The Pillars of the Earth

Previously on The Pillars of the Earth...

Maud is secretly raising an army to regain the throne.

God is on your side.

Then why hasn't he put Maud and her bastard brother down?

His Majesty, King Stephen!

If you wish,

you may join my army to prove your loyalty.

Give him the knighthood and title he deserves.

And may God save England.

With your father's death, he will.

I miss you so...

I'm Tom of Kingsbridge.

We'll be quarrying this stone to build our new cathedral.

Your good bishop doesn't care a whit

for your precious cathedral.

But where is the statue of St. Adolphus?

Tears of blood.

One king destroys...

I'm feeling much better from this ague, my dear.

My physician says that

I should be on my feet in a week.

Oh, I am so relieved, my darling!

Mmm... Ah...

Any word from William?

Well, the king's army have engaged Maud at Lincoln.

Her half brother, Gloucester, is away in France,

so he can't help her.

She's held it for 4 years now,

and it's time we took it back.

Oh, there's a new knight fighting for Stephen,

William says,

who no one's ever heard of.

Very mysterious fellow.

Learned to fight in France.

But evidently quite extraordinary. Hmm!

Our sweet William, I fear, is jealous.

He can be so like a child sometimes.

What's this, my dear?

Oh, the doctor said you needed to be bled.

He's too busy to do it, of course.

Oh, bless you.

Mmm!

William is being held back,

but not by some anonymous knight.

He's nearly 25 years old.

He needs to marry and give us grandchildren.

There are plenty of women who'd have him.

None of sufficient nobility, my love.

And if he can't marry a title, he shall have to inherit one.

Are you suggesting that I retire and give him mine?

I know you'd never agree to that.

Not in my prime, I wouldn't!

There, that's quite enough, my dear.

You drink too much, Percy.

Your tongue's too loose.

I fear you've cut too deep.

No, my sweet.

Not deep enough.

Climb up the ladder!

Ah...

We need more steel and daggers!

Stephen's army has us surrounded.

We've been besieged for weeks.

How am I supposed to eat

when everyone else is starving for my sake?

You must keep up your strength, my Queen.

Where is Gloucester?

My brother has never

abandoned us before!

He should be arriving soon.

Why isn't he coming?

Gloucester may indeed be raising forces

to rescue his sister, Your Majesty.

But we have surrounded Lincoln castle,

and shortly they will starve.

Excellent! The end is in sight.

You are to be congratulated, young man.

You hear that, Eustace?

The crown will be yours, after all.

Yes, yes!

My... condolences on your father's death.

An ague can be so unpredictable.

He was a loyal subject.

As am I, Your Majesty,

as I hope to be as the new earl.

Yes, quite.

We...

We have some problems regarding the earldom.

- Your Majesty? - There is another claimant.

Is he here?

Richard of Kingsbridge, champion of the battlefield.

You have, indeed, proved your loyalty

against your father's treason.

I will weigh your claim most carefully.

I ask for nothing more, My King.

How did Richard get the money to become a knight?

The armor alone costs a small fortune!

It seems he has a wealthy sister.

I'm the earl!

I'm the rightful earl!

Richard lost that claim when his father lost his head!

Getting soldiers is all the king cares about.

Raise an army to finish Maud,

he'll give you whatever you want.

Easily said, but where do we get the means to do it?

The market at Kingsbridge sucks the money out of Shiring.

Kingsbridge gets the rents, the taxes, business...

Close the market.

How? The king has licensed it!

Oh yes.

Unfortunately, he has.

What?

If I close the market for you,

will you close the quarry for me?

Hmm!

Still trying to stop that cathedral

so you can build your precious palace?

How will you close the market?

I haven't worked that out yet.

Have you got any brilliant ideas, William?

A fire.

Start a fire.

It's worked for you before.

- Hush, William. - Mother...

I said quiet!

William might be right.

A fire...

But a small one this time.

Check that windlass, Jack!

Make sure it's well-greased.

That big wheel needs to go up.

I'm impressed, Prior Philip.

You've made astonishing progress since I left.

And it's not just the church, Richard.

Everyone has the money to buy things.

The town is 3 times the size of what it was,

5 times on market day!

They want to buy your sister's wool.

They come to see the only female wool merchant

in this part of England.

Grown men quake at the sight of me.

Now, don't hit your thumb. Right? Right?

Right.

Ooh!

See?

Still working on that, sir?

Want me to get it for you?

We're enclosing the east end while we work on the rest.

This will protect the altar from weather and dust.

You look tired and happy, Tom.

I am. And I am.

Are you free Thursday next?

I'm giving a dinner in honor of Richard's safe return.

Thank you. It would be my pleasure.

You're invited too, Jack!

Have you ever killed a giant?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I have.

- How big? - As big as this house.

Oh! Was there a lot of blood?

No, because I frightened him.

He was afraid of mice, so I put one down his trousers.

It terrified him so much,

he dropped down dead.

Can I see your dagger?

Ahh!

He's a darling, isn't he?

Better off here than with his real parents.

His da was a cutpurse, most likely,

and his mother, a whore.

A tender trap, the world.

I left my sister to join the priory.

I raised her since infancy,

and she took to the streets.

I'll never forgive myself for that.

This is your love line.

Oh, I see you have many female admirers!

What's funny, Martha? Don't you admire me?

Definitely not!

I do. I think your cathedral work is lovely, Alfred.

Thank you, Aliena.

Jack's turn.

Oh, come on!

Oh, your hand has healed nicely.

St. Adolphus must have worked a miracle!

Oh, how odd!

Your love line's split,

marked with little crosses.

You love 2 women, Jack, who treat you very badly.

Two?

Mistress Work and Mother Church!

Prior Philip?

Take it to him.

Ha!

Your Eminence.

My little fire has done its work.

And I'm about to complete my end of the bargain.

How soon will you close the quarry?

Unfortunately, we have a problem.

Nothing serious, I hope.

A matter of life and death.