'And what was that?'
'What is that, you mean!' Mario's eyes blazed. 'Their intention is nothing less than world domination. And only one organization is devoted to thwarting them. The Order of the Assassins, to which your father - and I - have the honour to belong.'
Ezio needed a moment to take this in. 'And was Alberti one of the Templars?'
Mario nodded solemnly. 'Yes. As are all the others on your father's list.'
'And - Vieri?'
'He is one as well, and his father Francesco, and all the Pazzi clan.'
Ezio pondered this. 'That explains much.' he said. 'There is something I haven't shown you yet -'
He rolled up his sleeve to reveal his secret dagger.
'Ah,' said Mario. 'You were wise not to reveal that until you were sure you could trust even me completely. I was wondering what had become of it. And I see that you have had it repaired. It was your father's, given to him by our father, and to him by
his. It was broken in. a confrontation your father was involved in many years ago, but he could never find a craftsman skilled or trustworthy enough to restore it. You have done well, my boy.'
'Even so,' said Ezio. 'All this talk of Assassins and Templars sounds like something from an ancient tale - it reeks of the fantastic.'
Mario smiled. 'Like something from an old parchment covered in arcane writing, perhaps?'
'You know of the Codex page?'
Mario shrugged. 'Had you forgotten? It was with the papers you handed over to me.'
'Can you tell me what it is?' Ezio was somehow reluctant to involve his friend Leonardo in this unless it became strictly necessary.
'Well, whoever repaired your blade must have been able to read at least some of it,' said Mario, but he raised his hand as Ezio was about to open his mouth. 'But I will ask you no questions. I can see that you wish to protect someone, and I will respect that. But there is more to the page than the working instructions for your weapon. The pages of the Codex are scattered now throughout Italy. It is a guide to the inner workings of the Assassins' Order, its origin, purpose and techniques. It is, if you will, our Creed. Your father believed that the Codex contained a powerful secret. Something that would change the world.' He paused for thought. 'Perhaps that is why they came for him.'
Ezio was overwhelmed at this information - it was a huge amount to take in all at once. 'Assassins, Templars, this strange Codex -'
'I will be your guide, Ezio. But you must first learn to open your mind, and always remember this: nothing is true. Everything is permitted.'
Mario would tell him nothing more then, though Ezio pressed him. Instead, his uncle continued to put him through the most rigorous process of military training, and from dawn to dusk he found himself exercising with the young condottieri on the practice-ground, falling into bed each night too exhausted to think of anything but sleep. And then, one day.
'Well done, nephew!' his uncle told him. 'I think you are ready.'
Ezio was pleased. 'Thank you, Uncle, for all you've given me.'
Mario's answer was to give the boy a bear-hug. 'You are family! Such is my duty and desire!'
'I'm glad you persuaded me to stay.'
Mario looked at him keenly. 'So - have you reconsidered your decision to leave?'
Ezio returned his gaze. 'I am sorry, Uncle, but my mind is made up. For the safety of Mamma and Claudia - I still intend to make for the coast and take ship for Spain.'
Mario did not hide his displeasure. 'Forgive me, nephew, but I have not taught you the skills you now have either for my own amusement or your exclusive benefit. I have taught you so that you may be better prepared to strike against our enemies.'
'And, if they find me, so I will.'
'So,' Mario said bitterly. 'You want to leave? To throw away everything your father fought and died for? To deny your very heritage? Well! I cannot pretend to you that I am not disappointed - highly disappointed. But so be it. Orazio will take you to the convent when you judge the moment to be right for your mother to travel, and he will see you on your way. I wish you buona fortuna.'
With that, Mario turned his back on his nephew and stalked away. More time passed, as Ezio found he had to allow his mother enough peace and quiet to pave the way to her recovery. He himself made his preparations for leaving with a heavy heart. At last he set out to pay what he imagined might be his last visit to the convent to visit his mother and sister before taking them away, and found them better than he'd dared to hope. Claudia had made friends with some of the younger nuns, and it was clear to Ezio, to his surprise and not greatly to his pleasure, that she was beginning to be attracted to the life. Meanwhile his mother was making a steady but slow recovery, and the abbess, on hearing of his plans, demurred, advising him that rest was what she still badly needed, and that she should not be moved again just yet.
When he returned to Mario's castle, therefore, he was full of misgivings, and he was aware that these misgivings had grown with time.
At that period, some kind of military preparations had been going on in Monteriggioni, and now they seemed to be coming to a head. The sight of them distracted him. His uncle was nowhere to be seen, but he managed to track Orazio down to the map-room.
'What's going on?' he asked. 'Where's my uncle?'
'He's preparing for battle.'
'What? With whom?'
'Oh, I expect he'd have told you if he'd thought you were staying. But we all know that that is not your intention.'
'Well.'
'Listen, your old friend Vieri de' Pazzi has set himself up at San Gimignano. He's tripling the garrison there and has let it be known that as soon as he's ready, he's coming to raze Monteriggioni to the ground. So we're going there first, to crush the little snake and teach the Pazzi a lesson they won't forget in a hurry.'
Ezio took a deep breath. Surely this changed everything. And perhaps it was Fate - the very stimulus he'd unconsciously been seeking. 'Where is my uncle?'
'In the stables.'
Ezio was already halfway out of the room.
'Hey! Where are you off to?'
'To the stables! There must be a horse for me, too!'
Orazio smiled as he watched him go.
7
Mario, with Ezio riding at his side, led his forces to within sight of San Gimignano in the middle of a spring night in 1477. It was to be the beginning of a tough confrontation.
'Tell me again what made you change your mind,' said Mario, still much pleased by his nephew's change of heart.
'You just like to hear it.'
'What if I do? Anyway, I knew it'd take Maria a good while to recover, and they are safe enough where they are, as you well know.'
Ezio smiled. 'As I've already told you, I wanted to take responsibility. As I've already told you, Vieri troubles you because of me.'
'And as I've told you, young man, you certainly have a healthy sense of your own importance. The truth is, Vieri troubles us because he is a Templar and we are Assassins.'
