All's for the Best

Di Giulio Antonio T.

Description

A brilliant and significant meeting point between the past and future, between early Middle Ages and the coming era. A set of adventure interwoven with the hard times experienced by earthly people who are striving either to conquer peace, tranquillity and happiness or to dominate over the other's lands and people.Facts, values and goals characterise all the protagonists, only few of them have access to a future epoch and a planet unknown to us, also not far away from Earth. Little by little, the author allows us to peep in; a perfectly organised community life, a factual democracy and unimaginable technologies come true.There is a multi-millennium gap between us and them: their intention is to share all their benefits with the Earth but they just encounter some difficulty as the Earthly people are eager to prevail over the others. Therefore, the leader is granted to conceive the Pyramid of Cheops and just few individuals are taught to put good into practice.

Sujets

• Fantasy (canción de Mariah Carey)
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Date de parution: 28 février 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781528969079
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

All’s for the Best
Alexis
Antonio T.Di Giulio
Austin Macauley Publishers
2020-02-28
All’s for the Best About the Author Dedication Copyright Information © Acknowledgement Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51
About the Author
Completed classic studies and obtained a degree in Medicine. Awarded with a scholarship by Hospital Fatebenefratelli of Milan in ‘General Anaesthesia’. Was given a further Prize ‘Ambrogino D’Oro’ by Mayor Mr Aniasi at the ‘Carlo Erba Foundation’ based in Milan due to his dental implantology research. Professor of maxillofacial surgery and dental technology at the School of Higher Learning in Dentistry at the Catholic University of Rome from 1987 to 1994.
Professor of ‘dental implantology techniques’, official tutor of maxillofacial surgery at the odontostomatology dept of the State University of Milan. Dental care studio run in London from 1998 to 2007. Former Member of ADI (Association of Dental Implantology) London.
Dedication
To Maria Pia: the woman of my life.
Copyright Information ©
Antonio T.Di Giulio (2020)
The right of Antonio T.Di Giulio to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781528937368 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781528937375 (Hardback)
ISBN 9781528969079 (ePub e-book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2020)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
Acknowledgement
A huge thanks to the translator of the book: Ernestina La Spada.
Chapter 1
It was the night when labour pains started: a tempest burst out, the seawater soon reached and filled the moat of the castle after months’ drought. The mistral raised and foamed the dark water, transforming it into billows that seemed to assail the ramparts one after the other. Under a leaden sky, it was hard to perceive the white crests as they were as speedy as steeds.
The wind howled and moved quickly with a circular movement around the turrets. The soldiers retreated as presumably no enemy would attempt any assault that night. Even the tapestries in the rooms inside were swinging from side to side because of the wind that got in and made quick movements everywhere, and even the crackling fire was put out by the force of the wind. Hot water was needed for Ermelinda’s delivery and, therefore, as many logs as possible were constantly put into the fireplace within her room.
The wind kept howling so noisily that it drowned out the baby boy’s cries. He got promptly washed, Mother had just the time to look at him, hold him in her arms for few minutes, then he was warmly wrapped up and carried away. Mother burst into tears, cried desperately, she would have looked after him, brought him up, cuddled him, made him live in her house as a member of a family of rank, but she was not allowed to.
She had hidden her pregnancy with the aid of her doctor, it was mistaken for dropsy. Her brother-in-law, Kano, had no suspicions at all and even the night when she delivered a beautiful baby, he was drunken as usual and slept like a log and the howling of the wind had covered the baby’s cries, although powerful.
Two years earlier, her husband set off on a crusade and nobody heard from him anymore.
One year earlier, Erland stopped in the castle with a number of men before going to the Holy Land. Their vessel was storm-beaten and docked in the harbour. Erland was offered a shelter as he was distantly related to Ermelinda.
In the past, they had lived in two separate castles at few miles’ distance in the south of France. Erland had not seen Ermelinda for one year as she had left for Apulia to marry Gerhard at the age of fifteen. The two fellows had met each other very often: Erland had taught her to ride a horse. At that time, they fell in love, they swore they would get married one day, but Ermelinda’s dad compelled her to marry Gerhard. She did it as there was no way to say no and the only alternative she was offered was a monastic life. She understood why she would marry the man from the south of Italy. Her dad obtained a big case of gold in return.
After poor seasons’ crops, the south of France suffered a serious famine and the gold was used for buying wheat and foodstuffs for the whole community of the castle.
There were no seeds left, even the animals used in agriculture were killed. Father could manage to equip a vessel to Spain in order to get wheat and cattle and provide his community with food and other stuff.
At that moment, Ermelinda set off for Apulia, she travelled by boat as far as Naples, then she took some days to reach Barletta passing through mountains and valleys in Basilicata.
Kano and some armigers were in Potenza just to meet her, she travelled with her brother, Robert, and other knights who were bound to leave for the Holy Land after her wedding.
Despite her young age, Ermelinda accepted the marriage just because she felt empathetic with and sensitive to the poorness of the community and villeins who were really dying of hunger.
The fields were made dry, grooved and parched after a long period of drought and then following prayers and processions, the rain did come: it was so violent and flooding that the dry soil crumbled under heavy rainstorms.
That journey was so painful: she abandoned her home and her love to marry a man she did not even know. She just met him when he came to the castle for the promise of marriage.
Gerhard was thirty, twice the age of hers. His wife died of typhus. It was rather common in Apulia as there were plenty of vegetables and seafood. He was childless, and when he heard how beautiful the French girl was – having been told the story by a knight who stayed in his castle for few days – he wanted to meet her.
Also, he was aware of the poorness the land was affected by and decided to set off, offering her father a great gift.
Ermelinda’s dad knew she was in love with Erland, knew he would sacrifice her, but he could do nothing but accept Gerhard’s rich gift.
The coffers of the castle were almost empty. Moreover, a great many talented men left for the Holy Land and never came back.
The count was in trouble and exchanged her daughter with the gold.
Ermelinda was so sweet, mild and respectful to her parents that when father threatened her with a monastic life, he felt so unhappy and mortified; he would never do it.
He regretted that he had let out such words because Ermelinda – when she was popped the question by the noble from Italy – immediately bent her head and said:
“Father, I’ll do what you want me to.”
Father was highly moved and gave her a big hug lifting her up, gave a kiss on her cheek and said:
“My dear beloved, what I ask you is a sacrifice for our people who are starving and my heart is broken for it. Forgive me, but you are my only pearl, my dearest jewel; I’ve got nothing but your beauty and purity.”
Her brother was there and cried, too: his sister was going to leave their home. Robert was five years older and was ready to accompany Ermelinda with some of his pals as far as Apulia, and henceforth they would reach Palestine.
At that time, going to Palestine and taking part in a crusade was a real ambition for the youth: whenever a group left, the younger looked forward to doing the same.
All over Europe, it was increasingly common to feel like fighting in the Holy Land. Throngs of pilgrims used to leave for Palestine. Enthusiasm was tangible all over Europe when the Holy City was taken over and all Muslims were slaughtered.
On 7 June 1099, crusaders approached Jerusalem and efficiently supported by the Genoese and William Embriaco. They managed to carry out a definitive assault. They debarked in Jaffa and assembled the war machines as well as the assault equipment. They fought for one day – from fourteenth to fifteenth – to take the helm of the city. The Arabic troops purposefully came from Egypt and were defeated in Ascalona on 12 August. Against any possible perils, Godfrey di Buglione was granted full powers and named ‘Defender of the Holy Sepulchre’. When he died, he was replaced by his brother Baldwin who got the title of king. The religious chief of crusaders was Arnauld de Rohez, who proclaimed himself patriarch of Jerusalem.
These events brought about some sort of unquietness among the Muslim, Turkish and Arabic chiefs.
The European advanced techniques, as well as the dissent among the opponents, made the crusaders quite self-assured about their success.
Meanwhile, in Europe, a general feeling of enthusiasm spread over when the Holy City was conquered. Therefore, some relief expeditions were arranged.
Pope Urban II pushed the Christians to reach the East during the Council of Rome in April 1099 and the Council of Bari.
A new expedition of Italians took place in 1100 led by Anselm, archbishop of Milan, and by feudatories of Lombardy. In the course of these years, Palestine was actually overflown with pilgrims and knights.
Chapter 2
The voyag