Dennis Wheatley - The Rape Of Venice

T certainly cannot."

'Then I wish you to see Malderini as soon as possible and instruct him to prepare his fellow conspirators to take part in a plot on those lines.'

'I take it you have no intention of allowing General Boneparte to be captured; but intend to ambush his would-​be kidnappers when they make their attempt."

'Exactly.'

'But how does Malderini come into this? He might be killed, or anyway would be among the captured. If General Boneparte decided to reward him afterwards for enabling us to bag these malcontents, by making him First Magistrate, all Venice would realise the truth that it was he who had betrayed his companions. In such a case his life would not be worth a month's purchase. It's certain that some relative of one of the men he had betrayed would assassinate him.'

'He will be killed, because I intend to kill him. But it will be for you to still his fears and flatter his ambitions. Tell him that there will be no shooting unless his friends shoot first, and that the strictest orders will be given that none of his party are to be fired upon unless they use a weapon. Tell him that he must make some excuse not to act as leader and spokesman, but keep in the background, where he should be safe even from a stray bullet. Tell him that all the others will be executed to ensure their silence about his having been one of them, and that he will be allowed to escape. No Venetian need ever know that he took part in the attempt. Finally, promise him on General Bonepart's behalf that, if all goes well, a clause shall be inserted in the peace treaty reviving the ancient office of Doge, and that he shall be installed in it.'

Villetard nodded. 'Yes. Given an assurance of such measures for his own protection both during and after the coup, I doubt if he could resist walking into so well-​baited a trap. I see one possibility, though, which might, temporarily at least, deprive you of your personal revenge.'

'What is it?'

'If he is not to act as leader, why should he go at all? Providing he gets his friends to make the attempt and furnishes us with full particulars of their arrangements, he will have played his part. To avoid all risk to himself he could pretend illness at the last moment as an excuse not to accompany them.'

'I had thought of that,' Roger smiled, 'so I intend to provide him with a special reason for being of the party; a reason which no normal illness would excuse in the eyes of his companions. Have you ever met his wife?'

'No. Few people have. He keeps her, as they term it in the East, in purdah. But I know her well by sight. Everybody does, because she makes such a distinctive figure. She is often to be seen accompanied by Malderini's lanky manservant walking in the city in the morning, and whenever the weather is clement she sits on the balcony of the Palace watching the traffic in the Grand Canal for an hour or two in the afternoon. Why do you ask?'

'Only because it is my intention to kidnap her.'

'How will that assist your plan?'

'Anything to do with the East holds a particular attraction for the General-​in-​Chief. His reason for coming to Venice is that I have told him about her and the idea of a tete-​a-​tete supper with an Indian Princess greatly appeals to him.'

Without the quiver of an eyelid, Roger went on to tell another thumping lie. 'It was that which led me to suggest to him that this secret visit of his would provide us with an excellent opportunity to ensnare the potential trouble-​makers of Venice. He approved my idea and has sent me to arrange matters.'

Villetard ran his finger down his long nose. 'You certainly have a fertile mind for such schemes, Citizen Breuc, and I am fortunate to have your co-​operation in clearing out these vipers. Have you worked out your plan in detail?'

Roger bowed. 'Thank you. Citizen Minister. Yes I take it you have plenty of people at your disposal who can put rumours into circulation?'

'Plenty. I often have to use such methods.'

'Then first I would like you to have it put about as soon as possible that General Boneparte is already in the city and has been living here for several days incognito, and that having on several occasions seen the Princess Sirisha he has expressed great interest in her, so that it gets to Malderini's ears and those of his fellow conspirators.'

'Yes. I will do that. What then?'

'I want you to find for me by tonight a suitable house for this tete-​a-​tete supper; so that I can make all arrangements there tomorrow. It will, of course, be during the supper that the kidnapping attempt will take place; so it must be one in which I can conceal a score of troops, yet have them handy. The difficulty is that it should be somewhere fairly isolated, in case shooting does occur; because in no circumstances can we have a night-​patrol arriving on the scene and discovering the General-​in-​Chief in such a situation.'

'I appreciate that,' Villetard nodded, 'and I think I know the very place to suit you. It is an island about three miles distant, called Portillo. On it there is a little casino, a charming place. Beautifully furnished. It was the property of the last French Ambassador here before the Revolution, so was taken over by us at the same time as the Embassy. Many of the Venetian nobles own such casinos and, as was the Ambassador's custom, use them for entertaining the ladies of the Opera.'

'Nothing could be better. Then today you will see Malderini and put to him this project for kidnapping General Boneparte. You will also get the rumours going about his being in the city and the interest he has expressed in the Princess. Tomorrow I shall require a few of the Embassy servants who can be relied on to keep their mouths shut to come out with me to Portillo and prepare the casino there for the General's reception. The following day I propose to kidnap the Princess and take her there. I shall do it publicly and in such a manner that everyone will know that she has been abducted by the French. If the rumours do their work, Malderini and his friends will believe that she had been carried off by Boneparte's orders. In consequence, he will not have the face to back out from accompanying them in a bid to kidnap the General and rescue her. Is that all clear?'

'Perfectly; but this business of kidnapping the Princess does raise one other point. Has it occurred to you that at times love can prove stronger than ambition? If Malderini believes that General Boneparte has seduced her, he might be filled with jealous rage to such a degree that he may attempt to kill him."

Roger smiled. 'Seductions usually take place after supper, not before; so he would expect to arrive on the scene in time to save her from the General or herself. But you have no need for anxiety on that score. I shall be there, and it is Malderini who is going to be killed.'

'Very well then. Everything shall be done as you wish it.'

I thank you, Citizen Minister. You will not, of course, disclose to Malderini until the last moment the place at which the General-​in-​Chief is to be on the night of the 14th. It is important, too, that he should not learn that I am back in Venice; otherwise, knowing my enmity to him, and that having been rescued by Madame Boneparte I must also be a friend of her husband's, he might suspect a trap. I must, therefore, go about my business here in some disguise. Have you anything to suggest?'

"Nothing could be simpler. The Venetians follow the strange custom of holding carnival for six months every year. They do not, of course, have their processions and actual fiesta until the last few weeks; but in this most licentious of cities a degree of licence has long been permitted from October 1st. From then on anyone who wishes may go about masked without question, which makes it easier to conduct clandestine love affairs. You have only to change that smart uniform for civilian clothes, wear a long cloak and a mask, and even if you came face to face with Malderini he would have no idea who you were.'