"If the pope is not ready to declare for the alliance, there is time," said Daoud. "Nothing is settled yet."
"Time for what? What will you do now?"
He pushed himself away from the wall, went to a mullioned window, and pulled open one of the casements. To the northwest a tower of orange brick with square battlements looked arrogantly down upon the huddled masses of peaked red roofs. From the tower fluttered the orange and green banner of the Monaldeschi. There the Tartars were.
He turned from the window and moved slowly toward Ugolini's table.
"I am sorry," he said as gently as he could. "This is not ended."
Ugolini had been playing with the dioptra. He dropped it with a clank.
"What do you mean?" Fear made his voice shrill and quavering.
"I mean, I must attack the Palazzo Monaldeschi."
"Attack the Monaldeschi!" It was almost a scream.