XXV. Five women (1)
Esme Sabbia
Surroundings of Palermo, Sicily
I. May 10, 1931
Lemon fields surrounded the farm perched on a hill. The old building had a tiled roof and ocher walls. Four cypress trees surrounded it, a garden grew below. From the top of the hill you could probably see Palermo and the sea.
There were seven of us: three magicians, two druids, a bard, and a priestess of Tanit. Leno, one of the two French druids, and Anita, the Portuguese priestess, were from the transnational pagan free state. The bard, Guido, was a local, originally from the Senon people, and came from Bologna. Cosimo, my cousin, was accompanied by Vincenzo, Duccio's the eldest son, grandson to Cesare, one of the Bellini heirs. Judicael, the other druid, was the most mysterious of all. He came from France, but which confederation exactly? It was unclear. He knew the Morrigan, whom he called by her Gaulish name, Nantosuelte, and acted on her behalf.
Judicael was tall, warrior-like. His curls were brown and supple, a short cropped beard shadowed his chin. He had a face studded with freckles, and scarification on his right cheekbone. His chest was covered in tattoos and he wore a ring on his right ear. He was dressed like a Sicilian peasant, had no weapon, except a sickle hanging from his belt. He looked like a Hercules that would have been lost for a long time among Irishmen. I must say, he was the most beautiful of the bunch. Yes, even in the middle of a raid I continued to admire the men. There was nothing more beautiful than a warrior in battle.
Cosimo had Bellini features, dark hair, pale brown eyes. Vincenzo looked like his mother with his light curls of an indefinable color, and still childish cheeks. Both wore Egyptian linen tunics, dyed in dark brown, khopesh and knives. Anita had two dark brown braids, golden skin, a brown dress. Leno's face was seamed with scars, his hair thin and fair. He was wearing a fascist militiaman uniform, with a black shirt he had stolen during a raid. I was dressed in the same way, in a man's outfit.
Palermo had been a Carthaginian stronghold during the Punic Wars. The city, like the rest of Sicily, was in the hands of the Romans. A few cohorts had withdrawn there after Arabella Sharp's death. They murdered all those they suspected to be members of the Fronte di Liberazione dell'Italia Pagana, or Front for the Liberation of Pagan Italy, as we called our great alliance which united the free pagan State, the Bellini and their allies, the servants of Baal and the Natives. Our Phoenician and Carthaginian allies, meanwhile, were based in Catania. Our shock brigade had been sent to scout before our attack on the city.
We watched the comings and goings towards the farm from a fault in the ground at the foot of the hill. The poor Romans would see nothing coming. Cosimo waved his hand at us and we walked over to him. He gave his instructions:
"Vincenzo and I will go through the central door. Guido and Leno, the windows, Judicaël and Esme, go through the back door. Anita, you'll cover us. "
We nodded.
"No one should leave the premises. Kill them quickly, keep a few for questioning. Anita will give the signal when we are in position: a turtledove song. "
All was said. We headed for the farm. Judicaël and I took advantage of a hedge's shadow to round it to the east. I unsheathed my khopesh. The druid took ogham-engraved stone tokens his pocket. He whispered in an unknown language what I knew to be a prayer to the Dagda, or as he called it, Sucellos, his guardian god. The Celts were very religious, which did not fail to surprise us. We'd lost the habit. Once in position, we waited for the signal.
A few moments later, we heard the turtledove's song. Immediately, the doors and windows of the farm were shattered under the effect of our combined spells. With the wave of his hand, Judicael blew up the back door of the building. We rushed into it. In the room, a dozen warriors were entrenched. Bad choice. There are far too many of them. Most were Legionaries. They rushed at their weapons.
Fortunately, we still benefited from the element of surprise. I threw myself forward at the first and stabbed him with a khopesh move before he could react. Judicael had stayed by the door. Leisurely, as the troop marched on us in a squadron, he threw a metallic object in the air, then sang: the room rippled under his song, and was filled with a golden glow. A tingling invaded me. Time froze, not like a still image, but rather an intoxicating feeling time distortion. I opened my mouth and no sound came out.
When I moved I seemed to be underwater, one, two, three, my khopesh was strangely hissing. I tried to utter a divine word, but it was again drowned in the thick, rippling light. My head drummed, seized by a sweet intoxication, one, two, three, I attacked another enemy, while the druid remained motionless, still singing. It was like a scorching waltz, where all the dancers ended up rolling on the floor one after the other. One, two, three, three more left, two more left, just one left, one, two, three who are you Judicael?
The spell dissipated. I came back to my senses, and blinked. Kneeling on the dirt floor, Judicael prayed and knocked the ground three times. A kind of fear knotted my entrails. I had met a lot of druids this past year. I had never seen anything like it. All the enemies were down except one. My mate snapped his fingers and ropes appeared at his ankles and wrists. I was still shaken but the fatigue that fell on my shoulders dulled the shock a little. I had just slaughtered nine legionaries. In my life, I had never known such an imbalance of forces. I didn't really do anything. He could have undone many more.
We crossed the farm. The bulk of our enemies was massed in the room we had entered, the others had had their way with them. On the other side of the building, a man was caught in a thick clump of living brambles, entwined all around his body. Druid magic, again, I shivered.
I then recognized Girolamo Sforza. What a good take! Girolamo is their expert in statuary. But what was he doing in the area, in the open, like that? Cosimo and Leno were arguing over him loudly. Apparently, Leno captured him, but Cosimo was the leader of our raid:
" Hands off ! He's a magician, that's up to us!
"The man is a prisoner of the Pagan State, he is under my protection," Leno refused.
"We're not going to fight for a Sforza," I protested.
- Especially since if Horatio Sforza is in Palermo with a contingent of men, Judicaël told us, you will have plenty of them there. "
He winked at me.
"How many did you kill?" Cosimo asked.
- Ten, I said.
"Eleven, Judicael corrected.
- Eleven? "
Cosimo's eyes widened. He stared at me, still panting and flushed.
"No injuries?
- Not really. "
Judicael moved our prisoner forward. Anita stared at him then said:
"This guy is an Etruscan.
- Dirty vermin, since when did you join the Romans? My cousin shouted.
- I was acting in my own name!
"You look like a liar," he replied. "We're going to interrogate him, and Sforza too. Finish securing the place. We camp here, we will go to Palermo tomorrow, as soon as this beautiful catch is secured. "
We dispersed over the territory of the farm. Leno stayed with the prisoners. Cosimo took me aside:
"A nice catch. It's not just any Sforza we've caught, but one of their key elements. They will come to try and save him. You've been well informed, it's a very good job, he complimented me. "
I was the one who had advised this operation.
"Listen now: I got a message from Venice. Iskandar did land in Rome. He has no army, just a few 4th Nome experts. "
I pretended to be surprised.
- Will they send scribes? Here in Sicily?
- It's possible. ApparentlyJacobi and Jelila Kane are among those of the 4th ... The Kane girl isn't her uncle, but she could become a problem for us. If they start diging too deep, we'll send Orfeo or Chiara. "
Orfeo was the last of Cesare's sons. With Maurizio still in Antarctica, Gian dead, and Giacomo banished, we no longer had a trained killer whithin the family. At least none competent enough to pierce Sforza and Roman defenses, or young enough to be expendable. Nonna had therefore made the decision to start training Orfeo, Livio Sabbia, and more surprisingly, my cousin Chiara.
"No fuss until we get explicit orders from Nonna," Cosimo continued. "We'll have to explore Palermo discreetly, find out its weaknesses.
Cosimo glanced around and said:
"The Celts worry me. Guido has blurted out things about Iskandar's presence. They are too interested in it.
- Who knows what the Celts want?
- Judicael will accompany you to Palermo. Watch him, he ordered me.
- He's a high ranking Cosimo, not a regular druid. And what he just did to the Romans ... "
I didn't want to have him as an enemy in any way.
"We're almost there," he said.
II. May 11, 1931
The war had broken out after the Samain festival's show. Well, actually, it was absolutely impossible to prove the involvement of the Bellini in Bonifacio Voiello's sad end. Officially, he had been kidnapped by a band of Phoenician priests, then tortured in a bloody rite. It was convenient not to have a trial, but of course no one was fooled. Especially not the Sforza and the rest of the Nome.
Voiello was an ancient ally of the Romans. They declared war on us first. The police forces of the fascist regime also tracked us down. And of course, the rest of the Eighth Nome lent them a hand. Well, the part allied to the Sforza. We plunged into a Pantheon civil war. It didn't take long for Italy to become what the Balkans had been after the war: the European Nomes' soft underbelly.
The Celts controlled most of the territory, having gained ascendancy over the natives. They also clashed with each other, and we couldn't understand the why and how. It was a dole of package: there were first the Italian Celts, to be distinguished from other foreign Celts, who came in the ranks of those of the free state, under the orders of Zeus' demigod son. Then, even more Celts had come as reinforcements from France, at the request of the Veneti (an indigenous tribe, not Celts) and the Senons who, for their part, were indeed a Celtic people, formerly present in Gaul and patrons of the ancient Parisii tribe. This all went back thousands of years, but the Druids lived for centuries, their memories were long.
The Celts never told us anything, and settled their affairs among themselves, without telling us; I did not blame them: we Egyptians were doing exactly the same thing. The natives, that is to say the Ligurians and Italics, were dispersed, not very powerful, only dangerous on their territory. The Etruscans worried us the most, becausen though they only watched for now, they seemed to be on the way to allying themselves with Rome. And we have just captured one. It smells bad.
An allied band led by Jean D'Aubigné and entailing people of all nationalities and all walks of life, including the foreign Celts, was the real strike force of our Liberation Front. They frequently faced the Roman cohorts blocking their route to the Veneto.
Johann Orsini coordinated the movements of our resistance, or at least tried. Orsini had been elected generalissimo of the armed forces of the Liberation Front, a title that was actually quite empty. Jean D'Aubigné, his rival and ally then transformed his band into the Transnational Pagan Free State, demonstrating his inclinations as head of state, but vexing most of the natives in the process.
Contrary to what one might imagine, there was no great battle or epic ride. Our war was a war of skirmishes and ambushes. Lucrezia did not allow a direct attack on the Roman camp.
On the first Sunday in November 1929, I had been summoned to the Bellini Palace by my grandmother Lucrezia. It was my cousin Cosimo who greeted me at the entrance, just returned from Antarctica after having served his sentence. He had also left three fingers there during an escape attempt. Make no mistake, I was still affiliated with the Spanish Nome. I was temping in the Bellini army. It was fucked-up, I know. Then, my life was always a bit on the margins. That's why I liked the Sarajevo Nome so much.
In the spring of 1930, after the failed election of a new Nome leader (we elected him by two-thirds of the vote) Iskandar sent a mediation led by the Toronto Nome leader Ali Rehataka. Indeed, unlike the Nome de Madrid, the leader of the Eighth was not appointed directly by Iskandar, but elected and then confirmed. It was a prerogative of certain great Nomes like Paris, London, Jerusalem, Khartoum, Athens... etc. After months of discussions, Ali Rehataka's mediation failed. So we began hunting down Sforza's men again and slaughter all Romans we could get our hands on.
It was then that in December 1930, the two Roman praetores, Agrippa Arminius and Arabella Sharp suddenly died. The Roman army broke up. Bands of monsters swarmed the country. Anarchy reigned.
Among the native Italic peoples, the Osques and Samnites had joined the Romans' ranks. The Ligurians and Etruscans remained neutral. Most of the legionaries, poor Americans who didn't understand a thing, confused them with the Celts, which added to the confusion.
What was the population seeing? Lots of sudden explosions and weather phenomena I guess. Although I often wondered if there were still people who had no connection with paganism. Civilian government remained very stable. Dictatorships were sometimes stronger than republics. The 200th Nome had alerted the Pope, and the churches had been sanctuarized to ensure the protection of civilian populations. None of us could set foot there.
So here's where the ancient lands were! There was a reason, if the gods themselves imposed a taboo for America's heroes on the old continent. I pitied the Legionaries, to tell the truth. Many did not even speak Italian. The conflict was totally beyond them. They should never have come back.
But Italy had always been like this. When Rome collapsed, it left in its place a sort of great black whirlpool, a chasm sucking heroes and peoples in a fever of power. Millennia of quarrels and war had long prevented the Italian unity. It had taken a hero like Garibaldi to overcome these quarrels. It was the time of glory, one of those rare times when we had fought hand in hand with Sforza. But the time of peace had passed, and the heavy fruits of war and chaos had ripened in our gardens.
Iskandar had finally made up his mind to come in person. The news was startling. The Chief Lector hardly ever left the First Nome, due to his declining health. Except there's something new, something else, than all this war and chaos.
The night was already late. Cosimo stood guard towards the north of the farm, I watched over the south side. A rising moon lit up the sky, all was quiet down lemon fields. We could hear the crickets singing. It was then that two gloved hands covered my mouth, stifling my scream.
– Très bonne même. Merci pour l'info. »
"Esme!
- Hi cousin. "
I hid my bewilderment. Of course, Giacomo was trained in this kind of silent approach. Still, if it had been someone else, I would be dead already.
"Was the fishing good?
- Very good. Thank you for the info. "
I glanced around. We spoke very quietly, but it still seemed to me that our voices echoed in the surroundings.
"You shouldn't be here. If Cosimo saw you ...
- He'd rip my head off. Any news ?
- Not here, I begged him. In Palermo. I'll manage to slip away and find you.
- Things are moving very quickly. I'll meet you there directly with one of the envoys. In three days, at Pablo's.
- Wait ! One of the Celts, Judicaël…
- What?
- He is not an ordinary druid, a high priest no doubt. Leno and Guido are also hiding something.
- Okay, I'll find out.
- They're playing their own game. Apparently their alliance for this raid was appropriate, they're from two opposing sides. They all come to Palermo to look for something. And they are interested a little too closely in Iskandar. It is possible that the First Nome's envoys are under threat...
- Koité is with them. Iskandar sends her to watch us. But she's a good bodyguard. "
He looked worried.
"Well, so I hope.
- Who is coming ? "
Giacomo's face was closed.
"Esme, the less we know about what each one is doing ...
- The better … If you knew how frustrating it is.
- Everyone has their role to play and everything will be very tight.
- I know. Damn, if I had been told that I would find myself acting for the greater good.
- I'd say for the lesser evil. Take care of yourself please. "
He kissed me on the forehead.
"It will be over soon.
- Until the next Nome and the next war.
- It won't be your business anymore, Esme. "
I squeezed his hand gently. You too be careful.
III. May 14, 1931
Palermo was a gem. It had been first a Phoenician city then Carthaginian, before getting attached to the Roman Empire. It was then passed from Byzantines' hands to Muslims' ones, of the of the Sicily emirate. She then waltzed from nation to nation, Normans, Germans, Aragonese, Austrians, Bourbons of Naples before finally joining the kingdom of Italy. Each of its occupants had left their mark on its architecture, its customs, the beauty of its busy streets. The sea behind the white and beige walls was a translucent blue under the so distinctive light of the Mediterranean. It was a heart-breaking beauty, and the very thought of shedding blood between its walls seemed blasphemous.
I remembered my merry childhood, wandering there. I had never felt at home in Venice. My mother raised me in Granada. My father lived in Taormina, on the island's southern side. My childhood smelled good of iodine and orange, had been rocked the lapping waves and the tarantella's tune. Sicily was then a neutral land between our two families, a land of peace. I think I hate war. I think it's quite trite to say that.
Cosimo was counting on me, who knew the city well, to assess its strengths and weaknesses. We were divided into groups. Leno went with the bard, Guido, and Vincenzo. Cosimo left with Anita. I was with Judicael. First we would identify and locate the enemy, then we would transmit our information to the base camp, and give the signal. Forthwoth our troops would swarm over the city. If we acted quickly and well, it would be freed from its occupants in one night. Well, "liberated". It will be a bloodbath, unlike any other since the start of the war.
Judicaël was quiet and very professional. The Celts were by far the best at spotting the Romans, they had faced them for millennia. I was very good at identifying traces of Egyptian magic. We quickly mapped the city, locating all of the troops. Overall, we suspected two centuriae were positioned on the ramparts, another on was holding the station. Perhaps the harbor too, there had just been some mayhem, and the magic traces were quite powerful there.
The Sforzas lived at the Palazzo Mirto. I had heard the rumors: Bartolomeo Sforza had just died in Naples which was why they hadn't acted yet. It was the perfect time to strike them hard. I was to meet the others the next day. I had to find a moment to slip away and find Giacomo as well.
We had booked two rooms for the night in a small hotel near the Theatro Massimo. My cousin was waiting for me in the port district. I wished Judicael good evening, locked the door, and sliped out the window.
"No need to come to that, you could just take the stairs. "
I jumped. Judicaël was waiting for me in the street, a smile on his lips.
" What…
- You may have Bellini blood, but they didn't teach you their legendary stealth.
- I have to go, I said curtly. It is a private matter which concerns only the House of Life.
- I suspect it. But a beautiful young lady always needs an escort, especially in a city under siege. "
He grabbed my arm.
"Let's not stay here. "
He spoke in French. I pulled away abruptly.
" Get back !
- I have a few words as well to say to Iskandar's envoys.
- How do you know that ...
- Do you take yourself for the sole spy masters on this continent ? "
He went ahead and I ran to catch up with him. After a while, I saw what he was looking for. We climbed the steps in front of a church. The ground was burning under my feet. We couldn't get into the building, but no one could hear us here, they wouldn't come that close. Judicael looked around us and resumed:
"We have our sources within your House. We know Iskandar is in Italy, and we know what he's looking for. We also know that his envoys have just arrived in Palermo. Of course, if they have arrived at their destination. Guido, as well as my dear compatriot, went to meet them. Leno, has a personal score to settle with one of them.
- And it's only now that you say it? You let it happen! "I instantly blurted, but he just shrugged in response.
"Take it as a test. I don't do business with the weak. Also, given the situation, a little warm-up will not hurt them.
- Who told you that we are going to do business with you?
- You don't really have a choice. This pretty town will soon experience new Sicilian vespers. What a pity. Such a peaceful place… As soon as we'll give the signal, your troops will rush on Palermo. A wide red river will flow there before the end of the day. "
Not if I do the right thing.
"You asked fot this bloody wedding! Now you're trying to get rid of the only peace officers we have left. "
I was terrified. If we didn't even have the First Nome scribes left, all negotiations were already lost with the Sforza. And if the last-ditch negotiations failed, nothing would stop the massacre from happening.
"Leno and Guido have indeed every advantage in the region remaining destabilized," confirmed Judicaël. "They do not want us to elect a new head of Nome for Italy. Chaos benefits them. But they're not my allies, and we're not enemies, Esme. I have my own scores to settle with them.
- Why did you come? From France ?
- To clean up our ranks. We always solve our problems internally, as you do. "
He sighed and sat down on the steps. The ground was getting hotter and hotter, as if trying to chase us away, but that didn't seem to bother him too much. He was obviously looking for a way to tell me as little as possible, while making things clearer. He said :
"You see, Leno was an exceptional druid. The war changed him. He became is a felon, like all those of this so-called transnational state. He betrayed our gods. I have to bring him back to the Carnutes forest for his judgment.
- What about Guido?
- He is a native, I have no power over him. But he is also another felon. If need be, I'll destroy him. You can trust me Esme. I am there only for this precise mission and then I will leave.
- Trust you? "
But I trusted him. Maybe it was this calm aura of his, maybe it was something in his voice, his deep, somewhat hoarse tone, its strange inflections. I recognized there something that I had heard once from the dean of the Fourteenth, whom I had the honor of meeting. The medieval accent? He can't be more than five hundred years old, he's far too young... Our ages were lies as well, yet he looked far too young still.
"Let me go with you. You can always kill me if you are not satisfied with what I tell you. "
I doubt that. Neither I nor Giacomo are capable of this at the present time. But I end up giving in. Maybe it was that gentle warmth emanating from his face. Maybe it was this sense of security I had around him. And even though the truce only lasted one night, I had a lighter heart as I walked alongside him through the streets of Palermo.
IV. May 15, 1931
Midnight had long passed. My cousin was not at the hostel, so we talked about our lives while waiting for him. The moment I had trusted Judicael, a sort of tacit agreement had formed. We talked about music and art, subjects that remained neutral. We also danced to the sound of the orchestra. After an hour, Giacomo finally joined us, followed by a beautiful woman in a dark dress. Judicaël and I were seated with a bottle of sparkling wine, still red from our dance. A great weight fell from my shoulders as I saw them. They had escaped Leno and Guido.
"Jelila! Cousin! We've been expecting you. "
I was happy to see her. Jelila was a woman of formidable intelligence. If the Kane were not known for their mastery of foreign languages, she was an accomplished linguist. It must have played a role in her joining the Jerusalem Nome at such a young age.
I had spent some time with her during the two years she had spent withint the Madrid Nome. My uncle Lindor had been very considerate of her and asked me to help her adjust to Spanish lifestyle. I had been afraid at first that she would look down on me - Kanes often did this to bastards - but my fears soon turned out to be unfounded.
To tell the truth, I had some compassion for her. While it might not be easy to be a Kane, it was even more difficult to be Abias Kane's sole heiress. And my cousin had left her in a scandalous way. Her family having many enemies, they did not miss such an opportunity to make fun of it, and Jelila had to face a swarm of remarks and mockery. Which was all the more disgusting as she had nothing to do with it. At the time, I was still angry with Giacomo. He had been brought up as a Bellini, that is to say, a spoiled child, never caring about the consequences of his actions.
After Lindor's assassination, she had ceased all relationship with me. I think she had deemed me an accomplice, which was both fairly fair and imprecise. Did I love my uncle? Yes, a lot. Yet he was ready to slaughter half of my Nome. He hadn't really given Iskandar a choice. It wouldn't have been Giacomo, it would have been someone else. At least that's what I was telling myself. We shouldn't let the tragic take hold, we shouldn't let our guard down. I often had the impression that my life was a vast farce, that I was just some character lost in a tragic gear, a spectacular-inducing machine. To please who? For what souls' entertainment? The gods, no doubt. Our gods are having fun. I had decided to laugh as well, to live, to enjoy since everything around us spun around, everything escaped us, and nothing ever remained the same. This is how I found myself on the eve of a great massacre dancing to the sound of orchestras with an enemy. Against Chaos, laughter. It is not born out of it. It's an answer.
Jelila sat down, a little suspicious, staring at Judicael. My cousin didn't look trustfull as well. I suddenly realized that they must have come a long way together. And they've managed not to kill each other? The situation is really serious, say so!
" What about him ? "
Giacomo pointed an accusing finger at the druid.
"We have things to discuss, said Judicael.
- I doubt it. How come Jelila Kane, here present, has had to repel the cunning assault of a bunch of you countryside's degenerates? "
I turned to Jelila to make sure she didn't need translation, but she raised a sharp hand, and turned to Judicael, waiting for an answer:
"You've met our friends Guido and Leno I presume," he said with a gracious smile.
- And a few others, she groaned. The bard is dead. The druid is on the run.
- Well, it would have been unfortunate if he died. You see, my orders are to capture him alive."
I continued before the situation escalated:
"We have little time. In forty-eight hours, probably less, the Phoenicians and the Bellini will launch an assault on Palermo. The city is strong, but we have captured Girolamo Sforza, who controls most of their magical fortifications. The Sforzas must negotiate if we are to avoid the fighting. But their new boss, Azzio will never do si.
- That's yet another problem, said Giacomo. We will take care of it. In a few hours, Sforza will be back at the negotiating table.
- What assault? Jelila asked.
- I told you! Grumbled my cousin. The Bellini and their Phoenician allies are going to storm the city.
- No, you didn't tell me!
- I forgot then! You were too busy smashing furniture on me! Esme? Is there a way we can cancel the assault?
- You have good ones! The Bellini side ...
- Iskandar has taken this matter in his hands. Our only mission is to take care of the Sforza. You, druid. Tell us what you want, then leave!
- Peace for sure! As I was explaining to your lovely cousin, I am here to clean my own ranks. The Celts who attacked you, he turned to Jelila, are part of a rebellious faction that longs to see you destabilized. As long as there is no Nome in Italy, no authority hinders them. Italy is plunged into chaos. You'll need a lot of scapegoats to get us out of there and make peace. You need an outlet. There is a perfect one: the transnational pagan state, this aberration! To federate the Pantheons, the supra-national organizations… They want impunity, in the face of gods and men. "
Giacomo slowly nodded. Jelila narrowed her eyes, focused. Judicael resumed:
"Here is what I propose to you: I will take care of the Celts. I will capture those in the pagan state and negotiate with the other. The Roman legions, for their part, will have to leave Italy and abandon for once their ancestral lands! Orsini will calm down the rest.
- Orsini? Do you support him? He reacts violently. "He's the one who started all of this.
- Orsini and I are looking for the same thing, to eliminate the traitors among our ranks. Certainly, like all demigods, he has a slightly more in-depth ideological orientation. I have no doubt that he is sincere in his fight against Fascism. However, his priority remains to bring down D'Aubigné.
- By allying with him?
- By using him for his own interests, before weakening him and handing him over to Olympus.
- It is rumored that he wields Oghams. How is it?
- Internal question, replied Judicael dryly. "
Giacomo and he stared at each other.
"I will resolve this issue with Orsini in due course, he added. For now, this is not the concern of my confederation.
- Gods, you are so litigious!
- Who's talking? I'm offering you the Romans and the free state. These are the scapegoats you need!
- And Girolamo Sforza? Giacomo asked.
I cleared my throat:
"Captured by Leno. Our Phoenician allies recovered him the next day. I believe he's in the hands of the free state forces.
"Jeannot's gang" Giacomo corrected. Let's not grant them the state title. They are just brigands. "
He sighed, "Thanks Esme, you did your best. We are taking over. Leave town. Pick up Girolamo and hide him somewhere safe. Far from the gang and the Bellinis.
- I'm gonna need a hand. "
I turned to Judicael.
"Leno is going to want to get the prisoner back as well. Our paths meet.
- Indeed, he agreed. And our duo is doing well. You'll get Sforza, and I, the druid.
Jelila had this expression on her face that said very clearly "What the hell am I doing here?" She had been silent until then, trying to assimilate this new flow of information. Finally, she asked:
"Have you been telling me a while ago that an organization, above the Pantheons, laws, countries is trying to destabilize the peace process from within?
- Um yes ? I confessed.
She looked shocked.
"How did this situation arise? she asked.
- I think I will please everyone by saying it's all the Fourteenth's fault? They make good scapegoats as well, sneered Giacomo. "
Making fun of the Fourteenth was his favorite sport.
"Useless fools! " Jelila blurted out.
She was furious. Judicael laughed out loud.
"The Fourteenth is much more obsessed with the idea of barring us the access to Paris than it is concerned with dealing with the real troublemakers. It is quite a recurring leitmotive among them.
- Well, wasn't the Saint-Barthélemy massacre because of you? " Pointed out Giacomo.
Judicael laughed a little louder, with that expression of his that said if only you had seen all the things that I have seen... He got up and left the inn. I left a little later to join him. He was waiting for me outside. Dawn was breaking, pinkish-claret, like a blood orange. I kissed my druid before daybreak and we returned to the hotel to spend the last hours we had. Afterwards, we had to find Cosimo and the others, and find out a pretext for the absence of the two other Celts. Then it would be a long way down to Catania.
V. Conclusion: May 15, 1931
Jelila found us just before we left town. In the end, we had stayed one more day, with Cosimo and Anita to try to find Leno and Guido. Vincenzo had left to pass on the information we had collected. Judicael covered me for the time of our interview. As always, she got right to the point:
"There is something important that we still need to discuss. Urgently.
– Have you talked to Desdemona?
– I did. She will work with us. But there is something you need to tell me.
– What is it Jelila?
– It's about your late cousin, Gian Bellini. Desdemona wants to see his body.
– He died years ago. Why does she care?
– Believe me, she cares.
– What use will she have of it?
– She says you are hiding him. He died in a mysterious way. Why haven't your grandmother started an inquiry?
– Most of our family members were facing arrest at this time. We couldn't take the risk. Anyway we never do that.
– Why so?
– You should know why, as a Kane. Our families are full of skeletons and murders. It's better to let the dead sleep in the ground. You never know what you might find.
– What about the truth?
– Sometimes, if not often, peace is more valuable than truth.
– Well, now you can't have peace without this. Where is he buried?
– I don't know. I'm just a bastard Jelila. Those were troubled time. But maybe… See, Laura is the closest person to our grandmother. She might now… she's the only person who might know. And she will do anything to buy peace.
– She seems quite a reasonable person.
– She is. A kind person. I will talk to her. As soon as I can. Give me a week. Will it be enough for Desdemona?
– It will be.
– You seem quite fond of her after all.
– I dare say I am. She promised clemency and amnesty for your kin. Can't rebuild a Nome on a graveyard.
– What about you Jelila? You did a lot for us, why?
– I am a scribe of the Fourth Nome and a Kane. I serve Ma'at.
– It's quite a rare and splendid thing really. A magician that really works for peace inside our house.
– Well, I do not work for peace, I ache for truth. You can't have one without the other.
– I just hope the future won't prove you wrong dear girl. "