CARPENTRAS, Vaucluse Department 1347 AD
Marius tugged the hood of his tunic to shield his face from the Mistral wind. Its name meant "masterly" in Old Occitan dialect, and that December morning, he appreciated why - its bitter wet blast was strong enough to cow the hardiest soul. The cold robbed the day of the dawn chorus, leaching any hint of sonorous brightness from the grey, icy day. There was little light along the steep, rough cart track and he took care not to turn his ankle in the deep ruts. The path skirted the estates of the Cabasse Fils vineyard, a vast 100 arpents of fertile land. The walk of two leagues would have been shorter had he cut straight through the myriad rows of vines but that route was f*******n by the owners. Prejudice led them to believe a catastrophic blight the
