Fedor didn’t betray his intention either by his voice or the expression on his face. He struck all of a sudden, as swiftly as a viper. Reynevan dodged, surprising himself with the speed of his reaction. He caught the stooping prince by the arm and slammed him hard, head first, into the body of the wagon. He tugged the man towards himself, turned him around and punched him in the jaw with all his strength, simultaneously prising the dussack from his fingers. He pushed him away and smote. Ostrog howled and grabbed his head in his hand. Blood was pouring between his fingers.

“Ooooow!” he roared as he fell. “Kiiiiill him! Baszom az anyat! I fuck your mother! Kill him, kill him!”

Tłuczymost was the first to attack, followed by the Kondzioł brothers. Reynevan drove them back, swinging the dussack. Then Nadobny sprang at him from the side and stabbed with his sword, wounding him in the hip. Mikoszka Kondzioł leaped forward and slashed him across the biceps with a knife. Reynevan dropped the dussack, caught Kondzioł by the hand holding the knife and the blade cut his hand. Melchior Kondzioł went for him and stabbed with a dagger, the same one he had used to prise the gemstones from the icon. The blade slipped down over his ribs, but Reynevan still cringed in pain. Tłuczymost attacked and slashed him with a knife in the forehead near his hairline. Kuropatwa thrust his sword into Reynevan’s arm and at the same moment Pełka struck him with a swingletree, on his upper arm and again in the lower back and on the back of the head. Everything went black and Reynevan’s body went limp. He fell, grabbing the two halves of the icon and shielding them with his body. He felt blades stabbing and cutting him, felt heavy blows and kicks landing. Blood poured from his forehead, blinding him and dribbling down his nose into his mouth.

“Enough!” he heard Skirmunt shout. “Lord have mercy, that’s enough! Lay off him!”

“Aye, we’re wasting our time,” said Kuropatwa. “He’ll expire here anyway. Let’s go. Wrap something around Ostrog’s head, get him in the saddle and ride!”

“Ride!”

Hooves pounded and then faded into the distance. Reynevan vomited. And then curled up in a foetal position.

It grew darker. A light drizzle began to fall.

Pain.

Descendet sicut pluvia in vellus. She shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. During Her days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. And She shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

And thus shall it be until the end of the world, for She is the spirit.

The pain passes.