ed, bringing Sophia with
him? A Greek Christian woman entering a Mameluke's harem? And even if
Sophia were willing, Blossoming Reed would try to kill her. But Sophia
would make a formidable enemy for Blossoming Reed.

No, he could not subject either of them to that. Or himself.

But for him what else was there? El Kahira was the only home he knew. He
had left it only to protect it. He must return.

All this thinking, he decided, was foolishness. What would happen was
written in the book of God, and one could be sure only that it would be
very different from what he expected. Let him concentrate on following
the path as far ahead as he could see clearly, and the next stage would
be revealed when God turned the page.

* * * * *

An orange radiance suffused Cardinal Ugolini's dining hall, gilding dust
motes that hung in the air. A stout maidservant cleared away the
trenchers, the round slices of bread on which Ugolini had served spring
lamb to Daoud and Sophia. She bundled up the knives and forks in her
apron. Daoud's fork was clean. He preferred, among friends, not to use
the strange implement, which seemed to him a bida, an undesirable
innovation. He ate with the fingers of his right hand.

"His Holiness takes the road for Perugia a week from tomorrow," said
Ugolini. "You have not told me what you intend to do, David."

"We must await Lorenzo's coming. He and the Sienese may be here before
the pope leaves."

"I assure you that if that were possible, the pope would be galloping
out of town right now," said Ugolini. "His information is better than
ours."

Sophia daintily wiped her hands and lips with the linen cloth that
covered the table. "Your Eminence, Messer David, I want to use these
long July hours of daylight for painting. I beg to be excused."

She refused more wine and genially overrode Ugolini's protests.
Carefully keeping his face blank, Daoud watched her walk out of the
room, tall and straight in a cherry-red gown. He found himself picturing
the things they had done not long ago, while Orvieto rested at midday.
He turned back to Ugolini to see the little cardinal was also, with a
lubricious smile, watching Sophia.

Ugolini's long nose twitched with amusement as he turned to Daoud.
"There have been times when I thought there was a chamber of torment on
the top floor of my mansion. The groans, the screams--"

"I have heard nothing, Your Eminence," said Daoud, keeping h