Dave Duncan - The Alchemists pursuit

"As for the motive-Domenico and Bernardo do not want him back because they would have to relinquish his share of the fraterna. Alina shouldn't, because if he is acquitted she would become the obvious culprit and if he isn't he'll be beheaded. Someone in that family, possibly more than one person, thinks that Zorzi's chances of clearing his name can be undercut by killing whichever courtesan he was patronizing that night so that she cannot testify on his behalf. He probably had a few current favorites, and they don't know which one they need, so they have hired a professional assassin to hunt down and murder all the most likely."

The Maestro groaned. "A thousand angels hear my prayer! You think that after eight years the Council of Ten will reverse its own verdict on the unsupported word of a harlot? You can buy that sort of testimony for a ducat! I thought you said Zorzi Michiel left a confession before he ran away. He will now pass that off as a joke?"

"I'm not sure about the confession," I admitted. "Donna Alina did tell me that she was not questioned again after her son disappeared, and that sounds as if the Ten had very good evidence that he was guilty."

Nostradamus pulled a face that would have terrified gargoyles. "I doubt very much that anything less than a signed confession from someone else would persuade the Ten to change its conviction of Zorzi Michiel, probably not even that. I think, madonna, that you need not listen to any more of these myths and legends. You may go about your business. Indeed, you will have to hurry to complete it before vespers."

Violetta rose, so I did. She curtseyed to the old rogue and I followed her out. I followed her all the way out to the landing, pulling the door closed behind me.

"So where are you off to?"

She smiled as angels smile. "To see the Popess."

"Who?" I must have jumped like a frog, because she eyed me oddly.

"Sister Lucretzia. That's if I can get in to speak with her. You think you could? You want to try on this gown?"

"The tarot warned you that the Popess was a danger to be avoided!"

Violetta laughed lovingly and blessed me with Helen's dark-eyed smile. "But I think the Popess trump is more likely to be the abbess than the nun. If the old dragon as much as suspects what sort of woman I am, she will have me run out of town." Helen is the loveliest of Violetta's personas, not the smartest.

"Yes, I think the abbess is more likely, and it was the abbess reversed you drew. She could have you arrested, darling!"

"You can kiss me. I'm not painted at the moment."

I did so, of course, and finished quite breathless. I have a heart condition where she is concerned. "You free this evening?"

She shook her head. "Poor Alfeo! No, I told my patron I might be late as it is. Tomorrow at noon?"

"I'll try." I tried to kiss her again, but she declined. "Give all the girls my love." I watched her go down the first flight, then went back to the atelier. I headed for the chair I had used, intending to put it back where it belonged. The Maestro appeared to be deep in thought, but he spoke.

"Leave that. Use it. Now report properly."

"Properly" means every word, or as close as I can remember. I sat down and flexed my memory. First I had to empty it of a question.

"You think Sister Lucretzia can help us? She's probably spent her entire life in Santa Giustina."

"Won't know unless we ask and I can't send you."

"True. Did Violetta tell you that her tarot showed the Popess reversed as a snare to be avoided?"

He scowled. "No."

"And yet last night on my reading the Popess upright showed as the solution."

Nostradamus pretends that tarot is childish and overrated, but I suspect that's because it works better for me than it does for him. Despite his scoffing, he does not ignore my readings when he is stuck with a problem.

"Start your report with that, then."

It takes hours of reporting to cover hours of interviewing. We adjourned for supper and resumed. I was weary and hoarse by the time I got to the point where I was seen off by Jacopo. Then the questions started.

"It was Jacopo who shopped Zorzi? By reporting that the dagger was missing, I mean. Who put him up to that?"

"I didn't ask," I said. "I only know because he volunteered the story. I assumed it was just a spontaneous error. He was only a child."

"I've told you: never assume anything. Someone may have put him up to it. Someone may have put him up to telling you…"

A rap on the door knocker stopped him. I went out to see and was startled to find the sinister form of Antonio waiting on the landing. Surprise gave way to terror.

"She's all right?"

His forked beard twisted around a fearsome leer. "She was all right when she promoted me to messenger boy." He handed me a letter.

I thanked him and started to open it. He had already turned to leave.

"No use replying," he said over his shoulder as he started down the stair. "She's gone; her giovane was waiting. And if you offer me a soldo, I'll break your neck." He looked back again at the first landing. "I got well paid."

"Don't tell me," I said and closed the door. Damn him! I could easily imagine Helen rushing to go out, handing the note to him and throwing her arms around his ugly neck to kiss him when he agreed to see that I got it. I hoped that was all he had meant.

"A letter from my beloved," I said as returned to my place in the atelier. "All it says is, Was not allowed in, so Popess no help." I could not help adding, "As predicted, but at least she's safe."

Nostradamus grunted but did not comment on the pros or cons of tarot. "It's time to count out the gold for Circospetto."

The night was young yet, but I was happy not to have to talk any more. I fetched the scales and a heavy bag from the secret cache. While the Maestro watched in sullen silence, I counted out one hundred sixty-three sequins and weighed them. I added two ducats and two lira and put the lot in the money pouch. It weighed more than a pound, but it was not bulky.

At that point my master announced that he was going to bed, which did not surprise me when his hips were obviously still troubling him severely. He spurned my offers of help, though, and hobbled off on his canes. I put the money pouch in a desk drawer and tidied up the pile of books he had left by his chair. I had hours to wait before my appointment with Raffaino Sciara, so I could catch up on my housework.

I took the chair I had been using earlier and carried it back to its place behind the door. At that point I said, "What?" to myself. I may even have spoken it aloud. A moment later I started to laugh. An observer might have thought I had taken leave of my senses. I certainly spoke aloud when I said, "Oh, tarot, I love you!" Then I laughed even harder.

The atelier door is opposite the fireplace, and behind the door stand the two chairs. The armillary sphere and various astronomical instruments stand farther along the wall, then comes the cabinet of sky charts, and so on. That brings you to the corner with the window wall, which holds only the big double desk, my seat at the near side, and the Maestro's at the other. I had been able to see Sister Lucretzia from there, but mostly I had concentrated on the Maestro's verbal tussle with Friar Fedele.

An armillary sphere consists of a series of bronze or brass rings, most of which can be moved, all set in an outer horizontal ring, which is fixed atop a pedestal. We use it to calculate the positions of stars and planets at various times of the year. The horizontal ring, which is called the Horizon Ring, unsurprisingly, is wider than the others, like a circular table with a very large round hole cut in it. It is possible to set small objects on it, or balance larger ones, and what I had found on it was a book bound in brown leather.