y from the pope's court and the Tartar ambassadors
for months. Sophia and I have not had time to talk to each other or to
send messages. But when I last saw her, she asked me to look after you.
She cares very much for you."

Rachel smiled faintly. Her lips were a pale pink. Her eyebrows were
black and straight over her dark brown eyes, giving her an earnest look.

"Oh, yes, Your Signory. I know she cares for me."

"Are you also from Sicily, Rachel?" Simon asked. "Did you know Sophia's
family in Sicily?"

"No, Your Signory. I am from Florence."

Florence. Florence was controlled by the Ghibellini.

"Does anyone in your family know you are here with this Tartar? Is there
anyone you would like me to get a message to?"

Rachel's eyes widened and filled with tears. "They are all dead, Your
Signory. And if any of them were living, I would rather be dead myself
than have them know what has happened to me."

"Then Sophia is the only friend you have in the world?" Simon waited a
moment, then tried a blind guess. "Perhaps Sophia has gone back to the
place where you first met her."

"No, no," said Rachel. Suddenly, she looked terrified. She shrank back
from Simon.

_She is dreadfully frightened_, Simon thought.

Friar Mathieu was right. Sophia was hiding something. Anguish stabbed
Simon again.

"What is it, Rachel?" said Friar Mathieu. He shook his head at Simon.

"If you want to help me, if you love her, just leave me alone. She was
kind to me as no one else has ever been. She was my friend. Stop trying
to find out about her."

What was this girl hiding? What was Sophia hiding? Simon felt as if he
were surrounded by enemies, all of them plunging their daggers into him.

"Does a friend send a young girl like you to a brothel?" said Friar
Mathieu softly.

This brought no reply from Rachel. She put her hands to her face and
sobbed.

Simon could bear no more. He stood up abruptly. He was torturing this
girl. And in a way, she was torturing him.

He said, "Rachel, we will leave now. I am sorry I frightened you. In
truth, I have no wish to hurt you. But, I--I am upset too. Listen to me.
If you ever decide you want to get away from here, tell me. I will not
let John or Cardinal de Verceuil or anyone else stop you if you want to
be free."

Rachel took her hands away from her face. "Where can I go? Tell me that,
Your Signory. Where can I go?" Her eyes, rimmed with red from crying,
were pools of darkness in her pal