" Bree had explained it to us in the summary of her research. In twelfth-century French literature, the paladins, or twelve peers, were said to be the elite protectors and agents of King Charlemagne, comparable to the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legends. Paladin Inc. had been launched five years before by Vance, "

― James Patterson , Fear No Evil (Alex Cross, #29)