"A small, slight man, well-dressed but not ostentatious, is walking home. The scene is a hot night in the close, dark streets of medieval Acre. The smell is atrocious. There is filth overflowing in the gutters. But he does not notice. This is normal. Even comforting. He is in familiar surroundings. And he is happy. He has just dined with his friend and is returning home. Pleasantly buzzed. Relaxed and feeling safe."
"He has only a second or two to process what is happening before they reach him. Strangely, they do not stop. They both punch him in the stomach and keep moving. Fast. Their master is surprised rather than anything else. He is winded and surprised, almost pushed over by the force of their unexpected blows. But he doesn't fall. He just sinks slowly to his knees."
In 1192 Conrad of Montferrat, newly elected king of Jerusalem, walked home through Acre's filthy streets and was ambushed by two young men from his household who unexpectedly struck him. He sank to his knees amid blood and ordure and later died of his wounds. The killing took place during the crusaders' recovery after Hattin, at a time when the Nizari Assassins deployed fidais to carry out targeted murders for patrons in exchange for protection and influence. The assassination's method, possible patrons, and surviving uncertainty about who ordered the killing continue to shape its historical significance.
Read at Medievalists.net
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