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Page 396
the governor of the city and the commander of the garrison of his arrival. Instead of a joyous welcome, his men were turned away. King Philip of France and Conrad of Montferrat had forbidden the city to open its gates to him, the King was told. Simon looked at the walls of Tyre and swallowed, scrabbling round in his mind for a method of dissuading Richard from a suicidal attack. The King had also been looking at the walls of Tyre. He did not choose to lose his temper.
"Philip and Conrad," he said softly, and left it at that.
They spent the night aboard ship and in the morning set sail down the coast toward Acre. Shortly after prime, a great transport with three masts and high castles fore and aft was sighted. Upon being hailed, the captain stated that it was a French ship out of genoa heading for Tyre. Richard looked at it and bit his lip. The ship was finer than any he had, any he had ever seen.
"My lord, it is no such thing," a voice called from among the oarsmen.
"What? Who speaks?"
The oarsman rose to his feet. "My lord, the French have no such ships. Only the Turks build such vessels."
"Do you swear it?" Richard prodded.
Simon rubbed his nose. Richard, he would lay odds, did not care a pin whose ship it was. He intended to take it. If it was Philip's, the King would think the joke all the better after the insult cast at him at Tyre, but he needed some excuse.
"You may cut off my head or hang me if those aboard are not Saracens," the oarsmen insisted.
"Turn," Richard bellowed at the captain. "Come up with her. Arms!" he called to his squires.
The curtain across the door of the women's tent was pushed aside. Berengaria stepped out. "Richard, what is it?" she asked.
The King spun around and glared, his color sud-

 
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