The Malice of Fortune by Steve White

Author:Steve White [White, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Baen Books
Published: 2021-01-08T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The fortress of La Verruca overlooked the Arno from atop a craggy outcrop on the north shore, amid defensible hilly terrain. But it had been built before artillery had advanced beyond the crude, immobile bombards of old. Blackfield was able to find advantageous positions to emplace guns of Leonardo’s new designs, and the bombardment that then commenced soon created a practicable breach in the landward walls. Blackfield personally led the assault. The Pisan defenders fought with the grim determination to be expected of people who had held out against Florence since 1494. But Blackfield had hand-picked his troops from among the recruits Borgia had gathered in the Romagna. Tough, well-disciplined, and by now battle-hardened, they were a different proposition from the unenthusiastic mercenaries Florence had fielded. The fighting was fierce but short.

Two days later Leonardo and his assistants arrived and began preparing to commence the project that could now be carried out under the protection of La Verucca’s garrison. His promptness reflected Borgia’s haste.

“In addition to solving the Pisan problem,” Leonardo confided to Blackfield, “he’s discovered that the idea is popular with the Florentines, now that I’ve revealed my plan to later develop the diversion into a navigable canal linking Florence directly with the sea.”

Blackfield nodded, remembering Borgia’s successful strategies for reconciling the people of the Romagna to his rule. Machiavelli always said that men must be either coddled or crushed… and he could not bring himself to want to see his Florence crushed. And Borgia doubtless agreed. Even with Pisa still holding out, the pope had created a new title for him: Duke of Tuscany.

They were interrupted by a courier riding into the courtyard of La Verucca. He brought orders for Blackfield to return immediately to Florence, where the duke was preparing to depart for Rome. It appeared that the Holy Father had not long to live.

“Momentous events” indeed, Blackfield reflected.

**********

The entire army, aside from garrisons, was soon set in motion toward Rome under subordinate commanders. But Borgia himself went ahead with a fast-moving force of cavalry, making the best possible time down the Via Flaminia. Blackfield, Machiavelli, and Don Michele went with him.

“I’ve been privy to the dispatches from Rome,” Machiavelli told Blackfield during one of their rest stops, begrudged by Borgia but necessary in the late-summer heat. “Five days ago the pope was taken with a fit of vomiting, and has been in his bed ever since. His condition has been concealed from the populace.”

Blackfield snorted dismissively. “Rumors will have gotten out of the Vatican.”

“Naturally. It will be common knowledge by now, even beyond the city. In particular, you can be sure the Orsini have heard. Meanwhile, the doctors have tried bleeding him copiously, but with only temporary effect. Now he is deteriorating rapidly. He can’t live much longer.”

“I can see why the duke is in such a hurry.”

“It isn’t just that. We don’t have to worry about the French; ever since Gaeta fell to Leonardo’s artifices, they’ve been in steady retreat back toward the Alps. But our Spanish allies—or current allies—are another matter.

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