City of Flowers (25 page)

And the woman went straight up to Georgia and said, ‘I don't think we could pass you off as a boy now, Georgia,' and embraced her.

Sky and Nicholas stared at each other. Then light dawned on them simultaneously: this could only be the previous Duchessa of Bellezza, Arianna's mother, who was supposed to have been assassinated by a di Chimici agent in her own audience chamber. And Sky remembered where he had seen her: in the Bellezzan Embassy, with Arianna and Rodolfo. Georgia made the introductions. Silvia took Nicholas's hand in hers and scrutinised his face.

‘We have something in common, Prince Falco,' she said in her low, musical voice. ‘We are both supposed to be dead. I hope your disguise will be as effective as mine.'

Then she turned to Sky. ‘And you are the new Stravagante,' she said. ‘You have joined us at a time of great danger.'

‘I know,' said Sky. ‘The Nucci and the weddings.'

‘And the new threat to the Duchessa from the Duke,' said Silvia, nodding at the statue. ‘You have caught her perfectly, Giuditta. Helmswoman of the ship of state.'

‘Or figurehead,' said a voice from the door. Guido Parola's hand moved to the hilt of his sword, as a white-haired figure entered. Nicholas shrank into the shadows, pulling his hood up over his face.

‘Good morning, Maestra,' said the Duke to the sculptor. ‘Good morning, Brother Celestino. I trust your master is well? Good. Won't you introduce me to your charming patroness, Giuditta? Clearly she knows something of the beautiful ruler of Bellezza.'

‘This is Signora Silvia Bellini,' said Giuditta, almost truthfully. ‘From Padavia. I believe the Signora has seen the Duchessa on a visit to the city.'

‘That is so, your Grace,' said Silvia, suddenly playing the part of a flustered and foolish woman thrown into confusion by the presence of the great man. She curtseyed and gestured to her servant to bow to the Duke. ‘My late husband had connections in Bellezza and I have seen the young Duchessa there on State occasions.' She placed her hand to her heart as if it were fluttering at the honour of being in the Duke's presence.

‘Delighted,' said the Duke, putting Silvia's other hand to his lips. ‘Pray don't let me disturb your discussion with the maestra – I came merely to look on the work she has created, whose reputation is already spreading in Giglia.'

Thank goodness Luciano isn't here, thought Sky. He would probably try to run the Duke through. As it was, Guido Parola still had his hand on his sword. Duke Niccolò walked over to the statue and caressed its white marble cheek. The tension in the workshop was unbearable.

‘So,' he said. ‘She is clearly
not
holding a treaty.'

‘I made her as I saw her, your Grace,' said Giuditta.

‘I have finished my business here, my Lord,' said Silvia, gesturing silently to Sky to leave.

‘And so have I,' Sky said, taking his cue. ‘We shall return to the friary.'

‘And what about the other charming lady?' asked the Duke, not taking his eyes off the statue. So he had noticed Georgia.

‘She is one of my models,' said Giuditta. ‘You can take a break now and come back when the apprentices do,' she told her.

Slowly they all left the workshop, backing out of the Duke's presence, leaving him alone with the sculptor. As soon as they got outside, Silvia beckoned the others to follow and took them into a nearby tavern. As they collapsed on to wooden benches, she ordered red wine, even though it was only the middle of the morning, and they all drank deeply when it came.

‘That was awkward,' she said pleasantly, but Sky saw that the hand holding her goblet was shaking. Parola took his wine and stood by the door. Now that Nicholas had thrown back his hood, his face appeared white and frightened.

‘I would not have recognised him,' he said. ‘I would have said it was here that extra years had passed – he looked so old.'

‘It was young Prince Falco's death that did it, they say,' said Silvia quietly.

‘Thank goodness he didn't notice Nicholas,' said Georgia.

‘He didn't mention him,' said Silvia. ‘But that is not the same thing at all.'

In the middle of the night Alice woke suddenly. She was sleeping in Georgia's bed and Georgia was in a sleeping bag on the floor. She looked across at the body of her friend, her chest rising and falling gently with her breath. Georgia had told her that there would be nothing to see when she stravagated, but Alice peered carefully at her all the same.

Then she found it hard to get back to sleep. She lay for what felt like hours, imagining the three others in their secret world; it was too fantastic to believe that their bodies lay sleeping in this world while three alternative ones had adventures in another. She wouldn't – couldn't – believe it unless she experienced it herself. And yet, if it were true, it made her feel afraid. Talia seemed to be such a dangerous place. Sky hadn't told her everything, but there had been enough about stabbing and poisons to make it sound thoroughly alarming.

Alice wondered what would happen if she tried to shake Georgia awake; she felt terribly lonely.

A meeting of the Stravaganti was held at Silvia's lodgings that afternoon. Sky felt guilty that he was neglecting Sandro but he couldn't miss out on the meeting. And he was beginning to see that he couldn't really turn up at the friary with Georgia in tow; for the first time, his novice's disguise was a hindrance.

Silvia felt it too; she offered Georgia a red scarf to hide her hair. But not before Georgia had been caught in a bear hug by William Dethridge and greeted by Rodolfo and Sulien. Best of all for her, though, was the embrace from Luciano, a long, heartfelt hug, even though only one between friends.

‘Eight of the Brotherhood in one room,' said Rodolfo. ‘It is an honour to have you all here. We can hope to save the city in its time of danger.'

‘Um,' said Sky. ‘Would it be even better to have nine?'

Sulien had already heard about Alice, and of course Georgia and Nicholas knew about her, but that still left four to convince that they should bring yet another talisman to their world. Luciano at least knew who Alice was, but the others were surprised at the idea of someone volunteering to come to Talia.

‘It's the only way I can convince her that we're not lying,' said Sky. He felt terribly embarrassed at having to talk about his girlfriend with these distinguished grown-ups. Georgia came to his rescue, emboldened by being with Luciano again.

‘Alice is my best friend,' she said simply. ‘And she was very unhappy because she thought that Sky had something going on with me. He's been spending a lot of time with me and Nicholas, what with the fencing and all the talk about Talia.'

‘So it is our secrets and our problems that have brought about your own difficulty?' asked Rodolfo. ‘You are prepared to risk your life in Talia to save others and yet we have done nothing for you. I think we should grant your request. What does everyone else think?'

‘The more the merrier, as far as I'm concerned,' said Luciano, rather wildly. He felt that the whole business of Stravaganti from his world was getting out of hand; was the whole of Barnsbury Comp going to turn up here? They could charter an inter-dimensional bus at this rate.

‘Hold harde,' said Dethridge. ‘If the mayde is to stravayge, who is to take hir talismanne? Shee can not arrive in a house of brothires of Saint Francis.'

‘It must be me then, I suppose,' said Giuditta. ‘I have done it before.'

Georgia felt most uncomfortable. Everyone in the room knew that she had rejected Giuditta's talisman and she couldn't bear the idea of Alice having the ram that had been made for her.

‘I shall take her something from my workshop,' continued the sculptor. ‘And she will arrive there. But my counsel is that she should come for only one stravagation, to confirm the truth of her friends' story.'

*

Sandro was bored with spying. He no longer believed that there was any danger from the Nucci, in spite of their defensive tower and their many weapons. Their attempted poisoning of the Duke and the loss of their youngest family member were in the past now and he thought they might be a spent force. Now he was tired of hanging about outside their old palace; he would have far rather been out exploring the city with Brother Tino.

Then he remembered that Tino had gone off with the new novice without even a backward glance, and felt annoyed. Fratello was his only real friend after all, thought Sandro, and he bent to ruffle the dog's ears. And found himself looking at a pair of feet in black shoes with silver buckles. An unpleasant scent in the air and the growl in Fratello's throat alerted him to the presence of his master.

‘How is it going, little Sparrow?' said Enrico genially. ‘Anything happening with our friends over there?'

‘Nothing,' said Sandro. ‘Nothing to report at all. Can't I go somewhere else?'

‘That's the minute something will happen, if I know anything about it,' said Enrico. ‘What about at the friary? Anything interesting going on there?'

The most interesting thing in the friary as far as Sandro was concerned was that he was learning to read there, and he didn't want the Eel to know that.

‘There's a new novice,' he said instead. ‘Brother Benvenuto.'

‘Another one?' said Enrico. ‘They'll have more novices than full friars soon. Perhaps you'd better keep an eye on this one – let me know if there's anything fishy going on. I'm never quite sure whether that Sulien is loyal to the di Chimici or not.'

Sandro said nothing. He knew now what being loyal to the ruthless di Chimici might involve and he also knew that it wasn't a good idea to be found wanting.

*

‘Now,' said Rodolfo, ‘Alice or no Alice, we must plan our strategy for the days of the wedding.'

‘
Days?
' said Georgia. ‘You mean they take more than one day to get married?'

‘The ceremony itself takes not much longer than an ordinary Mass,' said Sulien. ‘But there will be a grand tournament the day before, with a banquet in the evening, various pageants and processions on the day itself, and a final party the day after.'

‘And we moste kepe vigillant atte all these tymes,' said Dethridge.

‘How, exactly?' asked Nicholas.

‘A circle of strength,' said Giuditta. ‘If all eight – or even nine – Stravaganti are together, we can surround the likely targets with our linked minds, see where the danger is coming from and protect them from harm.'

‘And who are the likely targets?' asked Sky.

‘I'm afraid that is what we don't know,' said Rodolfo. ‘My daughter is my main concern, but any member of the di Chimici and Nucci families is at risk.'

‘And if vyolence comes,' said Dethridge, ‘thenne every one and eny one canne be harmed. Inne a church or a square – wheresomever there are crowdes – a small acte with a blade canne lead on to mayhem overal.'

‘Wait a minute,' said Georgia. ‘I can see about the circle of minds, I think, though I'd like to practise it. But what if we do see a threat coming from a particular person. What can we do about it? Can the Stravaganti disarm an armed man with their thoughts?'