The Last Supper (Part 3) - Act XIII
three
"You've summoned quite a few people," Yakov said, his voice muffled by steam as he sat on a stone bench. "What are they here for?"
“You never care about my affairs, and now you’re only asking?” Yubi lay on the edge of the basalt pool, watching him examine the horsehair frosted cloth. “I’m not telling you.”
Yakov's eyes flickered. "Since you say so, it can't be a big deal." But he just grabbed the coarse cloth and rubbed his skin until it was red and engorged with blood. "Don't go too far."
Yubi hated his way of speaking. The vampire grabbed a wooden ladle and splashed cold water on the blood slave's face. "Margo and I have been learning to dance for a long time. I've invited them to a ball tomorrow." He bit his lip reluctantly. "Are you coming or not? You don't need to dance, just watch."
As expected, the boorish knight chuckled. "Don't drag me into your daily frivolity; I have plenty of things to do." He snatched the gourd from Yubi's hand. "I have to go on patrol."
Another patrol? Yubi's ears twitched. He feigned indignation, grabbed a towel, and leaned close to Yakov. "You patrol all the time, what's wrong with missing one day?"
"Tomorrow won't work."
Why not tomorrow?
“Tomorrow is the New Year in the □□,” Yakov sighed cryptically. “They’re going to celebrate and hold a market.”
“It’s October now, who celebrates the New Year in autumn?” Yubi raised his eyebrows and glared. “I think you’re just making this up!”
This time he clearly saw the Blood Slave roll his eyes at him with a mixture of helplessness and anger—but Yakov didn't continue speaking. He just took a deep breath, as if swallowing his anger, and picked up the soap to lather himself.
“Go or don’t go, it’s up to you.” Yubi wrapped the towel around herself. “I can have a lot of fun on my own.”
He splashed loudly through the water and left the silent, stinky man.
"He didn't suspect anything?" Margot pulled Yubi into a small dressing room. "What did he say?"
“He still said he had to go on patrol.” Yubi carefully took off his shoes and coat and placed them aside. “He even made up some ridiculous New Year’s story to fool me…”
“I’m not lying to you,” Margot said, turning to look at him from the pile of clothes. “Today is indeed the New Year in [the region]. They’re going to open markets, light streetlights, and chant hymns. Their calendar is based on the phases of the moon, not the seasons—you know, there aren’t any seasons here.”
Yubi was arranging his jewelry when he heard this and frowned. "It's because I'm not skilled enough," he said awkwardly, covering his head with an embroidered headscarf. "...I don't even know anything about things in my own city."
Margot acted as if she hadn't heard him, giving him no chance to wallow in self-pity. "My lord, why do you always choose such bright colors to wear!" She snatched the cloth and jewelry from his head. "You're dressed so beautifully, I'm in for a lot of trouble!"
"Huh?" Yubi blinked. "Don't girls only go out if they're all dressed up nicely?"
Upon hearing this, Margot's face revealed a meaningful expression, as if she had been subtly offended. "Ah, you're still a man after all, you don't understand these things." She rummaged through the trunk and pulled out a dull and conservative shawl, handing it to Yubi. "To dress up nicely, you have to put in extra effort to watch yourself. You don't want everyone on the street holding your hand and putting their arm around your shoulder, not letting you go without a couple of kisses on the cheek, do you?"
Yubi recalled Cicero's sweaty palm—the young lord immediately lowered his head in shame. "...I'm so sorry, Margo." He covered his hair again with the old cloth.
The girl grabbed his headscarf and tucked it tightly to both sides, covering his face completely, leaving only his eyes and nostrils showing. "No need to apologize, just be careful not to get sunburned." She then took out a large hooded cloak, stood on tiptoe, and placed it on Yubi's head. "This looks much more pious. From now on, you are my tall handmaid!"
Yubi didn't tell any of the blood slaves about this—his spacious hall was full of unfamiliar guests, and the blood slaves were busy enough just following his orders to entertain them. No one noticed how Margot disguised herself and led a female companion they didn't recognize out the door, nor did anyone notice that their master, who couldn't stand the sunlight, had quietly stepped into the sun. It felt incredibly exciting—Yubi only dared to look down at his own shadow, afraid that any smoke might emanate from him.
“This is something no one else could do, not me.” Margot held his hand and proudly raised her chin. “No other noble lady would have this ability.”
"Then where did you learn this wicked idea?" Yubi asked cautiously, her voice high-pitched. "To be honest, when you first arrived, I thought Lord Ibelin had sent me a perfect lady..."
“You make it sound like ‘Iberian’ is some kind of illustrious nobleman.” Margot led him quickly toward the city gate. “Before I was ten, I was in the French countryside, wrestling with other children in the mud. None of the boys my age could beat me.”
Yubi cautiously imagined the scene in his mind, and the comical yet joyful image made him envious. "You seem to be having a great time," he said, head bowed. "I've never had any playmates growing up."
“Don’t say that. Nobles are the ones to be envied.” Margot pouted in dissatisfaction. “They have people to serve and take care of them, their clothes and food are handed to them by hand, and they don’t have to do any work. The only thing they have to worry about all day is those letters in books.”
"Now that you've come to the Holy Land, you've achieved your wish and are now a noble."
“Haha, they captured me from France to be a nobleman, not for me, but for that thing between my legs.” Margot suddenly lifted her skirt crudely. “If you were a bad person, a greasy, lecherous city lord with big ears and scabies, what do you think I should do? What can I do?”
“…You can elope with someone!” Yubi thought of Yudosia’s detestable brother.
“I’m not going to elope!” Margot said. “If I elope, I’ll have endless work to do, with no rest all day long!”
“Everyone’s tolerance level is really different,” Yubi sighed. “Only you know whether you’re happy or not.”
Margot glanced at him sideways and smiled sweetly. "I love how understanding you are," she said, kicking her shoes cheerfully. "More considerate than anyone I've ever met!"
As they spoke, they emerged from the city gates of Ludl through a narrow path—besides the city walls, Yubi's territory also included several villages outside the walls, most of which were self-governing after paying taxes at the end of the year. The city lord was surprised to find that, leaving the city's hustle and bustle, the two had entered the countryside's vibrant atmosphere; liveliness was never just for the nobility. "It's New Year's Day," he thought, "Yakov really hasn't lied to me."
Tents made of camel and sheepskin stretched along the roadside, lanterns twinkling like hidden galaxies within. They varied in size and shape, their vibrant colors shimmering and dazzling. Yubi observed closely: wealthy families hung brass and glass lanterns on their carriages, while the poor children's lanterns, made of twigs and parchment, were not far behind. Countless candlelight shone from the lanterns, some in the shape of proverbs, others reflecting the colors of paint; even the simplest lanterns cast intricate and orderly shadows around their edges, like clusters of light-based flowers blooming. Everyone entering the tents felt as if they had stepped into a treasure trove of diamonds and gold; even the beggar's tattered woolen robe gleamed.
“So beautiful!” Margot exclaimed happily beside him, her voice drowned out by the chanting of sutras. “I want to buy one of these lamps to take home too!”
"What are vegetarian lamps?" Yubi asked, mouth agape, completely forgetting her initial awkwardness. "Are all of these vegetarian lamps?"
“Every household hangs this during festivals.” Margot had already let go of his hand and was running towards the vendor’s stall. “Wouldn’t you like one too?”
Yubi was about to agree with her idea, but immediately grabbed her tightly in fright. "...No! You're a Christian, you speak French! They'll definitely hate you and won't sell to you!"
“How could that be, sir!” Margot turned around in surprise. “Who in this world would care about such trivial matters and turn down money?”
The girl's sleeve flew away from Yubi's hand in an instant. The disguised city lord could only look around awkwardly, not daring to move his feet. In a short while, Margot gestured as she bought an exquisite vegetarian lamp from a stall, then snatched a plate of fried cheese sprinkled with pistachio crumbs from the chattering crowd, and finally picked out a blue necklace from a cart, even haggling with the merchant—she returned to Yubi with the lamp in her hand, the necklace around her neck, and cheese stuffed in her mouth, handing him the plate.
“It’s a bit too sweet; Saracen desserts are always cloyingly sweet,” she asked. “Would you like some?”
“I don’t need it anymore…” Yubi awkwardly pulled the headscarf up a little more.
“Then take a look at the jewelry stall over there?” Margot pointed to the necklace around her neck and showed it to him. “The man there said that only Persians can make this kind of blue ceramic.”
"No need..."
"Ugh, coming out with you is such a hassle!" Margot wiped the green nut powder from her mouth with annoyance. "Do you look down on these cheap deals, or do you dislike infidel things?"
“None of those,” Yubi sighed. “...I used to think that places like this were very dangerous.”
"Why?"
“Christians and *** will fight in my courtroom,” Yubi murmured. “They hate each other.”
"Do you think the people here hate Christians?"
"Isn't that so?"
“I do hate them, but it’s not you or me I hate.” Margot clicked her tongue. “Unless you’re wearing a cross and holding a sword and forcing them to leave.”
Is that really so? Yakov's image flashed through Yubi's mind. He thought, the Crusader states were built on plunder and conquest; could the Saracens truly hate only the knights and the army, and not the pilgrims and travelers? Weren't the pilgrims and travelers able to tread on Jerusalem's land because the knights and the army had first slaughtered all the vagrants? He gazed at the flickering alms lamp in Margot's hand, and the Persian blue porcelain necklace around her neck. But the girl's grey-green, Frankish eyes looked at him innocently and ignorantly in the sunlight. He wondered, what crime had she, so young and happy, committed to deserve such hatred?
“…Then I’ll go take a look at those jewels too.” Yubi finally started walking. “I want to add some new decorations to my veil.”
"Ha, you've finally figured it out!" Margot jumped up and took his hand. "I love your intelligence too!"
"You probably only persuaded me to come out so I could go to the market."
"Sigh, it won't interfere with anything else!"
Yubi smiled shyly, as if they were truly two close female friends, able to pour out all their troubles and carefree with a light and joyful air. The two immersed themselves in the small market, chatting with merchants in their rudimentary Arabic and buying anything that caught their eye. Yubi dropped two coins as he passed a musician, and Margot couldn't resist trying any novel drink or food—the vampire suddenly remembered the past, when he still wore that ring. In those ports and markets he was visiting for the first time, he too had enjoyed the same simple happiness as Margot. Back then, the world was so new and bright to him, but the longer the days went by, the more his sordid aspects became apparent, leaving him unsure whether to blame himself for growing old or the world for becoming outdated.
"There are so many people gathered there." Margot's face flushed slightly. "I want to go take a look!"
"Is there a performance?" Yubi craned her neck to look.
“It looks like a game.” Margot pulled him down to squeeze into the crowd.
Yubi was rather rudely dragged by her to the front row—in the center of the crowd, many torches were lit, and groups of children were picking up stones and piling them under the smoke. Two Saracens dressed in white robes and white turbans were digging a pit, about half a person deep. Everyone watched this scene with a strange solemnity on their faces, whispering among themselves.
"...What are they doing?" Margot asked in a low voice, puzzled. "What are they talking about?"
“My Arabic isn’t that good yet…” Yubi carefully covered his head with his headscarf. “They said they were waiting for someone to come.”
“Maybe there’s a circus and dancers!” Margot stood on tiptoe. “I’ve never seen a Saracen circus before!”
Suddenly, the murmurs of the crowd subsided. Yubi's keen ears caught the sound of a woman weeping. He looked up and saw an elderly man with a snow-white beard walking towards him. Behind him, the weeping grew closer and closer—the young city lord suddenly realized that he had seen these two faces before in the courtroom of St. George's Church.
The woman was tightly bound with ropes. Two men in white put down their shovels and forced her to kneel by the pit. The cross necklace around her neck fell into the mud along with her tears.
The white-bearded elder—the Imam—walked to the front of the crowd and raised his arms toward the sun. "God is great!" he shouted angrily.
"God is great!" all the people shouted along with him.
“We have gathered here to practice the truth of the Lord.” The Imam, stepping through the swirling sand, approached the woman. “The Lord knows all things; the Lord is most merciful and compassionate. The Lord said, ‘Whoever forsakes the faith and dies as an unbeliever, their good deeds will be rendered meaningless; they will be lost in this world and the Hereafter, and will dwell eternally in Hellfire.’”
"The teachings must not be abandoned, and the righteous path must not be dishonored! Those who betray the faith abandon their Lord as they would their parents, and betray their community as they would their own flesh and blood!"
"According to God's judgment, those who turn away from the right path shall be sentenced to death!"
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