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Chapter 98
"I think I can see it from here. Is that it, with all the towers?" Rosa pointed to the walled town on a hill that rose above the horizon as she, Ezio, and Machiavelli made their way on horseback past one of the many vineyards of the Tuscan countryside.
"Sì, we should be there before sunset," Ezio answered. "It is a good thing we left early; otherwise it might have cost us an extra day."
"It has quite a history for such a small town," Machiavelli remarked. "Are you familiar with any of it?"
"Not at all," Rosa admitted, "but since we have some time, why don't you fill me in?"
Ezio smiled to himself. Nothing made Niccolò happier than talking about political history.
"The city used to be a popular stop for religious pilgrims making their way to Roma, and some of the families here became quite wealthy from the money that flowed in. They became so wealthy, in fact, that the city managed to remain independent from Siena and Firenze for many years. The richest of these families built the towers you see before you. Some were for protection from the outside world and from each other, and some were simply displays of power and wealth. In any case, few dared to challenge them, and fewer still lived to tell about it."
"I thought this entire area was under the control of Firenze," Rosa interrupted. "Isn't San Gimignano as well?"
"It is," Machiavelli said with a smile, pleased at Rosa's interest.
"Then what happened?"
He shrugged. "Perhaps it was an act of God, perhaps an act of the Devil. Perhaps neither. Fortuna is a fickle creature, if history has taught us anything. In 1348, the city was decimated by the Black Death. Some accounts even say the dead outnumbered the living. With no other way to sustain the town, its leaders begged for help from Firenze. Firenze obliged, of course, and has been in control ever since."
"Do all of your stories have such sad endings?" Ezio chimed in.
"Is it a sad ending?" Machiavelli asked, turning to Rosa for her opinion instead. Ezio could tell he was getting at something.
"I guess it depends on who you ask," Rosa shrugged. "To the nobles who once owned the towers and ruled the town, it must be. But to the poor and oppressed, what difference does that change in power make?"
"One regime is removed, and another takes its place, but the beggar still wants for bread," Machiavelli nodded. "It has always fascinated me, how the rich and powerful remain rich and powerful while others allow such inequality at their own expense. Why do some rulers succeed, while others fail? What can a failing one do to keep citizens from revolting?"
"You want to help terrible rulers stay in power?" Rosa asked, a bit taken aback by the implications of this.
"I want to observe them," Machiavelli corrected her. "It is for my own curiosity, above all else. Of course, as an Assassin, I fight for the oppressed."
"That sounds like it could be a conflict of interest," Rosa told him. "How can you passively observe the unfolding of history if you are actively trying to change it?"
"It is a delicate thing to balance, but it is an endeavor worth trying to master," he answered. "We are a part of history, whether we like it or not. One does not have to be passive to study the politics of the world. In fact, one should strive for the opposite. But one should always be wary that even a complete understanding of the past does not always prepare one for the present."
Ezio considered this (as, he presumed, did Rosa) as they approached the city gates. None of the guards had seen anyone matching their description of the courier, Lucio, so they were likely early. Ezio knew a nearby innkeeper they could trust, so they decided to wait there for the night and see if anything changed by morning.