The Black Knight

By Dick Senior

This latest book is written in the hope that someday, we can all get along and pray together. If this book gets just one person to do that, then life will have been accomplished.

Enjoy it with an open mind.


Dick Senior

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543414349

Dick Senior

Dick was born in PENNSYLVANIA, and lived on a farm in his early years. After graduating from Bradford high school, he worked as a Machinist in the area. Later becoming a Plummer and moved to California. He also worked on housing, high-rise buildings, and nuclear and conventional power houses. After retiring, he moved to PAHRUMP, N.V. where he was asked to join a poetry group. After a couple of years he began to write poetry and short stories. Some were put on their web site, - TUMBLE WEED TALES. He stayed there for thirteen years and continually rode up into the mountains, fixing up old cattle tanks that had gone dry. This was his way of helping out the wildlife. Time to give back, from all the hunting he did over the years. For the elk, deer, and horses, it was a long trek between waterholes. This lead to more stories and books that he had to write. Many accolades from the local Art Council, and the Bureau of Land Management, and the city of Pahrump were given to him for what he did on the mountain. Books were then written about him, and what he was doing for the wild life. Later came the book about space, ‘The light in the window,’- Who do you think you would meet in space? Then came, ‘SEVEN DAYS ON THE MOUNTAIN,’- experiences with wildlife. Next came a children’s book written for his great grand children, - UNDER GRAMPA’S YUM YUM TREE.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Dick Senior.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017905447

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-5434-1436-3

            Softcover   978-1-5434-1435-6

       eBook   978-1-5434-1434-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 05/05/2017

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Prelude

Chapter 1 King Richard Coeur De Lion

Chapter 2 The Call To Arms

Chapter 3 A Young Man Makes A Decision

Chapter 4 Kushka And The Persian Lion Ma-Tu

Chapter 5 Leaving Home

Chapter 6 The Sword Of Damascus

Chapter 7 Joining Saladins Army

Chapter 8 Let There Be Light

Chapter 9 A New Beginning

Chapter 10 The Journey

Chapter 11 Leaving Persia

Chapter 12 The Tax Man

Chapter 13 Amnesty

Chapter 14 The Arena

Chapter 15 The Contest

Chapter 16 The Day Of The Champion

Chapter 17 The Way Home

Chapter 18 Leaving England

Chapter 19 The Oasis

Chapter 20 The Resting Place Of Johns Son

Chapter 21 Coming Home

Chapter 22 Kushka Goes Home

Chapter 23 To Build A Temple

Chapter 24 The Finished Temple

Acknowledgements

With my eyes I write the stories

But my memories fill the pages-

With the pen

I am the shadow in the book

PRELUDE

A thousand years ago with much persuasion, The Pope, Richard the LION HEARTED of FRANCE and some of the European countries were persuaded to take back the Holy Land that had reverted back to the Muslims. The crusades lay near the backbone of Christianity because they tell, after a thousand years it still perseveres, and it has been documented in history. Written words tell of the wars that followed and the dark times that had to be endured for many years. This is a story of one mans quest for truth even though he did not know the meaning of truth from the start of his life.

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CHAPTER 1

King Richard Coeur de Lion

A long time ago in the land of FRANCE, a message was sent to King Louis V11 from the POPE, THE HOLY EMPEROR EUGENIUS 111. It stated that the holy land must be taken back from the Muslims; therefore a holy war must now be taken to preserve the religious freedom of the area known as the birth place of Jesus of Nazareth in the city of JERUSALEM. A crusade must be taken to the Muslims in the name of the Christian religion, to protect their religious beliefs and the land in which it started.

The Pope stated that he, (KING LOUIS V11) was the most trusted man to embark on such a mission and he had the utmost confidence in him to succeed in this endeavor. With the help of many statesmen they helped to get the people stirred up and other countries now clamoring for war and crusades against the Muslims. The battle plans were drawn up. Many knights from other countries also were drawn into the fray.

Such a man was Richard Coeur de Lion, of FRANCE. Not long after the second crusade, he was to become the King of England and part of France. He joined the French leaders as a Knight, but soon commanded a legion of elite horsemen, because of his knowledge of warfare and horsemanship. He was a commanding man and had a distinctive voice, meaning when he spoke, you did not look away. When he spoke it was for you to listen and not blink your eyes, else you were gone. He stood six foot seven, broad shouldered and sat on a horse as a statue, befitting of any Knight.

The thing that set him out from others was that he could command any and all that ever came in contact with him. He was the commander of the elite and played a commanding part of the second Crusade.

After almost three years of fighting, he was in his tent one night tending to some minor wounds, and a guard announced that he had a visitor. Not one for visitors at this time of night, he asked, Who is it? I think you better take this one, Sire. Enter, he said. A beautiful woman entered and he bade her, Sit you down beside me, which she did. What brings you to the tent of Richard? he asks.

You do not know me, but I hold a high place in the Muslim community. We are all tired of all this fighting and the killing that has been going on for these last three years. This has got to stop. I have put myself in a position in which to try to make a difference. I will do anything you ask, if it will only make a difference to stop the killing, and this endless war.

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As Richard listened to this woman, he sensed there was more to this than what she was telling. Was this a distraction to facilitate a new attack, or was she sent by some other faction, to make him come over to their side? Many things raced through his mind as he listened to her story. Guard, he shouted, Bring wine some food and double the guard. As the guard brought the wine and food, Richard said, "Do not disturb me until I say so, and if I find out who let this woman into