But Manfred drew away from her, preoccupied. She pulled a crimson cushion from behind him and hugged it against her breasts.
How alone the Mameluke must feel. Even here, where Muslims are tolerated, they have tried to kill him. And when he is in the pope's territory, every man will be his enemy.
She remembered the harsh face with its prominent cheekbones and gray eyes and thought, Perhaps being alone holds no terror for him.
After all, I am alone, and I have made the best of it.
"What is his mission in Orvieto?" she asked.
She listened intently as Manfred told her a tale of trying to prevent the great powers of East and West from joining together to crush Islam between them.
Manfred continued, "David hopes to influence the pope's counselors to turn against the Tartars, that they may sway the pope himself."
"How can one man attempt such a huge undertaking?"
"He brought me an exceedingly valuable stone, an emerald, which I will trade for jewels he can carry to Orvieto and exchange for coins. It pleases me greatly that the sultan would entrust me with such a gem. That helped to change my mind about this David. The Saracens are men of honor in their way." He smiled at her, looking pleased with the situation and pleased with himself. But she was quiet, unmoving, waiting for him to say the thing she feared to hear.
"But you are right," Manfred went on. "He cannot do it alone."