el wanted to come here with me this morning_, Sophia thought. _If
only I had brought her here, we could have saved her._ She sobbed aloud.
Her stomach hurt.

"May God rot all of them with leprosy," said Tilia. She hugged Francesca
hard, and then stood up.

"I must go to my house."

Going back to Tilia's would not help Rachel, Sophia thought. They had
probably lost her forever. Despair dragged her down. _Rachel, Rachel!_
What were they doing to her?

"First David is arrested. Now this," she said, tears running steadily
down her cheeks.

_I had trusted Daoud to foresee danger and guide us through it_, Sophia
thought. _And now Daoud--_

She still did not know whether Daoud was safe, or even still alive.
Would the contessa be able to stop whatever was being done to Daoud?
That had been quite enough to be terrified about.

Francesca's tear-reddened eyes widened. "David has been arrested?"
Something in her tone told Sophia there had been something between
Francesca and David.

_Of course_, she told herself. _Did you think the man slept alone until
you gave yourself to him?_

She and Francesca shared some of the same grief. Sophia wanted to
console her.

"Cardinal Ugolini has persuaded the Contessa di Monaldeschi to intercede
for David," Sophia told her, "and the cardinal has gone to the Palazzo
del Podesta, hoping to bring David back here again."

"It may be hours before David is released," said Tilia, raising a
cautioning hand. "_If_ the podesta does agree. Or he may persuade the
contessa that he was right to arrest David."

These were the very thoughts that had been tormenting Sophia. She needed
to do something.

"If you want to go to your house, Tilia, I will go with you." It
occurred to her immediately after she spoke that the streets might be
dangerous for both of them. But she could not stand the agony of sitting
here, waiting for the possibility of still worse news.

"Sophia, you and the cardinal must not be linked to Tilia Caballo's
bordello," said Tilia.

"I will keep myself hidden," said Sophia.

Sophia made Francesca comfortable in her own bed, then went down with
Tilia to the great hall of Ugolini's mansion and sent for Riccardo.

Hand in hand, Sophia holding a lighted candle, the two women made their
way through the tunnel that led to the potterymaker's shop.

Riccardo met them with another hired cart, like the one that had taken
them from Tilia's to the cardinal's this morning. This was a