The White Knight: Tirant Lo BlancMartorell, Joanot
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The White Knight: Tirant Lo Blanc
Martorell, Joanot
Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction; Adventure stories; Knights and knighthood -- Fiction
On a day following these cruel events, Tirant went to the city
gate, worn with care. He was thinking about what had happened to
his princess, and wondering what danger had befallen
Plaerdemavida, and about how all his relatives were captives of
the Moors. He did not know whether to leave, or even if the
Moors would allow him to go. While he was thinking of all this,
a Christian captive from Albania came out the gate, crying and
lamenting because his master had cruelly whipped him, and was
making him dig in an orchard of his near the city. Tirant knew
the captive because he had talked to him several times, and
considered him a discreet man. He felt pity for him, and
thinking that there was no one else he could trust, he called the
slave over, and said to him:
"If you will do something for me, you will be given your freedom
to leave, or to stay here if you wish. However, you will have to
let yourself be whipped in our camp with a strap that will not
hurt you very much, and you will have to have your ears cut a
little. With your help, we'll be able to take the castle of Mont
Tuber where the king is. If it turns out as I think it will,
you'll be able to become a great lord. And if it does not turn
out well, I will still make sure you are given your liberty, and
that you have a good life."
The Christian captive answered:
"I want very much to have my freedom again, so I'll do what
you're asking."
Tirant thanked him, and said:
"I give you my word as a knight that I will not eat until you
have your freedom."
Tirant immediately left the captive and went to talk to the
commander. With the money he had, he ransomed the captive for
one hundred ducats.
One day it happened that the king sent two men who told Tirant's
forces that if they would come to terms with him he would be very
generous to them. The commander and Tirant told them that they
were not interested in any proposition; instead they wanted to
avenge the deaths of the King of Tremicen and his sons. After
they had this discussion, Tirant had a meal brought out for them
while the Albanian prepared to carry out the plan they had made.
When the meal was over the Albanian went over to where the silver
was, and stole a large, gilded urn made of silver. The guard
began to shout so that Tirant, as he was talking with the men
from the town, asked what all the uproar was about. Then
everyone saw the Albanian running with many men behind him, and
they saw them catch him and take him to the captain. The guard
had hold of him by the hair, and he said:
"My lord, I would like you to pass judgment on this thief. He
stole this silver urn."
Tirant wanted the commander to speak first, and he said:
"My sentence is for him to be hanged."
Tirant then said:
"Commander, this is no time for us to be killing people unless
it's in battle. I beg you to change the sentence, and have him
whipped and his ears cut."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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