“He will be able to when he becomes emperor, something that is by no means certain. For the time being, King Sigismund is putting the Catholic Church at risk owing to his particularistic and short-sighted interests. And owing to the mission the Church is planning to undertake in the East. A Christian, civilisational and evangelical mission.”

“A mission to be dispatched by Poland? The Messiah and chosen nation, the bulwark of Christianity? Your sin is that of pride, Zbigniew, Polish pride. The mission of which you speak could just as easily be carried out by Witold—when he becomes king.”

The Bishop of Krakow slipped his hands into the sleeves of his overcoat.

“If crowned, Witold won’t do anything,” he responded. “He cares not about the mission or Rome. He cares solely about power. The Holy See is aware of that, for which reason it will not sanction Witold’s coronation. The Holy See knows that it can only rely on Poland in the East, both in the fight against the Schism and against heresy. Whoever weakens Poland by destroying its union with Lithuania is hostile not only to Poland, but also to the Church.”

“Soothsayers give the present Pope no more than a year, and his successor may love the Poles less. Particularly when he finds out who is a true Christian and who is not. Who secretly supports and arms the heretics and who fights against them, destroys them with fire and iron, putting a categorical end to the heretical abomination.”

“Aha!” Oleśnicki guessed immediately. “You are preparing another Crusade? Are you in such haste to receive a beating? For the Czechs will tan your hides once more. You’ll have to flee from there in panic again, in shame and dishonour, disgraced before the entire Christian world like last time. It’s time to start thinking. About how if you allow the heretics to vanquish you, you strengthen them.”

“It’s you who strengthens them. You Poles, by giving them your support. If you were to invade with us—”

“If it was up to me,” the Bishop of Krakow interrupted, “the Polish Army would invade Bohemia tomorrow. I abhor heresy and would love to see it brought to heel. But one must take into account public opinion. According to public opinion, the Czechs are Slavs, our brethren, and one does not march into a fraternal country under arms. Vox populi, vox Dei—Polish intervention in Bohemia would be a political misstep with unpredictable consequences. Thus Polish intervention in Bohemia will not occur.”

“But will in Silesia, eh?”

“Only should Jagiełło issue the order. I, the episcopus cracoviensis, am doing everything to make sure he doesn’t. Doing everything to hold in check and tame the pro-Hussite faction. Help me with that, O Bishop of Wrocław. Influence Sigismund to stop incitement regarding Witold and giving him the crown.”