left the Tartars with you in
Rome," said Simon. He kept trying to think about de Verceuil and prayed
that his face would not give away his knowledge of how Sordello died.

"He and two of his men were found this morning in a building in town.
Sordello had a small puncture in his throat, and one of the others had
been stabbed in the chest with a very thin blade. One of my
priest-physicians looked at the bodies and believes both of them were
killed with poisoned implements. And it appeared the throat of the third
had been torn out by the fangs of some enormous beast."

"Perhaps a watchdog," said Simon. "After all, when troops are turned
loose on a town, one must expect that a few of the citizens will fight
back."

"I am sorry to lose Sordello," said Charles. "A despicable man, but
often useful."

The rocks covered Manfred's body completely now. Only the edges of the
yellow banner were still showing. Those who had placed their stones
stood around in groups to watch the cairn grow.

"These Sicilians will not settle down until the remaining Hohenstaufens
are out of the way," said Charles. "Manfred has three sons and a
daughter. I have to find them and lock them up. Too bad I cannot have
them executed, but they are just children."

_Children!_

Simon prayed that Manfred's children escaped from Charles.

He stood facing Charles, knowing that he was as tall as the new king of
southern Italy and Sicily and that he no longer felt afraid of him.
Fighting in this battle, his near-death at Daoud's hands, the shock and
pain of what Sophia had told him--all together, these things had changed
him. He no longer doubted that he deserved to be the Count de Gobignon.
It did not matter who his real father was. What mattered was that there
was no one else in the world who could rule Gobignon as well as he. In
the past two years he had become the Count de Gobignon in truth as well
as in title. And now all he wanted was to go back to his domain.

To bring up the subject, Simon said, "Friar Mathieu is most grieved at
the deaths of the Tartar ambassadors, but it means you no longer need
him here. He has asked me to take him back to France with me. He has
permission from his order to go. He wants to tell King Louis in person
about his journey among the Tartars. And he wants to spend his remaining
years in France. As for me, I am eager to see my mother and stepfather
in Provence."

_Now that I can face them with a clear conscience._