Death and the Devil полностью

His successor, Siegfried von Westerburg, once more tried to reestablish the power Conrad had achieved. He saw himself as a warlord and remained on reasonably good terms with the citizens until they tired of financing his constant feuds. But Siegfried was cleverer than Engelbert. Having made himself the strongest force on the lower Rhine, he managed for a long time to walk the tightrope between tyranny and tolerance, until his plans came into terminal conflict with the city’s desire for independence. In the famous battle of Worringen he was defeated by the citizens and their allies. He made one more attempt to assert himself, which led to his conclusive defeat. Cologne became a free imperial city. The power of the archbishops was broken for good.

In another land another power came to an end. Castle Urquhart in Scotland was destroyed. The duke of Monadhliath did not return from the Crusades, and the land was leaderless.

The castle on the shores of Loch Ness remains for all to see—unlike the celebrated monster. A few years ago the Catholic Church sent an exorcist to deal with it. He sprinkled holy water on the waves and recited a large number of prayers. Effective ones, apparently. The monster has not been seen since.

About the Author

FRANK SCHATZING is the author of the international bestseller The Swarm. A winner of the 2002 KölnLiteratur prize, the 2004 Corine Prize, and the 2005 German Science Fiction Prize, Schatzing lives and works in Cologne, Germany.

PRAISE FOR

DEATH AND THE DEVIL

“This fi rst work by Frank Schatzing presents us with a colorful description of this metropolis on the Rhine River in the Middle Ages. It tells the ’behind-the-scenes‘ story of the battle for supremacy at the top of society, far beyond all other historical writings.”

—Schnüss Bonn

“Fascinates with its historical fl air as well as its authentic description of the feeling of life during those times. In strong language yet with sensibility, Mr. Schatzing writes this crime story with just the right portion of wit as well as somewhat coarse coloring of the time.”

—Rheinische Post

“Schatzing makes this splendidly researched crime story…of the clergy-dominated Middle Ages come alive through his explosive writing style. A highly intricate thriller with a critical view of the local color of the time.”

—EKZ

“Versatile in language and with much feeling for historical fl air, tension and wit.“

—Koelnische Rundschau

”The author achieved something remarkable in describing the city of Cologne during the middle of the thirteenth century.…A thrilling crime drama in which he almost playfully delivers historical information.”

—Geschichte von Koeln

“This crime story is perfect for those who love tension-packed thrills till the last minute.…Relaxing entertainment for all devotees of intelligent crime stories.…”

—Neues Leben

“Thanks to the author‘s fl uid writing we, luckily, stay always on the heels of the hunted as he crisscrosses Cologne’s old part of town. This not only signifi es a special gift for storytelling, but tells also of a profound joy for imagining a story.”

—Compact-Magazine NRW

ALSO BY FRANK SCHATZING

The Swarm