Chapter 6

"Ezio! Come in, come in! Have you found another codex page?"
"No, I only came to visit," he replied. He could tell that this response simultaneously pleased and disappointed Leonardo.

"Ah, well! It's good to have you. You can help me move a few of my things into the new workshop."

"If you insist," Ezio shrugged, "How do you like your new quarters?"

"I'll let you know once I get everything put it its place."

"You moved in here four months ago!"

"Si," said Leonardo, oblivious to the incredulity in Ezio's voice. "Many of my projects have not arrived yet."

As Ezio knew, transportation of large items around Venezia was difficult. The complexity of Leonardo's contraptions likely made them even more cumbersome and prone to inspection.

"Come outside!" the painter beckoned him. Ezio walked out to find his friend standing beside an enormous crate.

While it was fairly light for its size, the two had trouble fitting it through the door. Ezio helped to pry it open when it was settled on Leonardo's floor.

"Uno momento, I remember this," noted Ezio, "Your giant bat."

"It's not a bat, Ezio. It's a flying machine."

"So you told me," he chuckled. "Then why didn't you fly it here?"

"Ahh, it's still being built. I've been playing with smaller models and observing how they behave, then trying to adjust this machine accordingly. Then I test new models and find new problems. Who knows what will happen when you put a person on there!"

"Best not to find out the hard way."

"Agreed," nodded Leonardo, "Now what prompted your visit? What have you been doing?"

"Making some friends, making some enemies," Ezio shrugged.

"Why am I not surprised? Have you had a chance to explore the city?"

"Ah, si! I almost forgot." Ezio pulled something out of his pocket. "I have a present for you."

Leonardo's face lit up when Ezio revealed the wooden puppet that Leonardo had pointed out in a small shop when they had arrived in Venezia.

"Grazie, Ezio! I've been searching for another one of these for a while, with no luck."

"Why are you so interested in it?"

"Look how it moves! Like a real human!" he said as he adjusted the figure's pose. "After studying human anatomy for so many years, I can't help but enjoy this simplified model. There are a million different and wonderful things that happen inside us all the time, but the result is simple and elegant." He played with the figure some more as Ezio paused to consider what his friend had said.

"Then again," continued Leonardo after a moment of consideration, "maybe I'll attach him to one of my flying machine models. Hopefully, he won't break"

"I'm only going to buy you the one," Ezio chuckled.

Leonardo went over to inspect the flying machine while Ezio took a seat nearby.

"It is wonderful to see you again, Ezio," said the painter. "Whenever you have free time, we should meet again."

"Si, I'd like that."

"Where have you been staying?"

"It's…something of a secret," Ezio tried to explain. "Mi dispiace, I don't like to keep secrets from you. It's just safer for everyone."

"It's quite alright, Ezio," he understood without turning from his machine. "Your work is delicate and requires some secrecy. I trust you've found someplace safe."

"I have, grazie. In fact, I should return soon."

The sun was indeed setting over Venezia, and Ezio knew it would be easier to see his way back to the thieves' den with some light, although the darkness would provide more cover from the rooftop guards.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Leonardo ran over to Ezio from his machine. "There must be some way to contact you without having to know where you live."

"You're the inventor. You figure it out," he jested.

"Va bene!"

After a bit of discussion, the two men resolved that a carrier pigeon would be able to transfer messages between them when personal contact was not an option. Shortly thereafter, they parted ways.

As fortune would have it, Ezio made his way back in the dark. The dim lamps throughout the city provided just enough light for him to see where he was going, but not nearly enough for the rooftop archers to spot him from a distance. After a quick check to ensure he was not followed, he slipped his way back into the thieves' den. By this point, most of the thieves were familiar with his presence, so a few welcomed him as he made his way back to his room for the night.