noon
Every day he and Sophia spent hours together , sometimes in his chamber , sometimes in hers . They chose different times of the day , hoping to make their meetings less obvious . The best times were the afternoons . Most Orvietans slept an hour or two after their noon meal , just as most Egyptians did . Sophia and Daoud would draw the curtains to hold out the heat and dust . They would make love , their bodies slippery with sweat . Then they would lie side by side and let themselves cool , talking of what they felt about each other , of the world , of the mission they had come to Orvieto to accomplish .