to me then? First, Go to Lichtenstein; then to those who wear peacock feathers, and challenge them in turn. If the Lord Jesus grants me victory, I will fulfill my vow."

Zbyszko, as he said, amused himself at the thought; he had the air of a child describing such and such a chivalrous feat to be accomplished when he is a man. "Hey!" Macko said, "if you defeat the three noble knights, you will not only fulfill your oath, but you will also bring back some spoils!" "Three!" cried Zbyszko. "I made my own vow in prison, and I will never be selfish to Danusia. I will defeat the knight with two hands!" Macko shrugged his shoulders. "Are you surprised?" said Zbyszko. "I'm leaving Marburg to go to Jurand of Spyhof. Why shouldn't I pay homage to him? He's Danusia's father. With him I'll attack Helmincik's German. You told me yourself that there was no greater anti-German warrior in all of Masovia."

"And if he refuses to marry Danusia to you?" "Why not? He is seeking revenge. I am seeking revenge. Can he find a better helper than me? Besides, the Duchess has made an engagement for us, and he will not refuse." "I see," Macko said, "you're going to take all of Bogdaniec as squires, put on your knightly pomp, and leave this land uncultivated. As long as I live , I will never let you do this; but when I die, I know you will take these people away." "God will help me get a squire; Yanko of Durza is our relation, and he will help me." Then the door opened, and as if to prove that God would indeed help Zbyszko get a retinue, two men entered.They are all dark-skinned, short in stature, wearing yellow long-sleeved kaftans, baggy trousers, and red hats that resemble Jewish clothing.They stopped at the door, raised their hands to their foreheads, to their mouths, to their chests, and bowed deeply. "Who are these two ghosts?" Macko asked. "who are you?" "Your slaves," the visitor replied in broken Polish. "Why? From where? Who sent you here?" "Lord Chavisha sent us here as slaves, as a gift to the young knight." "Oh my God! Two more people!" Macko exclaimed happily. "Which country are you from?" "We are Turks!" "Turk?" repeated Zbyszko. "I have two Turks in my squire. Have you ever seen a Turk?" So he jumped at them, turning them around and looking at them curiously. "I've never seen a Turk," said Macko, "but I've heard that there were Turks among the servants of Lord Gapov when he fought for the Roman Emperor Siegment on the Danube. Captives. How? You're all heretics, you dogs?" "My lord ordered us to be baptized," said one of them. "Didn't you pay the ransom?" "We have come from afar, from the coast of Asia, from Brusa." ① Place names, in Asia Minor (the general name of the area between the Black Sea and Arabia). Zbyszko was always delighted to hear war stories, especially about the famous Tsavisha of Gapov, he loved to hear every detail, and he asked how they were captured.But they did not come up with anything outstanding, except that Chavisha attacked them in the valley, some of them were killed, some were captured, and he gave the captives as presents Friends in every way.Both Zbyszko and Macko were delighted at the sight of such a noble gift, especially since it was so difficult to get hands, and to have hands was to have real wealth. At this time Povara and Bashiko Zirochiai of Biskupitri came with Chavisha.They had all helped to save Zbyszko, and they were all happy to see that it had come true, and each gave him some presents as souvenirs.Tachev's generous lord gave him a beautiful and spacious horse-cloth embroidered with gold; Bashiko sent him a Hungarian sword and ten "grivins".Afterwards came Reis from Tegovisco, Farurei, Kircon from Kosiglovic, Marcin from Wrocimovici, and finally Shengtra from Mashikovic. Hum; everyone brought a bountiful present. Zbyszko welcomed them with great joy, for these gifts marked the friendship to him of the most famous knights in the kingdom.They asked him when he was leaving, how Macko's health was, and told him about various remedies that worked wonders for wounds. But Macko asked them to take care of Zbyszko, because he himself was going to another world.He said that he had a piece of iron spearhead between his ribs, and it seemed that he could not survive.He also complained that he vomited blood and could not eat.He ate a quart of shelled nuts a day, a two-finger-long sausage, and a plate of hard-boiled eggs.Father Chipek bled him several times, hoping to disperse the internal heat around his heart and restore his appetite, but to no avail. ① A quart is a quarter of a gallon, or about 1.14 liters. However, he was very happy to see the many gifts everyone gave to his nephew, and he felt better physically.Later, the merchant Amirei ordered a cask of wine to be brought in honor of these famous guests, and Macko drank with them.They talked of Zbyszko's release, of his engagement to Danusia.The knights had no doubts that Jurand of Spyhof would agree to the marriage, especially if Zbyszko later avenged Danusia's mother by taking a few tufts of peacock feathers. would disagree. "As for Lichtenstein," said Chavexia, "I don't think he will accept your challenge, since he is a beggar priest and an officer of the Order. Why! His retainers told me that he might Will be elected as the head of the regiment!" "If he refuses to duel, it will damage his honor," said Tegovisco's Reece. "No," replied Chavisa, "because he is not a secular knight; and a beggar is not allowed to fight a duel with another." "But they often duel." "It's because the order is corrupt. Crusader knights can take any vow, but they often break it, and it sets a bad example for the whole Catholic world. But a crusader, especially a 'com To', there is no obligation to accept other people's challenge." "Ah! So the only time you can meet him is in war." "But it is said that there will be no war now," said Zbyszko, "because the Knights of the Crusader are afraid of us returning home." Sentram of Mashikovic heard this, and said: "This peace is short-lived. There is no good understanding with wolves. They must live by robbing other people's property." "We may still have to fight Timur the Lame," Povara said. "The Duke of Witout was defeated by Edica; that is true." "Really. 'Voyevda' Spitko is not coming back," said Bashko Zirochiai of Bisguppitri. "The late Queen also prophesied so," said Lord Tarchev. "Ah! Then we may have to fight Timur." Speaking of this, the topic turned to the issue of the Lithuanian expedition against the Tatars.It was no doubt due to his recklessness that the capable general, Duke Witout, suffered a disastrous defeat at Wyskla, in which many Lithuanian "nobility" and a few Polish knights were killed.The knights now assembled at Amirei's house especially mourned Spiteko of Melhidin, for he was one of the greatest lords in the kingdom, who volunteered for the expedition, and after that battle , he disappeared - no one knows his whereabouts.They praised his chivalrous deeds, and told how he had received from the Khan of the Tartars a "korpak" for the head, but he would not wear it in battle, preferring an honorable death to one. The rulers of pagan countries spared his life.However, it is still unclear whether he died or was captured.If he had been a prisoner, he would have been able to pay the ransom, because he had a lot of money, and King Vladislav gave him the whole of Potor as a fief. ① That is, the prince is the title of the Tatars. ②A tall hat with a pointed top. But the defeat of Witout's army might be a disaster for Achaean's entire empire.No one knows when the ambitious Tatars, who have conquered Witout, will invade the lands and cities of the Grand Duchy.In that case, the Kingdom of Poland would be involved in the war.So many knights who were used to seeking adventure and fighting in foreign countries, such as Chavesia, Farurei, Dubko, and even Povara, planned to stay in Krakow, and they did not know what was about to happen.If Timur, who ruled twenty-seven countries, dispatched the entire Mongol world to attack the west, then the kingdom would be in great danger. "We shall test our swords against the Cripple, if necessary. We shall not be dealt with so easily as against the other nations he conquered and destroyed. Then the other Catholic workers will help us." Upon hearing this, Sentram of Mashikovich, who hated the Knights in particular, said sharply: "I don't know about the princes; but the Knights of the Crusaders even make friends with the Tartars, and attack us from the other side." "Then we shall have a war!" cried Zbyszko. "I'm going to fight the Crusader Knight!" But the other knights contradicted Centrum.It is true that the Knights of the Crusaders do not fear God, and they only pursue their own interests; but they will never help pagans against the Catholic people.Besides, Timur was fighting somewhere in Asia, and the Tatar Khan Idika had lost so much in this battle that he was afraid of even winning it.Duke Witout, being a man of strategy, assured him he would be on his guard; and even if the Lithuanians were unsuccessful this time, the conquest of the Tartars was nothing new to them. "We have to fight a life-and-death battle, not with the Tartars, but with the Germans," said Sentram of Mahikovich, "and if we do not crush them, they will destroy us .” Then he turned to Zbyszko and said: "First Masovia will perish. You can always find plenty to do there; don't worry!" "Hey! If my uncle is well, I'll go up there at once." "God help you!" said Povara, raising his glass. "Good health to you and Danusia!" "To the extermination of the Germans!" added Sentram of Mahikovich. So the knights began to say goodbye to Zbyszko.At that moment one of the Duchess's courtiers entered with an eagle on his arm.After bowing to the knights present, he said to Zbyszko with a special smile: "The Duchess wants me to tell you," he said, "that she will stay in Cracow for another night and start tomorrow." "Very well," said Zbyszko, "but why? Is anyone sick?" "No, the Duchess has a visitor from Masovia." "Is it the Duke himself?" "Not the prince, but Jurand of Spyhof," answered the court valet. Zbyszko was terribly perplexed at this, and his heart beat as violently as when he was sentenced to death.