“Well, it doesn’t. Your own secrets are your business. If they are personal to you, may they remain secret. But not where they concern me. You want something from me. I want to know—”

“Agreed,” she interrupted him at once. “It’s high time you found out. There is no way of concealing it any longer. I want from you exactly what Łukasz Bożyczko and the Inquisition want: collaboration and information. Bożyczko is compelling you to collaborate using blackmail and threats. I want to convince you to collaborate by showing you a community of interests. In principle, I already have. I’ve made sure nothing bad has befallen you; I’ve acted as your guardian angel. And now I shall help you regain Jutta. I offer my help, my immediate assistance, we can set off today. Is that little?”

“It is much. But finish, please.”

“You are close to Prokop,” she said, squinting. “Close to Little Prokop, Puchała, Bedřich of Strážnice, Sigismund Korybut, Královec. You know Kolda of Žampach, Piotr the Pole and Jan Čapek. They take you into their confidence everywhere and share their secrets. I also want to be party to them. Do we understand each other?”

“No.”

“You will inform me about the Hussites’ plans. But in detail, Reinmar, in detail. No prophecies of Malachy, no dates of deaths or similar oracular revelations.”

“You eavesdropped on us in Racibórz. Eavesdropped on me and Bożyczko.”

“Indeed, I did. You impressed me then, do you know? You gave him information, but without betraying your convictions, without betraying or harming anyone. Of course, had it not been for my intervention then, Bożyczko would have forced you to disclose more significant things. And since I hampered him in his efforts, it will only be fair if you share that information with me now.”

“An interesting understanding of fairness,” he said, standing up. “Listen, Rixa Fonseca. I won’t be your informer. You won’t learn anything from me. If that is the condition of our collaboration, there won’t be any.”

“I’m on your side,” said Rixa, also standing up. “I’ve proved it. I’m not persuading you to be duplicitous. I’m not forcing you to betray anybody. I want collaboration. Mutually beneficial cooperation.”

“Mutually beneficial. Remarkable.”

“I repeat, I’m on your side. And also on the side of the ideals you are loyal to.”