take Orvieto? And in this letter His Holiness says Manfred is
preparing to march north against him."

Simon wondered if Sophia was still in Orvieto. Ever since he had heard
the news that a Ghibellino army had captured the city on the rock,
apparently without a battle, worries about Sophia's safety had gnawed at
him. He wished desperately that he could be wherever she was, to protect
her. And how he longed just to see her, to hold her in his arms, to kiss
her beautiful golden face, to taste her lips, the color of sweet red
grapes.

Louis said, "Manfred is only trying to protect his crown, which the pope
wants you to take from him."

Simon prayed that Charles would persuade Louis, but he had little hope
of it. He had many times seen the king, his mind made up, gently
obstinate, never raising his voice, never losing his patience,
withstanding the arguments of his whole family and court.

Then Simon, listening to the argument, became aware of something he had
not noticed earlier. Neither of the royal brothers had mentioned the
pope's poor health. Probably because neither of them had seen for
himself how sick Pope Urban was.

He waited for a pause, then spoke. "Sire, Uncle Charles, the Holy Father
seemed to me to be very gravely ill by the time I left him. He told me
that he expects to die soon. If he does die now, will not this
permission for the alliance with the Tartars die with him?" Simon
pointed to the letter.

"Yes, it will," said Louis frowning, "We will have to start all over
again with the next pope."

"Manfred could try to influence the election of the pope," said Simon
urgently. "Or he could try to control the next pope by taking him
captive."

Louis rubbed his high forehead. "It has been done before, more than
once."

Charles's large, hairy hand clamped down on Louis's forearm. "Simon has
hit upon the key to all this, brother. Think how powerful the Ghibellini
are in Italy now. They control Florence, Siena, Pisa, Lucca, and now
Orvieto. With all those Ghibellino cities to the north of the Papal
States and Manfred to the south, is it not obvious what Manfred is
planning?"

Charles struck Louis's arm again and again with the flat of his hand to
emphasize his point. No one else would dare touch the king like that,
thought Simon.

"Obvious to you, perhaps," said Louis wryly. "I see only a man trying to
protect himself."

"The instant Pope Urban dies, Manfred and his allies will attack. He
will surr