The Best-Laid Plans of Meissen Men.

There was something comforting about the feel of the confessional booth, even though Daniel was more used to being on the other side of the screen. He adjusted the simple robe he wore and waited patiently for a rather impenitent sinner to turn up.

The curtain shifted and he was no longer alone. "Bless me Father, for I have sinned." said Harry.

"Stop trying to make me jealous." said Daniel.

"Do you want it in Italian?" said Harry, "Because I definitely sinned in Italian."

"Did you get the figurine?" said Daniel.

"Of course I did. Wasn't even hard. In through the pantry window, out across the roof."

Daniel opened the screen. "Give it to me."

Harry unwrapped it from the coat he was carrying and passed it to him. "Classy piece."

Daniel inspected it. "As fine a piece of Meissen as one could hope for."

"Worth a lot?" said Harry.

"Must you always think in terms of money?"

"Have you ever tried to buy a suit with artistic merit?"

"Let's just say this would buy you a selection of excellent suits, and will, as soon as we get it to Variato." said Daniel.

There was a noise out in the main church.

"Damn!" said Daniel, "Cleaners?"

Harry cautiously looked out. He quickly ducked back inside. "You know that priest you got drunk? Any chance he'll sober up in the near future?"

"I doubt it. When I left him, he was lying on the floor singing a filthy song about a sailor and a seamstress."

"Then we have a problem."

"Would you care to elucidate the nature of the problem?" said Daniel.

"Well, I'm not a specialist on the art of matrimony, as you know." said Harry.

"You make quite an art of avoiding it." said Daniel.

"You taught me well. But out there, we have a gathering throng who seem to be dressed for a wedding. So unless you think you can bluff your way through the whole event, we probably need an escape plan."

Daniel opened the door on his side and looked at the people appearing. He quickly passed the figurine back to Harry. "You concentrate on getting our little friend out, and don't break him."

"You were supposed to do that." said Harry.

"Flexibility, Harry, the key to survival."

"What are you going to do? You're dressed as a priest."

"The advantage of that being, they're not going to expect me to run; the groom, possibly, but not me."

He went out and began to offer warm handshakes to some of the wedding party. A woman whose whole bearing screamed mother of the bride demanded of him, "Dov'è Padre Donato?"

Daniel smiled warmly at her. "Signora, per carità, non preoccuparse. Padre Donato è con la sua madre, qui è male." A sick mother was the best he could come up with instantly.

"Ma Francesca ... Ebbene, Padre, Lei ... "

Before she could ask whether he was to perform the wedding, he said, "Sente odore di bruciato?"

Unsurprisingly, she shook her head, certain that she did not smell burning.

He raised his voice, "La chiesa è in fiamme, io chiamerò i pompieri!"

"Ma, il matrimonio!" said the mother, but others were already rushing out into the street, crying out "Al fuoco!" and she glared at him and went to join them.

Harry came out laughing. "When they find out there is no fire ... "

"We'll be toast, if we're still here, so let's not be."

"You just ruined their wedding." said Harry.

"I prefer to think of it as giving the poor man thinking time. I'd need a lot of thinking time if that were about to become my mother-in-law." said Daniel.

"What now?" said Harry.

"We flee like good, honest people afraid of a fire and we meet at Romano's and have a good lunch before taking the little fellow to Variato. Any questions?"

"Yes, why do we put ourselves through stuff like this?"

"It's easier than working." said Daniel.