The Wind Dancer (46 page)

"You know the scullery maid usually tends the spit."

"Tomorrow I will tend the spit. Create a new sauce with which to baste the meat and
insist to Simonedo that you cannot trust the maid with the task. That will give you a
reason to keep others away from the hearth. We don't want anyone breathing the smoke
and becoming ill before the meat is done. Immediately after the meat goes on the spit you
claim illness and leave the kitchen. I'll slip away as soon as the meat leaves the kitchen
and join you here. Be ready to depart Rome at once."

"A new sauce is not created overnight," Luigi said, outraged and ignoring all the details
except the one most important to him. "It takes time and many efforts before the right
mixture is blended in the right proportions. Anyone who knows anything about fine
cooking knows you cannot create a sauce--"

"Perhaps for common, ordinary cooks, but you tell me you're extraordinary."

"You know I'm extraordinary."

"Then prove it. A new sauce by tomorrow morning."

Luigi scowled. "You believe you are very clever. Well, I refuse to commit the sin of
desecrating one of my dishes. We will murder the Borgias next week."

Lorenzo shook his head. "Everyone knows Cesare is importuning his father for fresh
funds for a new campaign. He may not be in Rome next week."

"But I cannot concoct... " Luigi frowned fiercely. "Honey. Perhaps I can use honey with
just a sprinkle of cinnamon... "

Lorenzo smiled with satisfaction as he leaned lazily back in his chair and stretched his
legs out before him.

"Why is Giulia being so kind to me?" Sanchia asked as she turned in a circle before Lion.
"Look at this gown. It must be one of the finest in her wardrobe, yet she not only gifted
me with it but also sent a servant to alter it. Do you not think that's strange?"

"It's a very pretty gown. I like those blue ribbons on the bodice. Perhaps white does not
become her as it does you."

"She looks beautiful in anything." Sanchia made a face. "And don't tell me you haven't
noticed."

"I notice only the beauty of my own wife, as is proper in a virtuous married man." A glint
of mischief appeared in his dark eyes. "Though I admit I prefer you without the gown. It
could be that Giulia is not being kind to you, but cruel to me." He tilted his head and
looked at her critically. "Yes, you're entirely too fully clothed. Send the gown back to her
and we'll--"

A knock interrupted and they both turned as the door opened to Giulia's touch. She
carried a silver tray which held three silver goblets and smiled as she moved gracefully
toward them. "That gown looks enchanting on you, Sanchia. It never suited me." She set
the tray on the polished table and picked up two of the goblets, handing one to Sanchia
and one to Lion. "I found this Mandara wine you brought the last time you came to see
me, Lion. You always liked it better than any wine Florence could boast." She picked up
her own goblet. "Drink," she said softly, her smile lighting the luminous beauty of her
face. "And then I'll tell you of the good news that's come to my ears regarding our friend
Damari."

The whoreson chimney was not drawing well!

Dio, only minutes ago the flames had been drawing perfectly, and now it was casting thin
billows of smoke into the kitchen!

Lorenzo turned his face away from the spit on which the honey-basted lamb was roasting
and took a deep breath. Then, holding that breath, he turned back and leaned closer to the
flames to peer up the chimney and try to see where the blockage occurred.

"How goes the lamb?"

Lorenzo turned to see the head cook, Simonedo, frowning impatiently at him.

Lorenzo hurriedly averted his gaze and muttered, "It's almost done, only a few more
minutes, but the chimney... "

"What? Speak up, dolt."

"The chimney does not draw well."

"It's probably only another pigeon." Simonedo turned away. "There's a crook in the
chimney and every now and then a pigeon flies down and becomes caught. We'll send a
sweep up tomorrow to remove it. Douse the fire after the lamb is done."

A pigeon. Mother of God, a pigeon!

Lorenzo smiled grimly as he settled before the fire, carefully blocking the fumes from the
rest of the kitchen with his body and trying to avert his face and take shallow breaths.

Cristo, if this smoke continued to billow, it was not only the lamb that would be done this
night.

The pounding on the door was oddly erratic.

When Luigi threw open the door he saw Lorenzo on his doorstep.

"Santa Maria, why are you knocking? You've never showed me such courtesy since that
first night you barged into my life. Where have you been? You should have been here
hours ago. Did all go well?" Luigi grinned. "My sauce was superb. It's too bad the duke
and His Holiness won't appreciate it. I was tempted to stay and hear the outcry." He
paused. "Why are you just standing there? Come in and I'll give you a glass of spiced
wine and you can tell me how Cesare choked on his own bile. You told me not to stay,
but you couldn't resist lingering yourself, could you? It's just like you to deny me the
pleasure but take it yourself."

"I did not stay."

"Then where have you been?"

"I became... lost."

"Lost? How could you become--"Luigi broke off and suddenly reached out a hand and
pulled Lorenzo into the room and into the circle of light from the candle. He inhaled
sharply. Greasy sweat coated Lorenzo's face and blank, dilated pupils dominated the gray
of his eyes. "What happened?"

"A pigeon. Is that not amusing? A pigeon... in the chimney. I thought of everything
but--"

"Why did you not leave or make some excuse to douse the fire?"

"We were too close."

"
Stupido. Idiotto
. "Luigi's dark eyes glittered in the candlelight. "You tell me to stop and
get out if anything goes wrong and then you do this. You have the brains of an ox and no
more sense than a beheaded chicken."

"I truly wish you would stop... calling me vile names." Lorenzo swayed, his eyes glazing.
"I'm sure it's not proper behavior"--his knees buckled--"toward... a dying man."

"Madonna Giulia Marzo is at the gates with a wagon, my lord."

Damari felt a rush of excitement. "I've been expecting her." He stood up and motioned
for the lackey to leave. "Let her in."

"She has a company of men with her."

"What!"

"She says she will not enter your gates without protection."

"How many men?"

"Fifteen."

The bitch was craftier than he had thought. Fifteen men were no threat to the palazzo, but
there was a possibility he would have to let her return safely to her
casa
in Florence.

Damari cursed steadily beneath his breath as he strode out of the palazzo and across the
grounds, his gaze fixed on the multitude of torches held by the soldiers beyond the gates.

He stood just inside the gates and shouted. "You have brought me what you promised?"

Giulia Marzo rode her horse forward from her position beside the wagon and smiled at
him in the torchlight. "In the bed of the wagon. See for yourself."

"I will. Draw your soldiers away from the wagon." He turned to the guard. "Open the
gate. Four of you come out and surround me while I'm beyond the gates."

A moment later he was kneeling on the hay in the wagon and peering down at Lionello
Andreas and Sanchia. They appeared to be in a deep sleep, but he had to make quite sure.

He raised his hand and then brought it cracking down with vicious force onto Sanchia's
left cheek.

She did not stir.

"Satisfied?" Giulia edged her horse closer. "My powders do not fail me. Now, my
money."

"Come in and get it." He smiled. "But naturally I can't permit your hired soldiers to
accompany you."

"Then I cannot permit you to take my merchandise." Her lips tightened. "I've gone to
much trouble to bring them here, and you're beginning to make me angry. Perhaps I
should forget our bargain and return them to Florence. I'm sure Lion is desperate enough
to take your life to reinstate his offer of five hundred ducats."

"No!" He jumped down from the wagon. "Open the gates," he called out as he strode
through the soldiers toward the gate. "Someday, Madonna Giulia, I'll take great pleasure
in introducing you to my friend, Fra Luis. As a matter of fact, he's at the palazzo now
awaiting the arrival of Andreas and Sanchia. A pity you cannot stay and join us."

He stood aside and watched as the wagon and the riders rode through the gates.

He took a step nearer to the wagon, his gaze searching Andreas's face. "They're lying
very still. You haven't killed them, have you? I want them ali--"

A sword was pointed only inches from his throat!

Lion's dark eyes glared fiercely at him as his blade jabbed at Damari's throat. How had
that whoreson Andreas snatched a sword from beneath the hay and moved so swiftly?
Damari's hand dropped instinctively to the hilt of his own sword.

"Do not draw it," Andreas said coldly. "I'd like nothing better than to slit your gullet."

"To me!" Damari screamed. "You fools! To me!"

"They're occupied at the moment," Lion said as he again pricked Damari's throat with the
sword. "That was my first instruction to Giulia's men. As soon as we were through the
gates, a sword point at the back of every guard."

Andreas's words were confirmed by the glance Damari darted them out of the corner of
his eye. "You fool, there are more guards in the palazzo. You cannot fight all of them.
We outnumber you."

"You won't for long." Andreas motioned to one of the soldiers, who immediately rode to
the open gates and waved a torch in a wide arc three times. "There are some seventy-seven men waiting in the woods who will be here shortly. That should be a sufficient
number since your men are hired men just as are these soldiers of Giulia's. They owe no
loyalty to you, and I imagine the first thing they'll do once you're dead is strike a bargain
so they can have their share of the sacking of the palazzo. They certainly won't waste
time trying to vanquish a dead man's foes."

Sanchia was wriggling out of the wagon to stand beside Lion. A livid bruise marked her
left cheek, but her expression was as cold as Andreas's. "
Buona sera
, Damari. You said
you wanted to spend more time with me, and I could think of no better place than
Solinari."

"You seem very pleased with yourself," Damari snarled. "I must commend you on your
endurance. You didn't flutter an eyelash when I struck you."

"I was expecting it." Sanchia gazed at him steadily. "And I should thank you. It was you
who taught me endurance, Damari."

"And will teach you more. Fra Luis waits for you in the dungeon. You remember Fra
Luis?"

"I remember." Sanchia shook her head in wonder. "Do you not realize that it's over?
You're going to die, Damari."

He shook his head. "It's not my fate to die by the hand of such as you. I have a great
destiny. I'll follow the Borgias to power no one could dream exists. My men will soon
rush out of the palazzo and rescue me."

"They don't seem in any great hurry."

"Let's get it over." Giulia rode forward and reined in beside them. "I have no liking for
violence."

"You betrayed me, you whore." Damari's face twisted with anger as he looked at her.
"We had a bargain and you betrayed me."

"As you would have betrayed me," Giulia said. "In truth, I was close to aligning myself
with you, but suddenly I asked myself why I should receive only sixteen hundred ducats
when your palazzo must have so much more?" She motioned and a half dozen of the
soldiers dismounted. "The maze. Beware, it's guarded."

She watched as the men drew their swords and started at a trot toward the south entrance
of the labyrinth. "Sanchia obligingly drew a map for them to follow and Lion still had the
key to the storehouse. We even have a wagon to carry away your treasures. The only
question was whether I could obtain the services of this company of soldiers in time for
our departure. Fortunately, that was resolved four days ago when they were unexpectedly
released from the service of Lord Gondolfo." She smiled mockingly. "Destiny, my lord
Damari."

"You should have taken my ducats. This way you'll get nothing but a short sojourn in my
dungeon."

"I'll get half of the treasure." Giulia paused. "But even if the reward were not great, I still
might have sided with them against you."

"Then you're a fool as well as a whore."

She shook her head. "Laurette. Caprino told me once it was bad business to let any defeat
go unpunished." She lifted her head and smiled again as she saw the rest of the company
of soldiers thundering down the road toward the open gates. "You cheated me, but no one
will ever try to cheat me again after they learn what happens here."

"Enough of this chatter," Lion said impatiently. He called to the captain at the head of the
column, "Bind those guards and secure the palazzo." He turned to Damari. "And you will
accompany us to the maze to wait for the treasure to be brought out of the storehouse."

An hour later the palazzo had been secured and the wagon loaded with paintings, large
coffers of ducats, jewels, and golden plates.

Damari watched, agape, as treasure after treasure was carried past him. "It will do you no
good. I'll get it all back. Just as I got the Wind Dancer back." He smiled maliciously.
"Your Wind Dancer is gone forever, Andreas. It rests in the pope's private treasury and
will stay there."

"I wouldn't be too certain. Forever is a long time, and it's said the Wind Dancer always
returns to my family... eventually."

"Bah! It's gone forever. You will see."

"Perhaps, but you will not," Sanchia said. "Take off your clothes."

Damari whirled on her. "What?"

She motioned with the torch in her hand. "Your clothing. Take it off. Everything."