Between Two Fires

The angels and devils watch as the plague destroys the world. Lesser angels try to help humanity, but they are not strong enough to hold back the demons.

In Paris, the travelers rent a room. However, when they go inside, they see that corpses and feces fill the room. Thomas gets angry because they were swindled. Delphine keeps the key to the room. As they walk down another street, a shopkeeper introduces himself as Jehan de Rouen. He introduces them to his wife, Annette. Jehan carves figurines of Jesus and Mary, which line their shop. Jehan tells the travelers that they can sleep in the shop but that they must keep the windows barred all night. He warns them that if something knocks at the door, they should not open it. He says that he does not know who is knocking after dark, but anyone who answers dies. Annette cares for Delphine because she lost her daughter to the plague. Thomas thinks Delphine will stay with Annette and Jehan.

At Matthieu’s request, Thomas tells the story of fighting alongside the Comte de Givras in the Battle of Crécy. An arrow pierces Thomas’s mouth, while the Comte is shot with multiple arrows.