the-secret-crusade-oliver-bowden

‘Marriage?’ said Maffeo. ‘She and Altaïr were wed?’
‘Indeed. Some two years after the events I’ve described, they were
wed at Limassol. The ceremony was held there as a measure of respect to
the Cypriots who had offered their island as a base for the Assassins,
making it a key stronghold for the Order. I believe Markos was a guest of
honour, and a somewhat ironic toast was proposed to the pirates, who
had inadvertently been responsible for introducing him to Altaïr and
Maria. Shortly after the wedding the Assassin and his bride returned to
Masyaf, where their son Darim was born.’
‘Their only son?’
‘No. Two years after the birth of Darim, Maria gave birth to another,
Sef, a brother to Darim.’
‘And what of him?’
‘All in good time, brother. All in good time. Suffice to say for now
that this represented a mainly peaceful and fruitful period for the
Master. He talks of it little, as though it is too precious to bring out into
the light, but much of it is recorded in his codex. All the time he was
making new discoveries and was in receipt of fresh revelations.’
‘Such as?’
‘He recorded them in his journals. In there you can see not only
compounds for new Assassin poisons, but for medicine too. Descriptions
of achievements yet to come and catastrophes yet to happen; designs for
armour and for new hidden blades, including one that fires projectiles.
He mused upon the nature of faith and of humanity’s beginnings, forged
from chaos, order imposed not by a supreme being but by man.’
Maffeo looked shocked. ‘ “Forged from chaos, order imposed not by a
supreme being …” ’