about The Current State of Affairs. In the time it took for the galliot — the Piccolo Doge — to have its cargo cleared, several small fishing ketches had come and gone. The passengers-the Crew and North-excited a little more interest, but certainly no suspicion. The customs officer was charmed by Juliet’s mastery of both proper Italian and more salty idiom; he didn’t even bother to approach the others in the group after she explained that they were all traveling together.
Nonetheless, North breathed a sigh of relief when the inspection party guided the Doge to her designated mooring and left. Lefferts came over and clapped a hand on the Englishman’s spare shoulder. “What? Nervous again, Limey? I thought you were a steely-eyed commando type.”
“I remain so by remaining alert, Harry.”
“If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll wait to get to Rome before I commence any heavy-duty worrying.”
“You might want to reconsider that decision. Did you notice those two guards?”
“Yeah. What about ’em?”
North lowered his voice. “They were papal troops.” Harry frowned, considered.
Sherrilyn merely shrugged. “Last I checked, that means they’re on our side.”
“Does it?”
“What do you mean?”
North nimbly hopped over the side and came to a sure-footed landing on the modest stone pier. “I mean, what do we really know about the loyalty of papal troops right now?”
“We know it’s to Urban,” replied Sherrilyn as she grabbed her bags and emulated North’s debarkation.
“That’s what we saw in Rimini,” agreed North. “But here, closer to Rome, and with Nettuno pinned between it and Osuna’s Spanish tercios in Naples, I’m not so sure their loyalties will be the same. Or at least, not as fervent.”
“Yeah, but these guys didn’t look or sound too fervent about being friends with the Spanish, either.”
“No, Ms. Maddox, they didn’t. They’re probably getting leaned on by the Spanish.”
“But not constantly. There’s not a Spaniard in sight, here.”
“Which is why we avoided Ostia and the Tiber. Those wharves are going to be swarming with Borja’s forces.”
Sherrilyn shrugged. “Right. That’s where the trouble is, so we came here instead. What’s to worry about?”
“Ms. Maddox, at the best of times, Italy is a hotbed of contending factions. Which in turn spawn a lively network of black marketeers, con artists, turncoats, and informers. They don’t have to like Spain to be trouble for us. They only have to like Spanish reales.”
Harry, who had been watching the exchange like a silent referee, nodded decisively. “Okay, Colonel North, I see your point-and it’s a good one. We’ll assume that we’re under observation at all times. Now, while Juliet finds us a cart and some mounts, why don’t you stay here with the equipm-uh, luggage. Although you seem to speak pretty fair Italian, yourself.”
“Enough to get in trouble, get a drink, or get-” North stopped and shot a quick glance at Sherrilyn, annoyed at the possibility that he might be blushing.
Harry was smiling broadly, now. “I want to hear the end of that list, North!” And with that, he swaggered off into the narrow streets of Nettuno. Young boys stared admiringly after him; it was that effect that had spawned the lefferti trend in the first place. No small number of young women stared after Harry as well, albeit with long, steady gazes that were quite different from the lively displays of boyish emulation.
The strange parade that was the Wrecking Crew disappeared around a corner, Juliet already asking for directions in a shrill Florentine accent.
Three days later, Thomas North found himself in a hazy, oppressive stable. The smell of rotted dung and old hay was so dense and pungent that he imagined he could actually see the stink-a humid miasma of ordure-hanging in the air.
A gust of cool relief washed over him as one of the large doors opened slightly. In slipped Matija and a powerfully built man of medium height, aquiline nose, and lightless black eyes. The man took a second step forward; Matija sealed the door quietly behind them.
Lefferts was already on his feet, hand extended. The smaller man took it slowly, carefully, as if unaccustomed to the greeting. “You’re Romulus?” Harry asked.
“It depends. Who are you?”
“I am Vulcan. Live long and prosper.”
Near the opposite end of the Crew’s rough, sprawling arc, Sherrilyn groaned in what sounded very much like agony.
“What is wrong?” asked Donald Ohde.
“Have you ever seen Star Trek?”
“No. Just war movies. I haven’t seen many of your old television shows.”
“Lucky you.” Sherrilyn turned back to Harry. “Really? Did you have to?”
Lefferts shrugged. “Hey, in this world, everyone would naturally guess that a guy code-named Romulus would meet someone called Remus, right? Except us. So that’s a good code, I figure.”
Thomas, who had occasionally watched the crew of the fictitious Enterprise go boldly where no men had gone before, had to admit that Harry was right: it was a smart code, here.
Romulus had watched the entire exchange with little comprehension and less humor. “You have not been followed here?”
“Not that we can tell.”
“You took precautions?”
“Yeah. A couple of times, we left one person as a lag-behind watcher. And we have binoculars.”
“You have what?”
“Uh…they’re like a really good telescope. We kept watch behind us, usually as far as a couple of miles back. Nothing.”
The man nodded. “Very well. Don Taddeo Barberini sends his personal greeting, and apologizes that he cannot accommodate you in the palazzo itself. It would be-imprudent.”
“For all of us,” Sherrilyn agreed. “We thank the duke for arranging these lodgings.”
“They are humble but will arouse no suspicion, and thus ensure that our rendezvous will remain unseen. Before discussing the situation in Rome, the duke has asked me to confirm that his uncle Maffeo and brother Antonio are still alive.”
Lefferts nodded. “Both the pope and the cardinal are healthy and safe.”
“The message we received from them seemed genuine, couched in phrases and with references that only they would know. But one can never be too careful.” Romulus inclined his head. “The duke also wonders if you would be so kind as to satisfy one other curiosity of his: by what path did you come to Palestrina and what did you see along the way?”
Sherrilyn looked up. “Any particular reason why he wants to know?”
“There is no cause for alarm, signora, but the duke now keeps all his men here in Palestrina. If one ventures out, one might run afoul of a Spanish tithing detachment. Or other potentially dangerous groups.”
“Such as?”
Romulus shrugged. “The liveried men of rival houses. With Barberini’s fortunes at such low ebb, we must be careful. Our neighbors could transform into wolves. Compared to three months ago, we are easy prey. And of course, who can really trust the papal troops? And now-your journey?”
“Yeah, sure. Colonel North is our intelligence officer, and gives great reports. Tom?” Harry’s eyes sparkled mischievously.
North suppressed a sigh. “After making landfall at Nettuno, we traveled by cart and mount to the east, where we picked up the Appian Way at the end of the first day. From there, we followed the Roman Road north until reaching Velletri, where we took the cart path to the northeast. Travel was slow, but that route kept the Alban Hills between ourselves and Rome, which we deemed prudent. That brought us here: three days travel, including this one.”
“Any sign of the Spanish?”
“Happily, no, but one of the villages we passed had been visited by a foraging unit from Rome. No one killed,
