The Alchemist's Pursuit by Dave Duncan

Author:Dave Duncan
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, General
ISBN: 9780441016785
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2009-03-03T08:00:00+00:00

19

As Giorgio expertly slid the boat up to the loggia of Ca’ Barbolano, I broke the news that we’d be going out again, close to midnight. Boatmen for public hire are foul-mouthed hyenas and the privately employed ones are often not much better, but Giorgio never argues or complains.

“Far?”

“Near San Zulian. You decide where to let me off.” San Zulian parish is just north of the Piazza, in an area so congested that there is little water access and the campo itself is almost nonexistent. Raffaino Sciara, chief secretary to the Council of Ten, would naturally want to live close to the Doges’ Palace, where he spends most of his waking hours. At two hundred ducats a handshake, he could afford to.

I carried the bow lantern upstairs while Giorgio stacked the oar and cushions in the androne under a barrage of Luigi’s aimless chatter. The Maestro had gone to bed, no doubt with a raging headache, but he had left a prophecy whose writing and syntax were both much better than average. The meaning was as cryptic as ever.

Why hazard in far lands when all you need lies close?

Why seek distant enemies when death is near at hand?

Be not so proud as to spurn help at your feet,

Nor too humble to seek salvation from on high.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.