Louis held up a finger. "I will not declare war on Manfred. If you go, this is entirely your doing, and that of the pope." _We've won! The king has given in!_ Simon, wild with joy inside, forced himself to sit silent. Charles did not look as pleased as Simon felt. "But, if you don't declare war, where will I get the knights and men?" Louis held up a second finger. "You will get them yourself. I will not provide them. You will have to hire them. And if Manfred beats your army, I will not send more men to rescue you." Charles shrugged. "Well, I have the best tax collectors in Europe." Louis raised a third finger. "You will forget about Provence." Charles looked outraged. "Forget about--" he sputtered. Louis raised a finger. "Charles, I will not let you have both Sicily and Provence. You want too much." Charles sighed. "Very well. Let Provence go to Tristan. You have put me in a position where I will desperately need the taxes Provence would yield. But I will make do somehow." "I am sure you will," said Louis. "If you have to sell all the clothes from all the backs in the lands you now rule." Louis thought a moment, and then turned to Simon, who, glowing inwardly, leapt to his feet. "Yes, Sire!" Louis looked startled at Simon's vehemence. "I will write two letters for you to take to Perugia. One for the reigning pope, who, I pray, will still be Pope Urban. In that I will give my permission for the Count of Anjou to accept the crown the pope has offered him and to make war on Manfred." He stopped, sighed, and shook his head. Turning to his brother, he said, "I do this with great sorrow and misgiving, Charles, but I fear I have no choice." The Count of Anjou said nothing, but Simon saw his chest rapidly rising and falling with excitement. "Should God take Pope Urban, Simon, you will hold the letter, sealed, until a new pope is elected and then give it to him. The other letter, in the event Pope Urban dies, will be for Cardinal de Verceuil. You mentioned that Manfred might try to influence the election of the next pope. Fourteen out of twenty-one cardinals are French, and if they vote together, they can elect a pope. I shall recommend a candidate they can unite behind. Again, I do not like to do this, because a king should not interfere in the election of a pope. Should Pope Urban live to read the first letter, you will not give the second letter to Cardinal de Verceuil, but will burn it, still sealed, and see that not a trace remains." Charles shrugged. "The Hohenstaufen did it again and again." "They _tried_ to do it," said Louis, "and that is one reason that they and the popes are such enemies. But I do it for the same reason I allow you to go to Italy, Charles. To prevent a greater calamity and to accomplish a greater good." "And who will your choice for pope be, brother?"