Chapter 19 Summary

Anastasius is writing a history of the papacies of his time. He still hopes to be Pope to justify his father's faith in him. His current position is not one from which he can move to Pope, but he feels the upcoming Pope, Sergius, will reward him as Louis's son Lothar did when he betrayed Louis on the Field of Lies. Pope Gregory is taking a long time to die after reigning for seventeen years. The signal finally comes summoning Anastasius to Gregory's deathbed, and he manages to shed tears to give an appearance of grief.

Joan loves the mixture of art, knowledge, filth and decay contained in Rome. Again disguised as John of Anglicus, she is at the Schola Anglorum, and has a reputation as a brilliant scholar. She assists at mass and attends the sick in the infirmary, where the Romans...