Kat closed her eyes. 'Dear God!' That was Grandpapa!
'He didn't even get hurt,' said Benito reassuringly, but she wasn't listening anymore. She stared into nothing for a moment. Then she stood up.
'Don't ever tell anyone your name,' she said harshly. 'Never. Not anyone. Or go to Dorma for protection. And whatever you do, don't tell Aldanto.' And she walked away.
* * *
Giaccomo was watching them out the corner of his eye, so Benito was doing his damnedest to act virtuous.
'--I can't believe it,' Mercutio said, leaning back in his chair against the wall, and sipping at his brandy, his eyes alight with laughter. Jeppo cleared away their plates, with an odd look at Benito, but didn't say anything. Benito concentrated on being very well behaved. This was Giaccomo's after all, and if he did anything, Maria would hear about it. He wasn't even drinking brandy, though Mercutio had offered it, he was sticking to wine. Watered wine. He'd have a halo at this rate.
Outside Giaccomo's open door there were canalers lounging on his porch, mugs and glasses in hand, enjoying the balmy evening. He and Mercutio had the taproom pretty much to themselves.
'I just can't believe it'' Mercutio repeated, chuckling. 'I leave this town, and the very next day all hell breaks loose! And me not here to help it along!' He shook his head mockingly. 'I can see I've got a lot of lost time to make up--'
Suddenly he leaned forward, and his tone grew conspiratorial. 'That's where you come in, kid. If you want in. Because I need a lookout and a housebreaker for a little piece of work.'
Benito brightened. ''Course I want in!' He replied softly. 'What'd you take me for? What's the action?'
Mercutio's eyes flamed with glee. 'Who's the richest, dumbest man in this city?'
Benito snorted. 'No contest. The Doge.'
'And what does he love above power, wealth, women--everything?'
'His clockwork toys,' Benito supplied.
'Now--what would he do, do you think, if he'd gone and built a wonderful toy just to send to Rome as a kind of present for the Grand Metropolitan--and he'd sent it to the jeweler to get all gilded and prettied up, and get sparklies put on it--and somebody--borrowed it? And told him he'd get it back only if he left a great deal of money in a particular place--and didn't tell anyone about it. And told him if he did bring in the Schiopettieri, he'd get his beautiful clockwork toy back in a million pieces?' Mercutio settled back in his chair with a smile of smug satisfaction.
'He's just dumb enough to do it,' Benito acknowledged, answering Mercutio's smile with one of his own. 'When and where?'
'Tonight, if you're game. Jeweler just opposite the bridge.'
'Schiopettieri?' Benito asked.
'Got a distractor. Gave Jewel Destre a Turkish-made coat like this'n when he drooled over it. He thought I was groveling.' Mercutio chuckled. 'Then this afternoon I sent a couple messages to him and Giancarlo Polo concerning the coat and Jewel's manhood. Send one more and I'll guarantee they'll play knife-talk on the bridge tonight.'
Benito chuckled evilly. 'An' if anybody sees anythin', all they'll notice is the coat. So if anybody comes lookin' for a thief--they go for Jewel. Si. What is this thing of the Doge's anyway? A timepiece?'
Mercutio snickered. 'I heard it's a clockwork whale he put together for his bath.'
Benito snickered at the notion of a grown man playing with bath toys. 'Let's do it,' he said.
Chapter 72 ==========
There were more ways in to any building than by the door, and Benito knew most of them. He and Mercutio began their operation with him going over the roof and down an air-shaft. The air-shaft was very narrow. A year ago, Benito would have slid down it easily. Today--even though Benito didn't have an ounce of fat on him, he was already showing the stocky and muscular physique of his presumed father, Carlo Sforza. It was a tight fit.
But the air-shaft gave access to a window that was never locked. The window gave on a storeroom holding
