City of Masks (24 page)

‘It would be a lot harder to convince the Senate of that,’ said Rodolfo. ‘May I suggest that you do not rush in and try to change too much at once? The city needs continuity.’

‘What about the Palazzo?’ asked Arianna. ‘Can I change things in here?’

‘Again, once you are crowned, you can make whatever changes we agree together. Do you have ideas already?’

‘I want to get rid of the Glass Room,’ said Arianna, shuddering. ‘It gives me gooseflesh.’

‘I should be happy to agree to that,’ said Rodolfo. He got up and walked to the window. ‘Now, if I have calmed your immediate fears about being Duchessa, I have to tell you something about Luciano. And it may be serious.’

Chapter 20

Out of the Shadows

Lucien was suffering his first full day of captivity in Bellezza. His hands had been untied so that he could remove his blindfold and he could see that he was in a small stone-floored room with very little furniture. There was a chair, a straw mattress which had been put in for his use, and a locked wooden chest, with a bowl and jug of water for washing on top. In a corner was a bucket for him to relieve himself in.

There was one high window and, once the feeling had come back into his wrists, he took down the bowl and jug and dragged the chest underneath it so that he could climb up and see out.

The view was not very revealing; it confirmed that he was several storeys up and, from his knowledge of the church spires and bell-towers of Bellezza, he could work out roughly where this building must be.

But that wasn’t much help. He was pretty sure that he must be in the Reman Ambassador’s apartments. But what mattered was not where he was but how he could get the book back. If he had that, he could stravagate back home in an instant. Without it, he was almost as stranded in this world as William Dethridge was.

As the weary hours stretched on, he would have settled even for escaping back to Rodolfo’s. At noon, if the light through the high window was anything to go by, a woman brought him more ale and bread and some hard cheese and olives. But she wouldn’t talk to him and backed out of the room hastily as soon as she had put the food inside the door. She turned the key in the lock just as soon as she was outside again.

Lucien cursed himself for being such a wuss. He could easily have overpowered the woman but everything in him rebelled at the idea of attacking someone unarmed and harmless who was bringing him food. Nevertheless he determined to do it the next time she came in.

For now he ate the food and even drank the ale, then lay on the straw mattress and slept for the first time since he had been captured.

*

‘I have founde sum thinge!’ cried Dethridge, who had been watching over the magic mirrors in the laboratory almost constantly since Lucien’s disappearance.

Rodolfo was instantly at his side and peering into the mirror which Dethridge had trained on to Lucien’s world. A woman lay on Lucien’s bed, his pillow in her arms. There were no sounds in the mirror but it was obvious that she was crying. Rodolfo motioned to Dethridge to step back and he drew the silver curtain over the mirror.

‘What dost thou thinke?’ asked Dethridge. ‘The mothire?’

‘I’m afraid so,’ said Rodolfo, his own face lined with grief. ‘She is suffering and there is nothing I can do to help her. I wonder if I should stravagate to Luciano’s world?’

Before Dethridge could answer, Alfredo came to the door, panting from climbing the stairs too quickly.

‘Master,’ he said. ‘Di Chimici has organized a People’s Senate for tomorrow. There are posters all over the city.’

The Ducal Senate met every month at the Duchessa’s bidding to deal with all civil matters. But it was the right of any citizen, if he had the backing of eleven others, to call a ‘People’s Senate’ in extraordinary circumstances. Then the twenty-four Senators would convene in the large Council Room instead of their usual Senate Chamber. The twelve citizens who had called the Senate would put their case and the hearing would be open to the public. Bellezzan citizens would pack into the room usually filled by the two hundred and forty Councillors.

It was a very rare event, but perfectly constitutional. Di Chimici hadn’t called it himself, since he was a citizen of Remora, but he had bribed twelve Bellezzans to do it. They were not difficult to persuade because, now that the excitement of the election was over, they were open to doubts about the new Duchessa.

That evening, there was an emergency meeting in Rodolfo’s laboratory. Alfredo escorted the two women from Leonora’s house and Arianna, having received a message from Rodolfo, used the secret passage for the first time. She emerged into the candlelit room and found the others looking serious. She wished with all her heart that Luciano were safe and beside her there among these solemn grown-ups.

‘What’s happened?’ she asked.

‘Rinaldo di Chimici has organized a People’s Senate for tomorrow,’ said Rodolfo, ‘and we’ll have to let it go ahead.’

‘But you won’t have to preside,’ said Silvia quickly, ‘since you aren’t confirmed as Duchessa till your coronation. Rodolfo will take charge of proceedings, as Principal Senator.’

‘Will I have to be there?’ asked Arianna, her heart sinking.

‘I’m afraid so,’ said Rodolfo. ‘We suspect that the motion will concern you. Di Chimici will be exploring every loophole to get your election overturned.’

‘What can he do?’ asked Arianna.

‘He can challenge your legitimacy,’ said Silvia. ‘It has never bothered Bellezzans much, but there is a clause in the constitution that bars illegitimate children from election. I should have had it changed while I had the power.’

Arianna was appalled. ‘But then my election
will
be overturned!’

‘Wait, child,’ said Leonora.

‘We can block this particular motion,’ said Rodolfo, glancing over at Arianna, ‘but we don’t know what else they are planning. I’m worried that they may be behind Luciano’s disappearance. I’ve had people searching the city and there’s no sign of him. He must be a prisoner somewhere. But there is something else that is worrying me.’

He started pacing the room. ‘Luciano told Doctor Dethridge and myself that his illness has come back. Whether he is imprisoned or not, I know he has not gone back to his world. We have no way of knowing how much time has passed there, nor what his parents will be thinking about his apparently lifeless body. According to the Doctor, he will be like one asleep – breathing but unconscious.’

‘But that’s terrible!’ cried Arianna. ‘Will they think it’s the illness that’s doing it to him?’

Rodolfo and Dethridge both looked grave and Arianna was really scared. She had been so absorbed in her own situation that the news about Lucien’s illness had come as a shock. Now she felt devastated by the thought that she might never see him again.

Mr Laski and the neurologist, Ms Beaumont, had run out of ideas. Lucien’s coma had now lasted nearly three weeks. After a few hours, he had had to be fed by tubes. After a few days, he couldn’t breathe on his own and more tubes were needed. He now looked very pale and thin.

‘We’re going to have to tell the parents today,’ said Ms Beaumont. ‘There’s no sign of any brain activity. He can’t recover. There’s nothing for it but to pull the plug.’

The People’s Senate was due to start at three. From late morning, citizens started to drift across the Piazza, wanting to be sure of a seat. Once all the Councillors’ places were filled, people took up position standing round the walls. It was soon very hot in the Council Room.

Lucien was blindfolded and bound again. He hadn’t had to wrestle with his conscience the night before, since his food had been brought by the man with the dagger. He recognized him both as Smelly and as the spy with the blue cloak, who had been following him round the city for weeks.

This morning the man had come back and, after binding and blindfolding him, had led him out of the room and down the stairs. They left the house and Lucien felt the warm Bellezzan sun on his shoulders. The blindfold was removed and he could see he was near the Piazza. He took deep breaths of the mild air, not even minding the faint whiff of canal.

‘Do as I say,’ whispered the man. ‘Remember I have the dagger. Now walk normally. We’re going to the Duchessa’s palace.’

‘But it’s too soon!’ said David Mulholland angrily. ‘You said the cancer wasn’t the reason he’s in this coma.’

‘It is unusual,’ agreed Mr Laski. ‘But now that it has lasted for so long, the chances of his waking up are sadly minimal.’

‘But three weeks is nothing,’ said a white-faced Vicky Mulholland. ‘You often hear of people coming round after months, even years, in a coma.’

‘Not people with brain cancer and only when there has been some brain activity monitored during that time,’ said Ms Beaumont, gently. ‘I’m afraid, as we told you, there are signs that Lucien must have undergone some brain damage. I must repeat there is no sign of any brain activity at all. To all intents and purposes, he is dead already.’

‘So you’re saying there’s no hope? No alternative to turning off the machines?’ said David Mulholland.

Both consultants remained silent. The two parents clasped hands beside their son’s body.

‘All stand!’ said the Clerk of the Senate and hundreds of Bellezzans struggled to their feet, while the Senators filed into their reserved places on a raised dais. The front row of Councillors’ seats was also reserved. Soon Arianna and Leonora took their places; Silvia had wanted to come with them but everyone had convinced her that it would be too dangerous. The twelve Bellezzans who had called the Senate filed in beside them. There were still some places empty in the front row when Rodolfo declared the session open and everyone resumed their seats.