some noble family or other," said Sordello
proudly. "Now our party has a residence of its own."

_I would rather have almost anyone but de Verceuil as my host._

Simon hoped he need stay here for only a short time. Just long enough to
find Sophia, overcome her reservations about marrying him, and be off to
Gobignon. His heart beat harder as he thought of seeing her again after
those lonely, miserable months in Rome.

Thierry took their horses to be stabled, while Sordello ushered Simon
through a cavernous hall lit by a few small windows near the ceiling.
Two men-at-arms Simon recognized as part of his troop of Venetian
crossbowmen snapped to attention just inside the door, and after a
frantic scramble through his memory Simon managed to greet them by name.

To Sordello Simon said, "I thank you for meeting Thierry and me at the
city gate and guiding us here." They crossed the entrance hall. "After a
long ride, one does not want to have to find one's way around a strange
city."

Sordello smiled smugly in acknowledgment. "Little enough for me to do,
Your Signory, for one who has done so much for me. Come, I'll show you
to the room His Eminence has set aside for you."

He led Simon up a great flight of marble stairs from ground level to the
first floor of the mansion.

"I am capitano of the crossbow troop again," Sordello said suddenly,
halfway up the stairs.

"Who decided that?" said Simon irritably. "I appointed Peppino capitano
after Teodoro was killed."

Sordello's bloodshot eyes caught Simon's. "Peppino was most courteous
about yielding to me when I rejoined the Tartar ambassadors' guards.
After all, I am senior to him." They came to the top of the marble
stairs, and he held out a hand to indicate stone steps leading to the
second floor.

_Damn!_ Simon had removed Sordello from his position for nearly killing
the Armenian prince, and it was pure insubordination for the fellow to
bully his way back into it in Simon's absence and without his consent.
It was typical of Sordello's infuriating combination of guile and gall.

Simon reproached himself for not leaving clear orders on who was to lead
the crossbow troop when he left Sordello with them and was off to join
Count Charles in Rome. But his head and heart had been full of Sophia
then. Discipline demanded that he depose Sordello and reinstate Peppino.

Yes, he thought, if he were intending to stay here, he would do exactly
that. But if he did it and then