the-secret-crusade-oliver-bowden

cause.’
‘For shame,’ said one of the men.
‘He knows nothing,’ spat another.
‘Peace. Peace. Hold your tongues,’ admonished de Montferrat. ‘Aye,
he speaks falsely, but his words are not without some merit. To tour
these grounds, it is easy to find fault. To see imperfection. I fear we have
grown slack and lazy.’
Above him, Altaïr allowed himself a smile. The method of his
entrance was testament to how slack and lazy de Montferrat’s men had
become. And as for his half-asleep archers …
‘Why do you say this?’ asked one of de Montferrat’s men. They
bristled, all of them. Altaïr used the sudden eruption of noise as cover to
crab to one side, wanting to position himself above his quarry, very, very
carefully moving around the courtyard walls. Now he could see what
most of the men below did not. From a door at the opposite end of the
courtyard more guards had appeared dragging two men. They wore the
outfits of Crusaders but were prisoners.
‘I see the way you train,’ de Montferrat was shouting down below.
‘You lack conviction and focus. You gossip and gamble. Tasks set to you
are left unfulfilled or poorly performed. This ends today. I will not suffer
further degradation at Richard’s hands. Whether or not you see it – and
you should – this is your fault. You’ve brought shame upon us all. Skill
and dedication are what won us Acre. And they will be required to keep
it. I have been too lenient, it seems. But no more. You will train harder
and more often. If this means missing meals, missing sleep – so be it.
And should you fail in these tasks, you will learn the true meaning of
discipline … Bring them forward.’