De Verceuil took another swallow from the wine jar.
"Put that down!" John shouted. De Verceuil did not need to have that translated. He put the jar down, frowning at John, offended.
"Sordello is right," de Verceuil said. "The man is a savage."
"Do you want me to tell him so?" said Friar Mathieu.
De Verceuil replied to this with a haughty stare.
"Tell him this," he said. "Tomorrow we march to Benevento. King Charles has sent scouts and spies into Manfred's lands, and they have learned that Manfred is moving in our direction with a large army. Larger than ours, if the reports are to be believed. We would be stronger still if your friend the pusillanimous Count de Gobignon were to put in an appearance."
Rachel remembered the Count de Gobignon, that tall, thin, sad-looking man who had so frightened her with his questions about Madonna Sophia.
Everyone was asking questions about Madonna Sophia. There was no doubt that Madonna Sophia and her friends had some secret. Rachel had always known that, though she did not want to know what the secret was. Whatever it was, Rachel promised herself that no one would get a hint of it from her.
"Count Simon was reported coming down the east coast of Italy," said Friar Mathieu. "He could have joined our army if King Charles had been able to wait for him in Rome."
"King Charles did not choose to wait in Rome," said de Verceuil.