“Ah,” said Prokop the Shaven, putting his hands together. “Very good. That’s excellent. May it thus remain.” A moment later, he continued, “The Bible says: trust in the Lord. And regarding your brother, you can additionally trust in me, Prokop. I shall take care of it personally. I already have. Your brother, whose memory I respect, was only one of many of our allies killed in Silesia. A murderous hand fell on scores of people who sympathised with us and who helped us. Those crimes will not go unpunished. We shall answer terror with terror, in accordance with God’s order: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a leg for a leg, a wound for a wound. Your brother will be avenged, you can be certain of that. But I forbid you from private acts of revenge. I understand your feelings, but you must restrain yourself. Understand that there’s a hierarchy here, a queue for revenge, and you are far from the top of that hierarchy. And do you know who is at the top? I’ll tell you: I am! Prokop, called the Shaven. The Silesian wrongdoers have added me to their list, so do you think I’ll let them get away with it? That I won’t give them an example of terror? I swear by the Father and the Son that they who have spilled blood will pay with their own. As the Bible says: I shall beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I shall stamp them as the mire of the street. I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them. They who have made a pact with the Devil, who have plotted crimes in secret, dealt murderous blows, now look back anxiously, now feel eyes on their backs. Now those creatures of darkness are afraid of what is lying in wait in the darkness for them. They saw themselves as wolves, spreading terror among defenceless sheep. And now they themselves tremble to hear the howling of wolves on their trail.

“Conclusion: the preparation of our attack on Silesia is at this moment a matter of vital consequence for our entire cause. It is an operation as important even as the current siege of Kolín or the attack on Hungary planned for the end of the year. I repeat: if as a result of your attempts at private revenge the operation ends in fiasco, I shall take appropriate measures. Appropriate and harsh measures. I shall not show mercy. Remember that. Will you?”

“I shall.”

“Splendid. And now… Reinmar, Brother Neplach informs me that you’re an expert at… hmm… unconventional medicine and I have terrible pains in my bones… Can you make magic? Cure it with a spell?”

“Brother Prokop… Magic is forbidden… Witchcraft is a peccatum mortalium… The Fourth Article of Prague—”

“Stop talking nonsense, will you? I asked if you can cure it.”