, but now that I have
tried to kill the Tartars and failed, we do not have that choice." It
was best, he thought, to admit his failure openly before Ugolini threw
it in his face.

The cardinal's eyes were almost as wide and as stark as the owl's. "You
would plunge the whole of Italy into war?"

"No," said Daoud, "but that is what is going to happen. The one thing
that has kept the French out of Italy is the pope's refusal to give the
Christian kings, especially the king of France, permission to ally
themselves with the Tartars. But now that Urban is ill, he may give King
Louis what he wants. When the pope allows the alliance, Louis will give
his brother Charles permission to attack Manfred. It is not I who will
plunge Italy into war. I am proposing only that we act before the French
do."

Ugolini shook his head. "What do you mean, take the pope captive?"

"The Papal States are surrounded by cities ruled by Manfred's Ghibellino
supporters. The nearest is Siena. With gold and with timely warnings
about the danger from the French, we can persuade Siena to move against
the pope." He held up his fist. "And then we can make sure that the next
pope elected is favorable to Manfred. And through him, well disposed
toward peace with Islam."

It was the same sort of plan, Daoud thought, as inciting the Filippeschi
against the Monaldeschi. But Lorenzo had already visited Siena and made
sure that the Ghibellini of Siena, with Daoud's help, could raise a far
greater army than the pope could muster in Orvieto. This time he would
succeed.

"Impossible!" Ugolini cried. "No king can control the Papacy. The
Hohenstaufen have been trying to rule over the popes for centuries, and
for centuries they have failed."

"Perhaps it takes a stranger to see that where the Hohenstaufen failed,
the French are about to succeed," said Daoud. "France is now the
strongest kingdom in Europe. If Manfred does not get control of the pope
and the cardinals, the next pope will be under the protection of the
French, and will have to do whatever they want."

"Urban is a sick man," said Ugolini. "There is not a cardinal who would
risk a wager that he will live to see the year 1265. He will not call
for the French to save him when he knows the angels are coming to get
him."

"No, there I must disagree with Your Eminence," said Lorenzo, lounging
in a large chair facing Ugolini's table. "Urban is a Frenchman, and he
will work to bring the French into Italy