r Mathieu from achieving too much importance. De Verceuil had
found her and had taken her along as interpreter when the Tartars had
their first private audience with the pope.

Another group stood around the seated Pope Urban, many of them in the
red and purple of cardinals, archbishops, and bishops. There was de
Verceuil, of course, as near to the pope as he could get. The cardinal's
vanity, as usual, had made him choose layman's garb, a tunic of
gold-braided silk and a cape of aquamarine satin trimmed with red-dyed
squirrel fur. And between two prelates' shoulders Simon could just make
out the top of Cardinal Ugolini's fuzzy gray head.

If Ugolini was here, had his niece Sophia come tonight as well? Yes,
there she was, halfway across the hall, talking to the Contessa di
Monaldeschi. The pale violet of Sophia's gown made her skin look darker.
The poets always sang of _fair_ ladies, but Simon found her dark
complexion wondrously attractive. She had let her embroidered silk shawl
fall away from her bare shoulders, and he marveled at their sweet
delicacy. Under her gauze veil the pearls in her headdress twinkled like
stars against hair that was black as night.

"Excuse me, Fra Tomasso, Messer David. I have promised to deliver a most
urgent message to the contessa."

Fra Tomasso, in the middle of an anecdote about Friar Hugues's subtlety
as an inquisitor, gave Simon leave to go. As David bowed, his eyes met
Simon's, and his look was at once both knowing and bitter. He, too, was
a guest in Ugolini's house, thought Simon. Was he, too, attracted to
Sophia? Who would not be?

As Simon moved toward Sophia, the contessa's majordomo strode to the
center of the sala maggiore and called in a deep voice, "Signori e
madonne, tables, game boards, and cards are set for your amusement in
the inner galleria."

Then Simon was bowing before the contessa, acutely aware of Sophia
standing beside her. He kissed the old lady's shiny knuckles, hoping he
would have an opportunity to kiss Sophia's hand as well.

"My dear boy, did you hear the announcement? Do you enjoy cards or
backgammon? I understand your pious king forbids such amusements at his
court. And yet our Holy Father himself loves to play alii." She saw
Simon staring at Sophia and smiled.

"You see, my dear?" the contessa said to Sophia. "Does this splendid
young Frenchman look as if he is interested in cards or dice? Or in you?
Enough of your modesty."

Sophia lowered her