11 - The Fate of Pasquale Bembo

It is May in the Year of Our Lord 1341. A finely-accoutred gentleman of great height and girth wearing Venetian livery knocks at the door of the House of Crows. He introduces himself as Maffeo Barozzi and enquires for Rocco al Mare. A surly-faced woman answers and bids him wait. After a short while she returns with Rocco who has her let him in.

Maffeo reminds Rocco that Lorenzo Bembo, the Venetian Agent in Rome, is still keen to know more of the fate of his nephew, Pasquale Bembo. Matteo says he was the last person to see Pasquale alive. He explains that in the hot pursuit of a fugitive during the Venetian raid on the Baths of Diocletian last autumn, Pasquale squeezed down a rent in the depths of the ruins. Maffeo explains guiltily that he was unable to follow his master due to the extent of his physique. He said further that when Pasquale did not return they sent down a lad after him. The lad did not return either.

Matteo is keen to show Rocco the spot in the Baths where this occurred to see if more can be determined of Pasquale's fate. Astore and Father Arturo accompany them. On arrival at the ruined edifice, they find it to be in the hands of a new gang led by a fellow called Renzo. His co-operation is easily bought wtih Maffeo's Venetian gold. He lends them a guide called Lino to ensure they are not molested. However, he and his men counsel strongly against descending into the lower levels of the ruins. Nevertheless, Maffeo leads the party through the ruined edifice to a fissure in the corner of what was once plainly a bathing pool. Lino warns them once more then shrugs and leaves them to it.

The way is indeed narrow. However, Rocco bravely strips off his jack and squeezes his frame through the tiny opening into the stygian gloom below with but a basilard and a candle to light his way. He indicates that he has reached the bottom and shouts up "Dead men walking!". Then all is silent. Fearing the worst, Astore follows suit and then Father Arturo. Matteo is left alone crossing himself and voicing nervous prayers above the fissure as he had done once before.

After a long while in which there are no replies to his cries of enquiry, but during which the occasional sound of armed struggle waft up from the depths, he hears Rocco's voice from below. They have dealt with the "Dead that Walk" - Maffeo shudders - no sign of Pasquale - but there is the body of a boy. Between them the dessicated corpse of a boy is passed up through the opening into Maffeo's hands. There is enough left of his clothing to identify him as the lad who was sent down after Pasquale. They say they will explore the room a little further in the hope of finding out more.

So Maffeo waits. He waits some more. Lino returns. He doesn't want to say he told Maffeo so, but he does anyway. As the late spring sun begins to wane in the sky, Maffeo sighs. He gathers up the left-behind belongings of his three comrades and the body of a boy he once knew. Further Venetian specie is spent upon a porter with a handcart.

On the way back to the Venetian Agent's palazzo, Maffeo thinks to call into the House of Crows to return his erstwhile comrades' belongings. There he is astonished to find all three alive and well. They have some tale about a dark passage, a trapdoor, a rubbish chute and a midden. Maffeo's nose can well attest the latter, for all three have an odour about them that is not the odour of sanctity. However, he is delighted when they produce an arming sword, found upon the midden. It is a blade he recognises for he has sharpened and polished it on many occasions. It is the sword of Pasquale Bembo.

After downing a few cups of wine with his new friends, Maffeo takes his leave and the sword and makes his way home. A few days later he returns to convey the gratitude of Lorenzo Bembo in the form of bag of Venetian ducats. There is also a smaller purse containing pearls - a gift from the boy's family in thanks for the return of the body of their son.

10 - Venetian Gratitude

A perusal of the loot from the Toad pool in the under-dark, reveals a portion of it, found on one set of remains, to be very recent, personally identifiable and with clear linkages to Venice. Rocco seeks Cola's counsel on its disposal. Cola recalls that there was a young Venetian nobleman who disappeared during the raid on the Baths of Diocletian last year. He strongly advises Rocco to surrender all the personal elements to Lorenzo Bembo the Venetian Agent in Rome and hope for a reward rather than to try to dispose of such identifiable objects on the open market.

Rocco takes a signet ring found on the body to the address of the Venetian Agent with a short letter of introduction. Lorenzo Bembo is not at home and Rocco is received by a young equerry who confirms that this is the signet ring of the missing Pasquale Bembo. However, he is highly suspicious of Rocco's tale. Believing him to be witholding the full story he has him dragged down to a dungeon to be professionally questioned on the matter. Fortunately, Signore Bembo returns just as the hot irons are to be applied, and takes a different view of the matter.

Rocco is returned, under guard, to the House of the Crow, there to collect all the belongings of Pasquale Bembo. On his return with them to the house of the Venetian Agent he is there greeted more courteously by Lorenzo himself, and rewarded with a bag of Venetian gold ducats. Lorenzo expresses interest in Rocco's tale and indicates that he would like to know whatever else can be discovered about the matter.

Marco’s Journal : A Tale of Two Treasures

After the big party, we lost no time in planning another venture into the great underdark to seek our fortune. If our luck was running hot, why delay ?

Once more our new companion Lorenzo proved his arts useful, conjuring a magical light for the end of Friar Giovanni’s staff which burned for an hour without any fuel. We set off into the deep with Rocco in the lead followed by Lorenzo and the two priests, while I brought up the rear in my armour. We followed our steps and markings from a previous venture, and sought to expand the area we had searched. As we marched quietly along the side of a deep channel of black water, we heard an ominous rhythmic clicking. Along the far bank marched a long column of skeletons armed for war; their leader glanced our way in passing, and the weight of his gaze sent a shiver through your bones. It seemed the army of the dead was on patrol, and they yearned for new recruits. We fervently hoped they would stay on the other side of the channel, and pressed on with a prayer to the saints to protect us.

Often danger comes Right Quick.  There in front of me, Friar Giovanni shone his torch down a side tunnel and then vanished down it with a stumble and a cry of alarm ! Taking a firm grip on my boar-spear I plunged after him – into a dark tunnel full of dancing shadows as he struggled against something while encumbered by his light-staff and wading through a foot of running water. He dropped the light when he was violently dragged from his feet and engulfed in the maw of a gigantic frog! I seized the staff and gave pursuit – soon I caught up with the Friar as he frantically stabbed its scaly hide with a small knife whilst it dragged him by a leg further down the dark tunnel.

I stabbed the huge thing over and over again, thrusting my spear deep into its body, but all the while it dragged poor Giovanni away. I could see his efforts grow more frantic as he grew weaker and weaker from pain and exhaustion. He never gave in, but fought until overcome by his wounds and then went limp in its jaws. In the nick of time Rocco arrived and seized his arms as he was dragged along the floor, and I stabbed the frog once more with all my might. Rocco is a large man, hardened by years of labour, and he pulled hard to save Giovanni; the great frog had paid much in pain and blood for its prize and pulled hard to keep it. Lo ! we parted ways suddenly : we kept Giovanni but it kept his foot as it leapt back into a dark pool at the end of the tunnel.

I stood guard while my comrades saw to our maimed comrade. Father Arturo took charge – wrapping a bandage tightly above the ragged stump before singing up a mighty Hymn of Prayer. With my own eyes I saw a Miracle - the ragged stump healed and grew a new pink pad of flesh over the bleeding bones which had been laid bare. I have seen many men mangled in battle, and the power of Arturo’s prayers saved Giovanni from months of pain and anguish. In a trice, he was made well, and nearly whole again. We gave him a restorative potion against the shock, and in a short while he was able to hop with a staff and move slowly unaided. This was the first Treasure we gained – witnessing a true Miracle to save our dear comrade from death.

As we made ready to depart, curiosity took hold of me - perhaps Providence or Luck was tugging at my sleeve. I gave Lorenzo a penny and he cast his spell of light upon it; when thrown into the pool it sank to the bottom and illuminated a strange scene. The great frog lay still at the bottom of the pool in a cloud of blood or ichor, surrounded by at least a dozen huge tadpoles worrying at its flesh. So the next generation consumed the last, fighting for their places at the feast. It seemed to me that they must compete, for in the end their could be only one successor.

Other things caught my eye – gleams of gold twinkled in the rubbish littering the bottom of the pool. Swiftly I stripped off my armour and placed an alchemical ‘airy tablet’ below my tongue, slipping into the pool with only a dagger and some empty sacks in my hands. By the grace of god I had remembered to take a coil of light rope in my pack, which Rocco let down after me. The tablet produced a mouthful of frothing bubbles which allowed me to breathe under water for a short time. While it lasted I searched the pool for treasure. Four corpses I looted, gaining many coins, a fine dagger, the golden hilt of a sword, and some pieces of jewellery which had remained intact whilst other things were destroyed by water and time. Several times I was attacked by the offspring of the giant frog – they were all teeth and hunger and hurled themselves heedlessly at my naked flesh. One good thrust with a dagger was enough to end them, and distract the others as its bleeding remains drifted down to the bottom.

All too soon the tablet was consumed, and I escaped the pool unscathed with my last bag of treasure. I donned my armour swiftly and we departed, rejoicing in our good fortune. Soon we heard the dreadful march of the dead once more, this time ahead of us on our side of the black water! Rocco took Giovanni on his shoulders and we dashed away down a side tunnel before we became the latest recruits to the army of the dead. We sped on, leaving their malice behind, for they would not leave their patrol to pursue us. It had been a narrow escape, but Providence was still with us. Our luck held true, and soon we were once more in the world of living men and had left behind the great darkness below.

Back in the House of Crows, we put Friar Giovanni to bed with a large cup of hot wine, while we cleaned and polished the treasures we had taken from the Frog’s Larder. And so we had gained our Second Treasure - but wealth taken from the Underworld is dearly bought, and the Friar has paid in full. Tomorrow we shall see what may be fitted to his stump to get him walking again. His days of running may be over, but the miraculous stump will surely prove a great boon for his begging, and so he has much to give thanks for.