Marco’s Journal:Two Down,Two to Go

Saint Christopher be praised! We are safe and triumphant! The streets are abuzz with the news that the Conti and the Frangipani rode down the Bardoni gang and now garrison ‘The Three-Way House’ with our patron Cola. Read on, as I tell how that wonder turned out, and also what is not told in the streets.

As the hot afternoon wore on, we waited within the Three-Way House for the assault of the Bardoni. We closed all three gates on to the street, and jammed wicker hurdles in front of the inner doors before dropping the bar on each. Each gate had a room above with a hatch for unloading a cart, and there we piled up missiles and pots of olive oil and a brazier. Renzo and Lino led the defence of Carlo’s gate, helped by Astore, while Lorenzo and I held Gepetto’s gate. Two of the Sweeper’s urchins had thrown in their lot with us and acted as out lookouts and runners, while Rocco did a roving patrol with a crossbow in case of surprises. Soon we heard a commotion in the street outside.

Then Father Arturo went to the top floor of the old gatehouse, and led the nuns in a liturgy – singing out prayers for our deliverance and confusion to the enemy. He resisted a strange gust of wind which tried to disrupt the holy harmony, and I think I heard the witch cry out in pain far below. It was hard to be sure as a mob had gathered in the street below, whipped up by the Bardoni to storm the gates and release the nuns ‘kidnapped by the false priest’. It is strange what words can influence a mob when any questioning mind might poke a few holes in such a bag of hot air. Perhaps the witch was out there, befuddling minds, or maybe the Suburra mob would believe anything their patron told them.

Soon they took a ram to Carlo’s gate and axemen hacked at Gepetto’s. Missiles and hot oil from above repelled these tyros, and Lorenzo used his arts to ignite my oil as it sizzled on the shields and bodies below. The fire sent them screaming back into the street, where it took their masters a long while to urge them to another attempt. This went the same way as the first, and so we held them all off for an hour or so.

It was hot work for them, but we did not have much more oil to throw when we heard the clear call of a trumpet outside, answered by another bugle, and then the clatter of iron on stone and the cries of wounded men. We scrambled up to the top of the gatehouse once more to see knights riding down the mob with footsoldiers sweeping the streets behind them. We cheered as we saw the colours of the Frangipani with our friends Matteo and Noli riding with them, and also the colours of the Conti, and last of all Cola upon a horse with his followers on foot behind.

In a trice the mob were slaughtered and scattered, and so we were saved. We threw open all the gates and our saviours met in the courtyard : the Conti, the Frangipani and the Notary shook hands at the meeting of the Three Ways, and each looted a third of the palazzo. The Frangipani took Carlo’s portion, the Conti took Gepetto’s, and Cola took Ornella’s quarters. It was clear from the start that news of her hoard of ancient findings had reached him from Fra. Giovanni, who turned up at Cola’s heels to greet us all again. Well Met! For without his part, all would have come to naught for us.

The three allies agreed to garrison their portion of the palazzo against the return of the Bardoni, for although Carlo’s head was on a pikestaff, no sign of Gepetto or Ornella’s could be found amongst the slain men strewn about the street. So we caught our breath awhile, and remembered our prisoners in the cage. The Frenchman turned out to be a Gascon called Gaston de Buch who was much irked to be questioned by one of the English – for we learned at last that Noli was from that far-off land, and he bore no staff but instead a bow longer than a man’s height.

The Gascon bargained for his life. He was the debt collector for the Bardoni, and knew their business. He knew where Gepetto kept two mistresses, and would show us these safe-houses in exchange for his life. For two florins more he would aid us by asking for entrance. Matteo agreed we should search these at once, if only to prove he must have fled to the House of Crows with Ornella.

The other prisoner, was Scolisi, who kept the Bardoni accounts. We let him go as a maimed scribbler seemed to be little threat or use to anyone. Once again, Providence had whispered in my ear and our mercy would be rewarded. But more of that later.

So Noli, Rocco, Astore and Lorenzo went with Father Arturo and I out into the Suburra after dark, guided by Gaston de Buch to the nearest safe house. The Gascon urged the guard to let him in, as he had urgent news for Gepetto. He was told to wait, and the grille in the door snapped shut. If he was going for orders, it could only mean Gepetto was within. ‘Open It’ I hissed to Lorenzo. The lock held fast against his muttering for a little while, but then gave way. We rushed inside as the Gascon slouched against the wall, a blithe turncoat. Through a little courtyard, then up the stairs. On the first floor a crossbow shot streaked through my armour to stick in the wall behind, before an axeman covered a doorway as he reloaded beyond. The axeman knew his business, and soon I had to retreat after taking two great blows to my shoulder. One more would send me to a sick-bed for sure, or maybe worse. Rocco pressed on past me with Noli, and they followed both guards up to the second floor for a final desperate struggle. Whilst Father Arturo patched up my shoulder, Rocco gave his all to overcome the axeman and stab the already wounded Gepetto before collapsing from his wounds. Then Noli took a dagger to Gepetto’s throat, and the crossbowman threw down.

So Gepetto was taken; his mistress wept as I tied his hands and put a bag over his head. We let the crossbowman run for his life and quickly looted the place. I gained a haubergeon which might have been made for me, and a second which did not fit, a fine dagger, and a large bunch of strongbox keys. Then we made up a stretcher for poor Rocco and set off for home. Just outside we found the crossbowman with his throat cut and no sign of the Gaston; one less witness of his turned coat. The rascal seems unencumbered by mercy, despite what had been shown to him; he might as well be a Frenchman. Doubtless he will have much to explain to St Peter when justice catches up with him. Father Arturo carried the two haubergeons I had looted, while the sturdy Lorenzo and I carried poor Rocco back to the House of Three Ways. Once again, Providence led us safely through the dark and quiet alleys of the Suburra. Maybe the streets had seen enough blood for one day.

The young Conti noble and Matteo congratulated us on taking Gepetto prisoner and condemned him to hang the next morning. I spoke a few words to him in case he wanted a priest for his confession or to aid us in dealing with the sorcerer Caltagirone who had brought ruin down on his House, but he wanted neither. Instead he tried to buy his life with talk of a secret cypher for the records of his Suburra debtors. For an Angel jostled my head as I reported his scribbler killed by the Gascon when we had let him go alive; worn out I got the names confused. Cola thought this very cunning on my part, so I held my tongue about my error and thanked Providence once more. It turned out for the best as Cola now agreed with Matteo and the young Conti that Gepetto should hang in the morning – while he quietly sent Truco out to hunt the scribbler Scolisi down. That night we had the strongbox keys safe while the Conti searched for them in vain and Cola pondered his next move. For those rent books might give him the power to become a Patron of the Suburra and grow his influence accordingly. Then I lay down on Ornella’s feather bed and slept like a dead man, for it had been a very long day of trial and hard knocks.

In the morning a Conti herald went outside and proclaimed that Gepetto Bardone would hang for his many crimes that very morning. A crowd gathered to watch him swing from the top floor of the gatehouse – some cheered and some cried out for their patron; scuffles broke out among the factions. Bardone refused a priest once more, shrugged off the hangman and jumped off the parapet cursing us all : a long drop with a sudden stop. The three allies will leave him hanging there to rot as a statement of authority over the Suburra. Doubtless the Bardoni brothers will have much to debate with the damned; I find it hard to believe they found a place waiting for them in Heaven.

So two down and two to go. The witch and the sorcerer still abide in the House of Crows, and we must deal with them next. But not today - today we took poor Rocco to the Convent of Santa Bibita, whose nuns we had just rescued, and he rests there in their hospital.

***********