ars and
Christians succeed. As he has confessed to Friar Mathieu, he bears a
double dishonor. The world despises him as the son of Count Amalric de
Gobignon, whose treachery caused the disastrous defeat of his king and
the death of thousands of his comrades on crusade in Egypt fourteen
years earlier. But only Simon and his parents know that Simon is in
truth the offspring of an adulterous affair between his mother,
Nicolette de Gobignon, and the troubadour Roland de Vency. Ultimately
Roland killed Amalric in a duel and Nicolette married him. And Simon,
though not Amalric's son, inherited the title and the domain of the
Count de Gobignon. Simon has undertaken the task of guarding the Tartars
as a way of restoring the honor of the name de Gobignon and proving to
himself his right to bear that name.

The cause of the alliance has met with many setbacks in Orvieto, and
Simon suspects a secret enemy is behind them. But in recent months the
influential Fra Tomasso became a vigorous supporter of the alliance. And
Sophia, Cardinal Ugolini's lovely niece from Sicily, responded favorably
to Simon's attentions. Events seemed to be taking a turn for the better.

But then Sordello warned Simon that the Filippeschi were planning to
attack the Monaldeschi palace. Preparing to defend his hostess, the
contessa, Simon insisted that the Tartars, despite their desire to
fight, be kept safe in the spice pantry. Directing the defense of the
palace from its tower, Simon suddenly sensed that the attack must be
only a diversion, that the Tartars were the real target of whoever was
behind the Filippeschi. He abruptly left the tower and rushed down to
the spice pantry.

He had barely gotten there when a man all in black forced his way in and
doused the lights. In darkness the stalker killed two of the Tartars'
guards and almost strangled Simon.

Simon fought off the killer long enough to give Friar Mathieu time to
open doors and let in light. One of the Tartars managed to wound the man
in black with an arrow. The attacker threw Friar Mathieu from the stairs
and vanished into the maze of rooms on the first floor of the palace.

Now, Simon thinks as he eases himself into his bath, he has met the
hidden enemy whose presence he felt ever since coming to Orvieto. Evil
as Satan, powerful enough to throw an army against a fortified palace,
subtle enough to strike at victims no matter how well protected. A
being of almost inhuman strength and skill.