“That’s no mean sum, ha ha! Now do you see? Ungerath, the old skinflint, negotiated, wants to resolve the affair without parting with any cash. To gain Gilbert’s freedom he will release Czech prisoners—Utraquists caught by Silesians. Ungerath has contacts, connections, debtors and quickly acquired some prisoners—meaning us, ha ha. It looks, ha ha, like we—including that half-dead character there—are valued at some four thousand eight hundred per capita, in the final reckoning. I’d say it’s a good average price. Unless he values any of you gentlemen more highly?”

No one responded. Hlas of Libočany laughed out loud.

“We’re being taken to be exchanged, gentlemen. So heads up, ha ha, our captivity will soon be over, very soon!”

The cramped conditions and fug inside the wagon made the prisoners drowsy, so they dozed almost constantly. When Reynevan wasn’t sleeping he was thinking.

Who betrayed him in Wrocław?

Ruling out a simple accident—and in situations like that, accidents ought to be ruled out—it didn’t leave many scenarios. Time changed people and Achilles Czibulka might have been tempted by the gold coins under the floor of the apothecary’s shop; the desire to take possession of them might have been irresistible. What then could be said about Allerdings? Reynevan didn’t know him at all but had grounds to consider him a hired rogue.

But of course, the prime suspect remained Pater Felicjan, Hanys Gwisdek known as Little Louse, a character to whom lying, betrayal and perfidy appeared second nature. Allerdings had warned Reynevan about him, but the latter had disregarded the warnings and bad omens. Omnis priest avaritia, ran the popular saying. Greed would stop Felicjan from betrayal, Reynevan had thought, for he stood to lose a hundred florins by doing so. That hadn’t convinced Allerdings.

Allerdings might have been right, Reynevan thought in despair. Father Felicjan might have valued his skin at more than a hundred florins and might have betrayed to save his skin. He might have betrayed to gain favour and for much more advantageous benefits in the future.

Yes, there was much to suggest that Father Felicjan was the traitor. But if so…

But if so, Reynevan thought in despair, the entire complicated Wrocław plan will come to nothing, the chances of recovering Jutta quickly vanished, my hopes dashed. Once again, I have no idea what to do or where to begin. I’m in the soup again. Back to square one again.

Assuming there’s even a chance of getting beyond square one, thought Reynevan. The cheerful Hlas may be wrong. Perhaps they won’t exchange us at all? It might be as it was at Trosky Castle, where they buy Utraquists in order to subsequently execute them on the scaffold to improve the local populace’s morale.

But this time it was too much to count on being rescued by a mysterious, illusory woman.