Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/92

68 "We shall see."

"Our fathers saw at Plovtsi, and we have seen at Vilno," answered Zyndram.

"Pax vobiscum! Pax, pax!" exclaimed Kropidlo. "Only let the reverend Mikolai of Kurov leave the bishopric of Kuyav, and the gracious king appoint me in his place, I will give you such a beautiful sermon on love among nations, that I will crush you completely, for what is hatred if not ignis (fire), and besides ignis infernalis (hell fire),—a fire so terrible that water has no effect on it, and it can be quenched only with wine. With wine, then! We will go to the ops! as the late bishop Zbisha said."

"And from the ops to hell, as the devil said," added the jester.

"May he take thee!"

"It will be more interesting when he takes you; the devil has not been seen yet with a Kropidlo (holy-water sprinkler), but I think that all will have that pleasure."

"I will sprinkle thee first," said Kropidlo. "Give us wine, and long life to love among Christians!"

"Among real Christians ! " repeated Lichtenstein, with emphasis.

"How is that?" asked the bishop of Cracow, raising his head. "Are you not in an old-time Christian kingdom? Are not the churches older here than in Malborg?"

"I know not," answered the Knight of the Cross.

The king was especially sensitive on the question of Christianity. It seemed to him that perhaps the Knight of the Cross wished to reproach him; so his prominent cheeks were covered at once with red spots, and his eyes began to flash.

"What," asked he in a loud voice. "Am I not a Christian king?"

"The kingdom calls itself Christian," answered Lichtenstein coldly, "but the customs in it are pagan."

At this, terrible knights rose from their seats,—Martsin Vrotsimovitse, Floryan of Korytnitsa, Bartosh of Vodzinek, Domarat of Kobylany, Povala of Tachev, Pashko Zlodye, Zyndram of Mashkovitse, Yasha of Targovisko, Kron of Koziglove, Zygmunt of Bobova, and Stashko of Harbimovitse, powerful, renowned, victors in many battles and in many tournaments; at one instant they were flushing with anger, at another pale, at another gritting their teeth they exclaimed, one interrupting another,—

"Woe to us! for he is a guest and cannot be challenged!"