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Chapter 70

The next morning found Ezio perched atop a wall of the Arsenale district looking over the docks. It was an eerily quiet scene. The area was usually filled with the commotion of merchants, sailors, and city officials arguing with one another in a multitude of languages as ships rolled in, unloaded their cargo, and set sail again.

This day was different, or at least it seemed that way to Ezio. What few ships did stop at the docks didn't stay long, and the place was otherwise empty when the vessel Ezio sought was anchored and three men got off. They were heavily armed and wore red uniforms, and one of them carried a large ornate box.

The three of them were coldly greeted on the docks by another man who was similarly dressed but carried only a dagger. As the box was handed to this man, who opened it and took a smaller pouch out of it, Ezio noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A fifth man was lurking from behind a nearby building, also watching the scene unfold. Ezio concentrated on him and noticed he almost looked like-

"Uncle Mario?" he thought aloud. No, it couldn't be him, could it? His uncle would certainly be interested in whatever was in this box, but how would he even know about it, or that it would be in this place on this day?

There was no time to dwell on these thoughts, as Ezio noticed that the man who had taken the contents of the box was presently leaving the area, and quickly! Ezio went after him, but he found that the man was almost as agile as he was.

Nevertheless, Ezio managed to keep up with him as he ran through alleys, leapt across canals, and finally approached a small courtyard blocked off by four city guards (at least, they were dressed as city guards). They ushered the man inside, but Ezio knew he wouldn't get in so easily.

When he was sure the guards weren't looking, he leapt onto a building overlooking the courtyard just as another guard was approaching the man who had the ship's cargo. They were both within the distance he could leap. He extended his hidden blades.

"The Maestro awaits," the guard told the courier. "He will not suffer mistakes. Package it correctly. Do it now." The courier quickly obeyed, and placed the pouch in a larger box as the guard left to brief his comrades.

"The Spaniard's here?" Ezio said to himself. "That changes things. If I can infiltrate this group, take the place of the courier…they'll lead me right to the figlio di puttana."

He leapt from the rooftop and plunged his hidden blade into the courier, killing him silently. From there, he wasted no time putting on the man's uniform, then stashing his body in a nearby hay bale.

Ezio then turned to the box on the ground. What could possibly be inside, he wondered. What would the Spaniard do when he got it? Ezio knelt down and opened it to find the pouch the courier had taken from the ship. He would have opened that too, but he heard the footsteps of the guard returning.

"Aren't you finished yet?" the man growled.

Ezio closed the box and picked it up. "Yes sir," he replied.

The man eyed him for a moment. "This is a moment of great importance," he said. "Stay in formation. Make this right."

Ezio followed him to the entrance of the courtyard, where two other guards joined them. The four of them made their way carefully through the streets, imitating the habits of the guards who passed them and scaring away any citizens who got in their way. Finally they reached an isolated area whose only occupant was a figure in a dark cloak. Ezio knew who it was.

The guard in front of him knelt down before the figure for a moment, so Ezio did the same before both of them got back up.

"Do you really have it?" the Spaniard demanded. "You were not followed?"

"Absolutely," the guard replied. "Everything went perfectly. We have followed your orders exactly as specified. The mission to Cyprus was more difficult than expected. There were-"

Ezio released his hidden blade and stopped him before he could finish his sentence.