“Take a guess.” Rzehors crossed his arms over his chest. “And when you hit upon it, move your arse. We told you: there’s work to be done. The Vogelsang is counter-attacking, and you are still the Vogelsang; no one has removed you from the Vogelsang or freed you of your responsibilities. Prokop and Neplach have issued orders which also apply to you. Do you know the risk of failing to carry them out?”

“I love you, too.” Reynevan didn’t bat an eyelid. “And I’m fucking overjoyed to see you. But soften your tone a little, lads. As regards orders, you are envoys, nothing more. I give the orders. So, therefore, I order you: say your piece and make it short and snappy. That’s an order. You know the penalty for insubordination.”

“Didn’t I tell you?” said Bisclavret, laughing. “Didn’t I tell you not to talk to him like that?”

“He’s grown up,” said Rzehors with a smile. “The spit and image of his brother. Just like Peterlin. Or perhaps he’s even surpassed Peterlin.”

“They know it.” Bisclavret, after finally putting away the navaja, bowed dramatically. “Brothers Prokop the Shaven and Bohuchval Neplach, called Flutek, know it. They know what a zealous Utraquist and ardent supporter of the cause of the Chalice Peterlin’s brother is. Thus, the above-mentioned brothers—via our unworthy lips—request Reynevan to prove his loyalty to the Chalice once again. The brothers humbly request—”

“Shut up, Frenchman. You speak, Rzehors. Briefly and in plain language.”

Prokop’s order for the Vogelsang was indeed brief and ran: reconstruct the spy ring. And do it quickly. Quickly enough for the network to be used during the next strike on Silesia. Prokop didn’t specify when the strike would occur.

Reynevan had no idea how he was meant to personally reconstruct something about which he had only a general and rather vague idea—a ring about which he knew almost nothing apart from the fact that it reputedly existed. When taken to task, Rzehors and Bisclavret confessed that they mainly saw his help in the sense that—as they expressed it—three was safer than two.

In spite of the task’s supposed great urgency, Reynevan didn’t agree to set off immediately. He wanted to teach the Vogelsang some manners and respect for him. But, above all, he had to sort out the situation with Jutta. He thought the second matter much more difficult than the first. But actually things went better than he had expected.

“Oh well,” she said, when the hot wave of anger had passed. “I might have expected it. Galahad loves, promises and vows for ever and ever. But in truth, only until news of the Grail arrives.”

“It’s not like that, Jutta,” he protested. “Nothing has changed. It’s just a few days. Then I’ll return… Nothing has changed.”