Unlike his repeated denouncements of the association with Louis IX of France, our monk seems to be one of the royal associates. He counts the king as one of his spiritual friends. He transmits the royal letter to Sartak Khan and agrees to pass the Great Khan's missive to his royal patron.
On the other hand, Guillom is utterly unprepared to be a missionary. He is unaware of local languages and customs. He took with him an incompetent interpreter who cannot support most of spiritual dialogues but clings to bottle on every feast. He is too critical of other faiths-not exactly a kind of conversationalist you would like to have at your dinner table.
William probably acts as a royal spy disguised as a missionary. Anyway, his description of the Great Khan's entourage and the capital city Karakorum cast light on political developments within the Mongol Empire at its climax.
http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/mywanderlust/members/worldsnapper/photos/mongolia_18219/70638
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