south of
here, and now the pastor can repay my kindness by burying the seven who
died here. They may not have been good Christians, or Christians at all,
but at least in a churchyard they will lie in peace. The women who are
hurt badly will go to the Hospital of Santa Clara. And I must hire
guards to protect the house. My ladies do not want to stay there. I do
not blame them, but there is no other roof to shelter them just now,
and with guards they will be safe enough. Anyway, those murderers are
gone. I will come back and stay with them when I have done everything
there is to do."

Sophia smiled at Tilia in admiration. She was hurt, but fought the pain
by getting on with what needed to be done.

_If only there were more I could do. For Rachel. For Daoud._

Tilia kept shaking her head. "They took everything of value. Thank
Fortune, most of my money is on deposit with the Lombards. But the
chests I kept in my room are gone, and there were bags of gold coins in
them. One chest was Rachel's."

Sophia's heart sank further at that news. Now Rachel had not even gold
to make up for all that had been done to her.

"The dirty ladroni," Tilia went on. "That Tartar and the other one, and
the cardinal--all of them had such merry times in my house. How could
they do this to me?"

"The Tartars are simply doing as Tartars do," said Sophia. "They take
what they want, and they kill anyone who tries to stop them. As for the
cardinal, he is a Frank, and if you had seen what the Franks did to my
city, you would not be surprised at this." She felt helpless. How could
what she was saying possibly comfort Tilia?

Tilia struck the heel of her hand against her forehead. "How stupid I
was! When John the Tartar said he wanted to take Rachel to Perugia with
him, I should have known he would not accept my refusal. I should have
been prepared for this."

Sophia, remembering how Rachel had begged to leave Tilia's house with
her that morning, spoke sharply before she could stop herself.

"As it was, you kept Rachel safe for him until he was ready to take
her."

Tilia gasped. "That is very unfair."

Now Sophia was deeply angry with herself. She had already decided that
what had happened to Rachel should not be blamed on Tilia. And she was
trying--or should be trying--to comfort her. Her cruel Greek tongue had
got the better of her.

Sophia was about to apologize when a shout from outside stopped her.

"The mistress of the whores' house