CARPENTRAS 1 January 1348 AD
The next morning, it was apparent Old Georges had entered the hut: on the table, he found a bowl with fresh bread, ham and fruit. There was also a pitcher of red wine. Marius was not troubled, deep in sleep, wakened only by a marauding fox scratching at the door that took flight on hearing him rise. He ate and drank, grateful once more for the old man"s generosity. Refreshed after washing in the icy water of the Rhône, he pulled the cord at his waist tight, pushed in his dagger and, taking a final look around for the still absent Georges, set off to retrace the way back home to Dominique and Fabien. A childlike excitement welled within him at the thought of embracing her and revealing the news. The leagues through the forest seemed not the distance of the outw
