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That did it, Simon thought, loosening his sword in its scabbard and adjusting the loop of his morning-star so that his hand would slip in quickly. When the King began to speak in plural person in an informal situation like this, his temper had been roused. |
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Richard looked around at his fifty knights. ''You," he said to de Mara, "take good care to keep out of the crowd. And any other of you who feel the same way had better stay with him." He turned his attention again to the Emperor's forces. A forest of banners was progressing slowly up a nearby hill. "Look at them," Richard exclaimed. "If I saw a troop of my enemy sitting so close, would I not send my army to drive them away or destroy them instead of parading about?" |
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"No," Simon replied drily. |
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"What?" Richard thundered. |
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"I said you would not send your army," Simon repeated. "Doubtless you would go yourself with as equal a number of knights as you could judge. But Comnenus has no chivalry." |
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The sally drew a laugh, but the damage had been done. Richard would not accept the warning bound up in the compliment beyond waiting a little while longer to see whether the opposing force had heart enough to attack. Then Richard grouped his knights. When even that aggressive activity did not spur Comnenus, the King fewtered his lance and set spurs to his horse. Simon's lance came down behind and to the left of Richard's. The whole troop thundered forward. |
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It almost seemed as if the opposing army had been watching with blind eyes. Their reactions were those of men taken by surprise. Perhaps they, like de Mara, could not believe so few would attack so many. Richard's troops burst through the center, decimating the men in that area and scattering knights and foot soldiers like chaff. Having won through, the King set up a shout to rally his forces, threw down what was |
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