im. So the
cardinal put me in a cubbyhole near John and Philip, where I am quite
content."

They came to the stairs, where a doorway led out to the loggia. The
floor was of red tile, and the walls and columns painted a pale green.
Benches and potted trees just beginning to bud were set along the
loggia. They were facing west, overlooking the courtyard. They sat on a
bench, their faces shaded by the overhanging roof, their knees and feet
in the sunlight. Simon enjoyed the late afternoon warmth on his legs,
tired from a week's riding. He looked forward to his bath.

"I am sure Pope Clement himself will be eager to see you," said Friar
Mathieu. "I hear he has been deluging Count Charles with letters
demanding to know when he will march against Manfred."

"Count Charles does not have a big enough army yet to attack Manfred,"
said Simon, thinking how glad he was to be away from the dour, driven
count. "And it seems that Manfred would rather wait for him to make the
first move. Anjou says he will not be able to recruit more knights and
men until the pope officially gives him the crown of southern Italy and
Sicily."

"His Holiness wants Charles to come to Viterbo to be crowned. He refuses
to set foot in Rome."

"Charles is determined to be crowned by the pope in Rome. He keeps
mentioning that Charlemagne was crowned in Rome."

Friar Mathieu smiled. "So, the fate of Italy is in the hands of three
men who are each unwilling to make a move." Sunlight turned his beard to
silver. "And what are your plans? Have you returned to us for good, or
will you go back to Count Charles?"

At the thought of the prospect before him, Simon felt a warmth within
rivaling the afternoon sun. "Tell me, Father--where can I find Cardinal
Ugolini's niece, Sophia?"

Friar Mathieu's eyes seemed to sink deeper into the hollows under his
white brows. "Ugolini and Sophia are not here in Viterbo."

Simon felt as if a wintry chill had fallen on the loggia. "What? Where
have they gone?"

"They never came here. None of us, not even the pope, realized Ugolini
was gone until the day of the papal coronation, when he still had not
appeared. It was a scandal. After all, Ugolini was cardinal camerlengo
under Urban. Papa le Gros--Clement--was furious. The rumor is that
Ugolini has fled to Manfred. The pope intends to strip him of his rank
for leaving the Papal States without permission."

The pain of loss made Simon cry out, "But Sophia! What of Sophia?"