"World Without End" : Ken Follett Quiz

Answer: a letter

After killing the two men-at-arms chasing him, Sir Thomas had Merthin bury a letter for him. His arm was slashed in the fight, so Merthin did the digging for him. Merthin was told the letter contained a dangerous secret and that whenever Merthin hears that Thomas has died, he is to dig it up and give it to a priest.

Answer: Earl Roland

Ralph wanted nothing more than to be a knight. He found his chance in the bridge collapse. He saw the earl in the water and swam out to him, while fighting off other people who needed saving. He cut the earl loose from his horse and swam him to shore. He made sure everyone knew he was the one who saved Roland's life, but he still didn't get made a knight!

Answer: Wulfric

Gwenda worshipped the handsome Wulfric and wanted to be married to him. He was in love with Annet and only had eyes for her. When the bridge collapsed and his parents and brother were killed, he lost everything and became a landless laborer. Annet promptly dumped him and married another man. It took time and a lot of work, but Gwenda eventually won Wulfric over.

Answer: Ralph

Gwenda believed that Ralph was Sam's father. Ralph used sex with Gwenda as a bribe so that Wulfric would get his family's land back. When Sam was born, she was married to Wulfric so all assumed he was the father. Ralph found out the truth near the end of his life. Gwenda told him when it was the only way to stop Sam from being killed.

Answer: Thurstan

Griselda seduced Merthin so that all would believe he was the one who got her pregnant. She was actually already with child by her lover, Thurstan, who ran off when he found out she was expecting. Griselda's father, Elfric, tried to force Merthin to marry, but he refused when he found out the truth.

When she did have the baby, she named him Merthin. He grew up to look just like Thurstan, not Merthin and everyone called the boy, Merthin Bastard.

Answer: Merthin

Philippa was estranged from Ralph and living in the convent at Kingsbridge. She had a long affair with Merthin and conceived even though they assumed she was too old. She then had to go back to Ralph since the penalty of adultery would be death for her. Ralph, of course, assumed the boy was his and raised him as his own and never found out the truth.

They never told Roland who his true father was either.

Answer: 2

The first was for the rape of Annet; he escaped the courthouse with help from Earl Roland. The second was for his outlaw activites of robbery and murder. He was pardoned and sent off to the war with France.

Answer: Tam Hiding

Tam Hiding's name comes up a few times in the story. He and Ralph form a ruthless band of outlaws that terrorize peasants on their way to Kingsbridge's market. Merthin guesses where their hideout is and the townsmen attack them there. Most of the outlaws are killed, Tam escapes and Ralph is spared and brought to court per Merthin's wishes.

Answer: to build the highest building in England

He rebuilds the tower of the cathedral and designs it so it will be 405 feet tall. He also put on an octagonal spire which no one thought could be done without formwork.
At that time the tallest builing was Salisbury at 404 feet.

Answer: the plague

This deadly disease kept coming back even after they thought it had ended. At one time it had killed over half the population of Kingsbridge. Caris learned a lot about infectious disease from this and taught caregivers to cover their faces with a linen mask and to wash their hands with vinegar after handling patients and she practiced quarantine.