“Don’t frighten me with the prospect of the Poles,” scoffed the bishop. “They only achieve a Grunwald once every hundred years. And even when it happens, they don’t know how to make the most of it. In spite of Grunwald, the Order of Saint Mary survives, it is still robust, Poland still has to take it into account. The Order watches over us all, the entire nation and the Holy Roman Empire. Poland would long ago have assumed protection over the Hussites were she not afraid of the Order and the penalty it would have to impose on a turbulent Poland. The best way to eradicate the Czech plague is to destroy the source from which the Czechs draw their strength. Jagiełło supports heresy, quite blatantly, by simply pulling the wool over the eyes of the Pope and Europe. The legate didn’t leave Poland empty-handed because King Sigismund was getting matey with Witold, but because Jagiełło never even considered a crusade and doesn’t care a hoot about papal bulls. Poland has other plans, Master Langenreuth, quite different ones. Their plan is—together with the heretics—to annihilate us and to establish Slavic rule over Europe. Thus King Sigismund is acting wisely, threefold wisely, by standing in the way of and thwarting those plans. For us—the Germanic nation—it is neither Poland nor Lithuania that are the threat. It’s the union that is the threat. Witold acquiring the crown means the end of the union, for a crown cannot be incorporated into a crown. By giving Witold the crown, King Sigismund destroys the union. Casting a die of discord. It may even lead, God willing, to a Polish–Lithuanian war. It might result, by the grace of God, in a partition. What? Master Oswald of Langenreuth, doesn’t the prospect of a partition of Poland delight you?”

“It would,” said Langenreuth, “if I were a dreamer.”

“Dreams become reality,” said Konrad, growing annoyed. “The Prophet Daniel says that God changes times and seasons, crowns kings and topples kings. Thus let us pray that it comes to pass. God, grant us a new Roman Empire, make Sigismund of Luxembourg our new emperor. Let our dream of Europe, of a united Europe governed by Germania, come true. Germania uber Alles! With the other nations on their knees. On their knees, paying homage. Or, by Satan, wiped out! Slaughtered!”