[Leonardo Da Vinci and Niccolo Da Pavia 05] - Necromancer by George Herman

Author:George Herman [Herman, George]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Historical
ISBN: 9781469723013
Google: 2oaEBwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B089GXQK6V
Barnesnoble: B089GXQK6V
Publisher: iUniverse
Published: 2003-06-30T23:00:00+00:00

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The Maestro was immediately escorted back to Cesare's bedchamber with the news of the pontiff's death. To Leonardo's surprise, the Duke forced himself to sit upright in his bed and in a strong voice called for his giant aide, Michelotto.

"Go quickly!" Cesare commanded the large, dark-eyed Spaniard. "Find the Chamberlain, Cardinal Casanova, and make him surrender the keys to our special chamber. There you will find three chests. One contains silver and jewels, and the other two will be filled with gold coins. Bring them to me immediately."

After the men swept from the room, Leonardo approached the Duke and handed him the small casket and chain he had found at the bedside.

"Oh yes. I know it," Cesare murmured. "It supposedly contains relics, actual bone and tissue of Christ himself." He turned the tiny object over and over between his fingers. "Papa believed as long as it was on his body, he would not die." His voice softened. "I wonder if it fell away before death came, or if the servants ripped it from him when they vandalized the room?"

"I could not tell," Leonardo said quietly. "I was – well – surprised by the sight of His Holiness. His skin had turned black, so I assume his initial skin color when he was taken to bed was the same as yours, a faint purple, but there were no signs of the pustules which marked you. Of course it is possible Maestro Torella's treatment caused these eruptions in the skin, but I think it is also possible there were two poisons involved, and your father absorbed both. Did he eat something you did not?"

Cesare frowned, and then managed to reply, "I think I did not eat much of the brain fritters. Certainly not as much as Papa did."

The Duke was growing visibly weaker, and Leonardo realized he could not continue the questioning, but there was one other matter that puzzled him.

"Did his holiness keep a pet?" Leonardo asked.

"You mean a dog or a cat?"

"Or a monkey? I know they are popular pets in some circles."

Cesare frowned again. "A monkey? God's blood, he hated the filthy creatures! All fleas and shedding fur, he used to say. He banished Cardinal Soderini from his presence once, because he brought his pet monkey into the reception chamber. Why do you ask?"

Before Leonardo could reply, the agents dashed into report the entire Vatican had become a whirlwind of black, scarlet and white. The Duke signalled, and they quickly and quietly rushed the cloaked-and-hooded Maestro down the narrow outside passageway, the stone steps, and into the waiting coach.

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