did so Simon kicked him in the chin. The thick beard protected the man's
chin from the full force of Simon's pointed leather boot, but he
staggered. Before the bearded man recovered himself, Alain de Pirenne
charged out of the crowd, seized him in a bear hug, and wrestled him to
the ground.

"Ex Tartari furiosi!" The shouts rang out again and again as the pope's
guards dragged the would-be assassin out of the church.

Simon saw Pope Urban shake his bare white head slowly, then turn back to
the high marble altar and raise the Host overhead once more.

De Verceuil and Friar Mathieu reached Simon at the same time.

The cardinal held out his hand for the dagger, which Simon had
retrieved, and studied it. "One could buy a hundred like it in any
marketplace," he said, keeping his voice low now that the mass had
resumed. He thrust the dagger into his black leather belt with a shrug.

"The white robe and sandals are the mark of the Apostolic Brethren,"
said Friar Mathieu. "Heretics who preach the doctrine of Joachim of
Floris about a coming new age of enlightenment and equality."

"When it comes to heresy," said de Verceuil with an unfriendly grin,
"there is little to choose between the Apostolic Brethren and the
Franciscans. Many of your brethren are secret Joachimites."

"Of course, he might have been dressed that way only to deceive us,"
Friar Mathieu went on, ignoring the insult.

"We will find out who he is and whence he comes," said de Verceuil.
"When we are through with him he will tell us everything. I have ordered
him handed over to the podesta of Orvieto, who will subject him to
questioning in his chamber of torment." He turned on the ball of his
foot, his violet cloak swinging out behind him, and headed back toward
the altar.

_And not a word about my disarming the assassin_, Simon thought angrily.

Friar Mathieu winced and shook his head sadly. "Then again, that man may
not be able to say anything. And the less he can tell us, the more he
will suffer. I pity him."

Simon cringed inwardly at the thought that by capturing the mad heretic
he was the cause of the man's being subjected to horrible tortures. But
greater fears preoccupied him. The Tartars had been in Orvieto only a
few hours, and already the people had been stirred up against them and
they had nearly been assassinated. Somewhere in this town an enemy
lurked, and Simon's body turned cold as he wondered what that enemy
would do next.

XII