They had left the house safely and unseen, Lisa shuffling awkwardly over the cobbles in her stolen buskins, with her hand resting on Hamish's arm, he strolling blithely, as if he had not a care in the world.
'Nice neighborhood,' he remarked. He cocked an ear to the distant sounds of Carnival. 'Let's go this way until I recognize somewhere.'
Every one of the narrow, winding canyons looked the same to her, but she was not going to let him see how terrified she was. She forced her voice to be brave and steady. 'Describe, sir, your normal procedure for rescuing damsels in distress — those who don't know where they live, I mean.'
He flashed her a grin — undeceived but approving her effort.
'Normally I escort them to the Palazzo Publico and deliver them to the signory, but there are good reasons not to do so in your case.'
'Because they don't know where I live either?'
'There's that. And whoever is after you may be watching there or may be in league with the signory. Also — there's the rack. After all these years of looking up to Toby, I don't want to start looking down on him. Selfish of me, I admit, but there it is.'
'I don't want to put you in danger!'
'I put myself in. My decision. Don't feel guilty about it.' He paused at the first corner to listen to the distant sounds of Carnival. 'We go this way, I think. Instruct me, my lady. I am at your disposal, but I regret that I must leave Siena before dawn.'
'Have you friends here who might assist me?'
He sighed. 'Agents, not friends. It's my gold they love, not me, and none of them could be trusted with anyone as beautiful as you. I can have them try to locate your mother, but that will take a day or two.'
'I understand.' But Mother spent her life being not-found. Must not think about that!
'I think it would be better if you held this.' He pulled a cloth from his pouch and offered it to her.
'But that's… why?' It was the kerchief she had used as a mask.
He shrugged self-consciously. 'It might be useful. Something I read in a book once.' Puzzled, she accepted it, but before she could query him further, he said, 'Ah! Now I know where we are. That's the Galluza Palace. They're very respected citizens. The dowager's a woman of considerable influence in Siena. I'm sure she will not spurn a maiden in distress.'
'You know her?'
They were passing under a lantern; he gave her a puzzled frown. 'Lisa, I've told you. I'm only a man-at- arms.'
'So you expect me to sit on the steps until morning and then get past servants who speak only Italian and drag a bad-tempered old harridan out of bed to hear a mad tale of gramarye and spies? And if the authorities may be in league with whoever's after me, then that may be the worst possible thing to do.'
He sighed. 'You synopsize the situation succinctly.'
They walked on. Sounds of Carnival became clearer. Drunks were heading home, staggering all over the road, some still singing raucously. No one troubled the efficient-looking swordsman at her side.
'Take me to the sanctuary, then. I shall appeal to the tutelary.'
'A very good idea. It's that way, on the hill west of the Piazza del Campo.'
'You won't escort me?'
'I loosed a demon tonight, monna. I am in the service of Florence. The spirit will not be friends with me at all. At the very least it will confiscate my ring. It may help you, though.'
But not necessarily. Many tutelaries refused to aid strangers. He was warning her politely that her plan was all fish feathers.
'If you're only a man-at-arms,' she said angrily, 'how can you possibly afford a guarddemon? And don't tell me you looted or pillaged it, because it wouldn't be worth having if you did.'
He laughed and took her hand in his to squeeze. 'I confess! I lied. It isn't mine. Our company hexer loaned it to me for this escapade, and when I return to Florence I must give it back. Truly, I am nothing more than a soldier.'
She had never let a man hold her hand before, but these were exceptional circumstances. It was a strangely comforting sensation. 'Then I offer you employment. Mother will certainly reward you handsomely for the help you have given me. We need some male retainers. Whatever you're being paid, I'll double it. I promise you a reward of…' She was not familiar with Italian money. Nor any money, really. 'Enough to buy a first-class horse.'
Hamish coughed harshly, as if he had swallowed a fly. 'Excuse me. A
'The great general who defeated the Fiend's army last year?'
'He'd laugh if he heard you call him that. He is a great man, though. I work for Longdirk. I'm his chancellor.'
Well, he had to work for someone. Condottieri could be anything from princes to brigands, and Sir Tobias Longdirk was at least famous. Or he was now, for no one had heard of him before the Battle of Trent. There was a gruesome story about a burning forest.
'What does a chancellor do?'
'Spies, among other things.'
'Spies for whom? Who does Longdirk work for?'
'Whoever will help him fight the Fiend, but Florence needs him more than the others do. You see,' Hamish said earnestly, 'there's five big states in Italy — Milan, Venice, Rome, and Naples. And Florence. None of the rest count for much. Florence is the smallest of the five, and militarily it's far weaker than the others. It distrusts soldiers. It has never, ever, appointed a native-born captain-general, so hiring a non-Italian like Toby fits their tradition.'
'Florence is planning to make war on Siena?'
'Oh, no. The cities must combine again. When Nevil sent Schweitzer last year, some of them cobbled together an alliance — which was largely Longdirk's doing, incidentally. They all knew him and trusted him, so they voted him in as
'Go on, please,' she said automatically. 'It's very interesting.'
'No it isn't. I have this bad habit. Don't encourage me, or I'll harangue you all night on everything from acarology to zymurgy. Let's solve your problem first.'
'I definitely want to hear about zymurgy later. How much does this Longdirk man pay you?'
'Four ducats a month when he has it. We're a few months in arrears at the moment.'
'Oh. Well, my offer of the horse still stands. Two hundred ducats. And eight ducats a month. And I'll make up your arrears, too.'
'Including my board and arms and horses? No!' he said before she could answer. 'I'm joking.' Now he seemed to know exactly where he was going, heading uphill, moving along the smelly alleys as fast as she could keep up. 'I'm more than just one of Longdirk's men. He has an incredible knack of inspiring loyalty, but I can honestly claim to be his best friend. We were boys together. He was my hero, and he took me with him when he left Scotland. Nevil's been hunting us ever since, although it's Toby he wants. You can't buy me.'
She knew what he wanted her to say. He was not going to suggest it himself, but he had left her no option.
'How far is it to Florence?'
'About fourteen English leagues. Say two days with the roads the way they are just now. We won't push the horses unless we have to.'
'I'm a very good… 'We'?'
'Me and Carlo and Rinaldo. They're waiting at an inn outside the walls. There's no curfew tonight. We'll have no trouble at the gates.'
We again! But he knew that she knew that she had no choice. Her heart was pounding as if she had a tertian fever.
'Master Campbell, I am very grateful for what you have done for me already, but I do wish you would make up your mind. If you are only a soldier of fortune, then name your price, and I will meet it. If you are a gentleman,
