“Quite unharmed, Your Holiness.” La Bella’s tired face creased in a smile. “Overjoyed to see my Pope again.”

He lifted her up and kissed her, and the French captain covered his grin with his hand. I saw that the Holy Father had discarded his papal robes for a black velvet cloak trimmed with gold, grandly spurred Valencian boots, a sword and dagger at his belt, and a cap with a dashing feather. Trying to look the cavalier for a mistress who had spent the past two days being complimented by young French gallants? What fools men make of themselves for beautiful women. Even popes.

More courtesies between Cesare Borgia and the French captain, as the Pope ignored them all and continued kissing Giulia, and at last the thing was done and the French escort retreated. Cesare Borgia gave a faint shake of his head, sauntering past his father, and leaned his auburn head idly through the carriage window.

“Little lion man,” he greeted me, as he always did. His lean handsome face was cut sharply across by shadows. “The French didn’t kill you?”

I gestured at my bandages. “They tried, Your Eminence.”

“Never count on the French to do anything right.” Cesare Borgia was no bull like his father; he had all the languid grace of a serpent as he lounged against the carriage. “How many did you kill, during this adventure?”

“Three.”

“And wounded?”

“The wounded don’t count.” I studied him. “How many did you kill, during my adventure?”

“What, how many Frenchmen?”

“How many anything.”

“What a thing to be curious about.” He had dark eyes, quite without bottom, and they never held anything warmer than amusement. They were amused now, looking through the shadows at me. “My man Michelotto told me you were asking questions.”

“Did he, now.” I tilted my head at Michelotto, Cesare Borgia’s stone-faced shadow—a fellow with no expression whatsoever whose stare could make a saint twitch. “It’s no crime to ask questions, surely.”

“That depends who you ask the questions about.” The young Cardinal smiled. I smiled. We’d been playing this game a long time, Cesare and I. It involved a woman, and how I thought she might have died, but I was hurting too badly tonight to indulge in any more games of cat and mouse.