aufen, the enemy we are marching to
destroy. She met with Sophia Orfali, Ugolini's niece, and Ugolini and
his niece have both fled to Manfred. Manfred has tried before now to
harm Messer John, and he could do it through this girl."

John shrugged and glowered at de Verceuil when he heard this.

"Foolishness. Reicho does nothing but read books and comfort me. She has
no friends, and no one comes to talk with her. Except you. Go away."

De Verceuil took another swallow from the wine jar.

"Put that down!" John shouted. De Verceuil did not need to have that
translated. He put the jar down, frowning at John, offended.

"Sordello is right," de Verceuil said. "The man is a savage."

"Do you want me to tell him so?" said Friar Mathieu.

De Verceuil replied to this with a haughty stare.

"Tell him this," he said. "Tomorrow we march to Benevento. King Charles
has sent scouts and spies into Manfred's lands, and they have learned
that Manfred is moving in our direction with a large army. Larger than
ours, if the reports are to be believed. We would be stronger still if
your friend the pusillanimous Count de Gobignon were to put in an
appearance."

Rachel remembered the Count de Gobignon, that tall, thin, sad-looking
man who had so frightened her with his questions about Madonna Sophia.

Everyone was asking questions about Madonna Sophia. There was no doubt
that Madonna Sophia and her friends had some secret. Rachel had always
known that, though she did not want to know what the secret was.
Whatever it was, Rachel promised herself that no one would get a hint of
it from her.

"Count Simon was reported coming down the east coast of Italy," said
Friar Mathieu. "He could have joined our army if King Charles had been
able to wait for him in Rome."

"King Charles did not choose to wait in Rome," said de Verceuil.

"Oh, I think he did," said Friar Mathieu. "I think he would have been
happy to stay in Rome if his supporters, such as his marshals and
yourself, had not pressed him to move southward when you heard Manfred
was on the march."

"I did not know that you ragged Franciscans were experts on military
strategy," said de Verceuil.

"We are not. Indeed, war greatly grieves us. But we do possess common
sense."

What if there were a battle and Manfred won? Rachel thought. Would
Manfred's soldiers kill John? Would they treat her as one of the enemy?
Would they rape her, steal her treasure? She had always hoped to escape