Daoud watched the stout Bulgarian woman Ana speak John's words in Italian, still expressionless, still standing motionless. But to his surprise he saw rivulets of tears on her round cheeks. She had been in Bulgaria when the Tartars came, he thought. She had seen what Christians called "the fury of the Tartars." She must have been among the survivors who submitted to their rule, but she had not forgotten. Perhaps translating John's and Philip's words exactly as they spoke them was her way of taking revenge. John held out his goblet, and Ana refilled it. He laughed softly at nothing in particular and drank more. "But why do this to city after city?" Daoud asked. "When we invade a kingdom, the rulers and people are determined to resist us," said John. "To fight them might cost us the lives of thousands of our warriors. But when we wipe out one or two whole cities, they become terrified. They lose their will to fight and surrender quickly. It saves many lives on both sides." Philip grinned broadly. "It shows that we have power like no other people on earth." He shook both fists. "We can level whole cities. This teaches all men that Eternal Heaven has given us dominion over the whole earth." Daoud heard whispers from the people around him, and Pope Urban coughed softly. Daoud could hardly believe his luck. Not luck, he thought. God had delivered the Tartars into his hands. "The whole earth?" said Daoud. "Even Europe? Even the Christian lands?" Philip threw out his arms expansively. "The whole earth. All there is. Every corner." Daoud's earlier rage had subsided. Instead, he felt wild triumph, and he had to grip the seat of his chair to hold himself down. Daoud heard Cardinal Ugolini declare, "You see? Exactly what we have been saying." "You say Eternal Heaven gives you the right to rule the world?" Daoud asked. "Do you mean God?" John shrugged. "Eternal Heaven is what our ancestors called Him. Now that we are Christians we call Him God." Fra Tomasso suddenly cut in. "But surely you realize that the sky, or whatever you worshiped before you became Christians, is not the true God." After Ana translated this, John questioned her, squinting at the Dominican as he did so, apparently wanting to make sure of Fra Tomasso's meaning. "Would God have neglected us before Christian priests found their way to our land?" John said through Ana. "Of course He has spoken to us. Has He not made us the most powerful people on earth?" "Perhaps He has done so in order that you might _now_ hear His word," said Fra Tomasso. "I am not a priest," John said with a sudden broad grin. "But we have the highest priests of the Christian faith here tonight. Let them say whether Eternal Heaven and God are the same." He bowed his round head and held out his hand in invitation.