Part 20 (2/2)

Luciano felt the long pause in Rodolfo's thoughts, at least the ones he could read.

It is a privilege to be able to return. Not a right. The dead do not return.

Only ghosts, master.

You are not a ghost but a living and vigorous young man. One who will soon be my son under the law. But you could turn into something no better than a ghost.

Master?

You, like young Falco, can live in only one world, Luciano. He made his choice and it was for your old world. You had no choice and this is the only world for you now. You cannot dip back into your old life for the food and luxuries you miss in this. And you can't just visit your parents whenever you feel like it. It would drive you mad.

That is what is happening.

Then I am sorry you went back with Matteo. Shall I come to you in Padavia?

Luciano was touched. Rodolfo would not hesitate to put aside the demands of a being Regent of an important city-state to come and comfort his old apprentice.

No, it's fine. I'm fine. The Dottore is still with me here. But I didn't want to tell him. He has his own sadnesses about his old life.

To tell him of yours will not add to his. Remember, you are both Stravaganti. He will understand.

After a second day of covering for the sick beater, who had been injured in a tavern brawl, Matt found himself spending Sunday in Constantin's Secret Scriptorium. The Professor looked more troubled than Matt had ever seen him. He kept glancing at the door of the secret room and in the end propped it open so that he could see into the larger room, though Matt couldn't see how this would make things safer.

'We have three more clear days,' said Constantin.

'How come?' asked Matt.

'Well, tomorrow is All Hallows' Eve, then we have All Saints' Day followed by All Souls' Day. The Scriptorium will be closed for three days, so we can work in here.'

Matt wondered how Biagio explained to his family why he never took a day off. Perhaps he didn't have one? He hoped Constantin was giving the foreman lots of extra money.

'Are ordinary people allowed to celebrate that?' he asked. 'I thought it was just the Manoush?'

'It is a three day festival of the Church,' said Constantin. 'There will be special services in all the churches and in the basilica. But the Manoush, if they celebrate at all, will do it in a different fas.h.i.+on.'

It had been only a week since the Manoush had come to Padavia and Matt had first met Ludo. During that time, he had seen him a few more times, looking far less colourful. Matt liked him a lot better dressed in black and without the ribbons. He wondered, as he worked, what risks the Manoush would be taking on the next day. And what had brought Ludo to the Scriptorium two days before.

When Matt left the Scriptorium for a short lunch break, he walked instinctively towards the Black Horse. And didn't notice a figure slipping after him. But that spy also didn't notice the man following him, who was wrapped in a black cloak and had reddish-brown hair. And Ludo was unaware that he was being followed by Enrico, who had somewhere found a feathered, and somewhat battered hat in his favourite blue.

'Pregnant!' said Arianna. 'How can he be?'

'Because he's a she, Your Grace,' said Mariotto, who was standing in the d.u.c.h.essa's parlour, looking very awkward in his stable-boys' clothes. 'I did try to tell you before. Florio is a female. I always said it was a daft name for a girl, saving Your Grace.'

Arianna laughed. 'Quite right. So you did. She must be renamed Flora. So that was why she was putting on weight nothing to do with my table morsels?'

'Seems not, milady,' said Mariotto sulkily.

'But this is splendid news,' said Arianna. 'When do you think she will have her babies? And how many? I wonder if it is like kittens.' She loved the idea of a whole litter of baby African spotted cats.

'I don't know, milady,' said Mariotto. 'Little cats take nine weeks but it stands to reason that a bigger cat will take longer. And we don't know when she got pregnant. We are working in the dark here. Perhaps Your Grace could find an expert on African cats?'

'Perhaps I could. I shall look into it immediately.' Arianna was already wondering what Rodolfo would say if she said she'd like to keep all the babies.

As Mariotto was leaving, he bowed to make way for the Regent, who was coming to see his daughter.

'You look happy,' he said, smiling at Arianna.

'My African cats are going to have African kittens,' said Arianna. 'I never realised they were a pair like that.'

'Are you ignorant of what Luciano tells me are called ”the facts of life” in his world?' asked Rodolfo.

'No,' said Arianna. 'I think I am just very stupid. When did you speak to Luciano?'

'About that, a long time ago,' said Rodolfo. 'You must allow a father to be discreet about his conversations with a future son-in-law.' He was smiling, but Arianna had come to know him very well over the last two years.

'But you have spoken to him,' she persisted, going to the heart of the matter.

'In a sense,' said Rodolfo. 'He used the mirror to contact me.'

'And how is he?' asked Arianna. 'I had to leave him in a public place. And I was worried about him. He looked so tired and strained.'

'I think strained is right,' said Rodolfo. 'You know that he saw his parents and his old home?'

'No,' said Arianna, shocked. 'He worked all the rest of that night and said very little about his stravagation when I woke in the morning. Only that the counter-spell was successful and the boy Matteo cursed was well again. I was thinking more about the new Stravagante and how he must be feeling.' She looked stricken.

'I wonder if it was a good idea to send him to Padavia,' said Rodolfo.

'Matteo?'

'No, Luciano,' said Rodolfo. 'I don't feel easy not having him under my eye here.'

'Perhaps you should disguise yourself and go and visit him,' said Arianna ruefully. 'You might be more use than me.'

Rodolfo came and kissed her on the forehead.

'Don't castigate yourself,' he said. 'But perhaps that is not a bad idea.'

In Padavia, the game of cat and mouse continued, although there was more than one mouse. Matt returned to the Secret Scriptorium, still unconscious of his several followers. Filippo's spy loitered in Salt Street, waiting for him to come out again. He idled past the bookbinder's, looking in at his windows to pa.s.s the time. At the end of a very long afternoon, by which time he was jaw-achingly bored, he saw Biagio and Constantin coming out of the Scriptorium.

The spy made a note to tell his master that they had been working on a Sunday. That wasn't exactly against the law but it was unusual. He thought it would be only a matter of minutes before the printer's devil came out again. But time pa.s.sed and there was still no sign of his quarry.

<script>