the-secret-crusade-oliver-bowden

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‘Send him a message,’ said Altaïr. ‘Tell him to expect me within theweek.’
36He sailed to Cyprus alone – although not quite alone. He took Maria. Hehad told Jabal that he could use her as Templar bait, but he wrote in hisjournal that he liked to have her with him; it was as simple and ascomplicated as that. There had been too few women in his life. Thosewho shared his bed had done little more than satisfy a need, and he hadyet to meet a woman able to stir those feelings found above waist height.Had he met her now? He scratched the question in his journal.Arriving in Limassol they discovered that the Templars had occupiedthe island in earnest. As ever the port was soaked in the orange light ofthe sun and the sandstone shone with it; the blue waters glittered andthe gulls wheeling and swooping above their heads kept up a constantnoise. But everywhere there were the red crosses of the Templars, andwatchful soldiers eyeing a begrudging populace. They lived under theiron gauntlet of the Templars now, their island sold from beneath themby a king whose claim to it was tenuous at best. Most carried on withtheir lives; they had mouths to feed. A few plucky souls had formed aResistance, though. It was they who would be most sympathetic toAltaïr’s mission, they he planned to meet.He made his way from his ship and along the docks. With him cameMaria, her hands bound. He’d made sure she had removed any signsidentifying her as a Templar Crusader and, to all intent and purposes,
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Also in the Assassin’s Creed seri
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PENGUIN BOOKSPublished by the Pengu
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PrologueThe majestic ship creaked a
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Part One119 June 1257Maffeo and I r
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‘That all depends. Your pitch mak
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‘The invading force?’‘Yes. Sa
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he was as angered by the Assassins
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‘He is half the leader Salah Al
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himself, feeling the early-morning
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Mualim.‘As long as interests allo
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‘Your last chance, Assassin,’ c
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420 June 1257This morning I awoke w
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leader, the Master Assassin; his sk
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‘I would not have drawn attention
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reaching with his right hand to smo
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climbing quickly down the first lad
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arrogant: it was himself. All of a
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5Altaïr arrived at Masyaf after an
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wrong with him. ‘Buried in his bo
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littered the floor beneath it. He r
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6Malik stood at the entrance to the
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Now he turned his attention to Alta
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appearing, villagers and Assassins
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on the platform.Then, without cerem
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trap rigged and ready to be sprung:
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‘His force is broken,’ continue
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His eyes widened as they went to th
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commits upon another. It refers to
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‘It’s the price you pay for the
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Inside, he kept his head down, movi
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smile. Either that or use his blade
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patchwork of carts, stands and merc
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turned on him. It could be that we
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he’s planning.’‘I know only t
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He reached below his desk and retri
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A frightened sound escaped the merc
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opportunity? With the entire market
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11Tamir, the first of the nine: Al
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visit …’He smiled at his own jo
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conducting tests - tests for some u
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guards to be allowed inside. Others
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reaction to him. ‘Cast out this f
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De Naplouse smiled indulgently. ‘
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‘In body, perhaps. But not in min
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13‘Garnier de Naplouse is dead,
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little challenge.’Malik curled hi
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Then, from behind, Altaïr heard an
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‘You know nothing. It was folly t
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facing multiple opponents.Altaïr v
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Altaïr was gaining on Talal now, t
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crowds, Talal’s corpse staining t
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with the shame of having succumbed
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which his father had died and left
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blade across his own throat, grinni
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before it begins in earnest?’‘N
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at least, he envied him.
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The soldier pursed his lips. ‘His
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‘Your words will see you hanged,
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18Altaïr returned to the citadel,
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The Lionheart roared. ‘Oh, yes. A
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Altaïr pulled himself up to the ro
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Altaïr had reached his position wi
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de Montferrat, as though such thing
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men do not bother to make the disti
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Although he’d been about to move
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Altaïr had overheard lurid descrip
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I wish to speak more of this war -
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service to the same God that calls
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‘I think if you had another, you
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‘Altaïr - before you go?’‘Ye
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down and saw his chance, coming for
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23As he had approached the Wailing
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Could he better them all in that ti
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‘Here are four filled with sin,
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‘It was a single dinar,’ the ac
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dawn on Addin that death was near.
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himself up on to the canopy, feelin
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beyond. But they cannot succeed in
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‘Which is what I’ve had you doi
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they weren’t paying attention. Th
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standing at the window, watching ov
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documents? In the name of some ‘n
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Collect any remaining writings and
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show mercy had been the right one.
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Jabal considered. ‘This will make
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The holy man was desperate now. ‘
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out there, Assassin,’ he screeche
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through a thick shaft of light shin
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however, his hand went to his side.
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skill.’‘Cunning,’ said Abbas.
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There was a moment of shocked silen
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pair of guards, who came hurrying u
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Again, Malik somehow understood.
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Page 190 and 191: rising and the setting of the sun.
Page 192 and 193: be quite so fortunate next time.The
Page 194 and 195: Altaïr bridled. ‘Speak sense,’
Page 196 and 197: slew. Learn what you can. You call
Page 198 and 199: the living, the screams of the dyin
Page 200 and 201: make a long dash, coming ever close
Page 202 and 203: standing at his side, who wore a fu
Page 204 and 205: suffered the cuts and blows that Al
Page 206 and 207: that he was pure - pure Assassin. T
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Page 210 and 211: ‘He threatened my brothers and wh
Page 212 and 213: 32Masyaf was not as he had left it:
Page 214 and 215: more of his attackers to make a gap
Page 216 and 217: him. Just the same sense of thick,
Page 218 and 219: victor’s assurance.‘I’ve neve
Page 220 and 221: him. Tamir died screaming at one, t
Page 222 and 223: Templars had to die.’ He sighed.
Page 224 and 225: way then the other, hoping to catch
Page 226 and 227: glowing on the marble. Waiting.‘Y
Page 228 and 229: Part Three3423 June 1257Sitting in
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Page 232 and 233: 35Night was falling over Acre port,
Page 234 and 235: His fears were realized. He’d wai
Page 236 and 237: and he had to move fast to defend.
Page 240 and 241: she was his slave. This situation,
Page 242 and 243: Maria piped up from behind them:
Page 244 and 245: Castle. A real brute.’Altaïr nod
Page 246 and 247: a duel between two of his men. The
Page 248 and 249: His heart was hammering as he drew
Page 250 and 251: his formidable appearance as much a
Page 252 and 253: ‘How dare you?’ she retorted an
Page 254 and 255: 39They travelled as a monk and his
Page 256 and 257: We repaired to his family seat, Hal
Page 258 and 259: ‘But is chaos something to be cel
Page 260 and 261: Assassin scaled the ladder and then
Page 262 and 263: country of these Crusaders.’Excel
Page 264 and 265: Jonas was pinned by his blade, bloo
Page 266 and 267: one hand Barnabas was an ally. On t
Page 268 and 269: Barnabas, who was nowhere to be see
Page 270 and 271: 42Altaïr did indeed see for himsel
Page 272 and 273: the heat of the flames, oblivious t
Page 274 and 275: it had a flaw. It would be fatal if
Page 276 and 277: 43Maria was gone. Taken by Crusader
Page 278 and 279: So it was that Altaïr found himsel
Page 280 and 281: ‘Let her play,’ smiled Bouchart
Page 282 and 283: people? Did she still have enough r
Page 284 and 285: She resisted. ‘Shalim, no. Please
Page 286 and 287: he stepped inside a wicket door, di
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45On a wide, baking-hot balcony, Ma
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He screamed and crumpled just as sh
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I remember my moment of weakness, m
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material fell away to reveal a deca
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Alexander, the angry mob having bee
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Protruding from his chest was a bla
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ran along the wall of a cavernous s
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‘Purchasing what you already cont
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murder, you might understand this.
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Part Four4815 July 1257Maffeo has t
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‘Marriage?’ said Maffeo. ‘She
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promote the way of the Assassin stu
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49From a distance all looked well w
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‘I expected to be met by Rauf,’
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‘I’m not at liberty to say, Mas
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resentment. He saw a rival. And for
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‘Perhaps not,’ said Altaïr, ev
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51Later, Altaïr and Maria sat in t
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‘Perhaps Malik has nurtured a hat
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He crept forward until he could see
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52They laid Malik on a pallet and M
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foundations you lay will be even st
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Abbas dropped the head back into th
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Abbas looked concerned. He pulled M
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because Maria was dead at his hands
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5310 August 1257Altaïr means us to
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and lying down with his thawb pulle
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too. He sipped then gulped, wetting
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around Mukhlis’s legs.‘Masyaf,
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54The bowman reached for his bow bu
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three offensives, picking up new wo
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blade and stared narrow-eyed at Lon
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‘It seems the Master has given Fa
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his hood over his head, liking the
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Abbas was forced to quell an uprisi
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had moved with him like a shadow, s
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Altaïr sensed his world lurch a li
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57The next morning, as day broke, M
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was in there somewhere. It had need
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crowds were becoming restless. He f
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He darted forward with his sword sw
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swiping at his legs. When his oppon
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honour than you will ever know, and
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They pulled up at the edge of the m
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Fahad nodded. ‘You have a wiser h
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force in the rebuilding of the Orde
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‘A last favour, Niccolò. Take th
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1 January 1258The first day of a ne
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EpilogueFrom above him on deck the
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Shihab Al’din, his sonAltaïr’s
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Maria LoretoAlex ClarkeAlice Shephe
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