Joan

by Katherine J. Chen

But she looks straight into the eye of her God. She spreads her arms and bares her new heart of stone. Give me strength, she prays, and not just the strength to endure but more, the strength of ten, fifty, a hundred men. Give me such gifts as the heroes of old were given: the gifts of slaughter and of victory. Give me a courage that is wild and uninhibited, one that will make men’s teeth rattle. Make my flesh, my heart, and my soul invulnerable to all pain. She tells her God, Let me have my revenge on those who have hurt the one I loved most in the world. These are the people responsible. These are my enemies, who are France’s enemies, for if the war were not here, if it had taken place somewhere else, in another kingdom and country, then none of this would have happened. Not to me. These are their names. Remember them. John, Duke of Bedford, regent of England Henry, sixth of his name, future King of England Philip, Duke of Burgundy She hesitates only a moment before adding the Dauphin. It was your weakness, she thinks, your inaction, and your fear that brought us to this point, that kept the door wide open so these wolves could enter my village.