Caprice and Rondo - Dorothy Dunnett [128]
He did not leave the city at all for some time, being closeted obsequiously with the consul in pursuit of Anna’s affairs, or attending Anna herself at the desks of her agent and lawyers. The German Contessa had her own house by then. Tartar and Circassian servants were common: every house had its Fatma. The identity of the Contessa’s Mameluke steward had never been questioned, although Sinbaldo, knowing Straube, had to be told. He appeared to be impressed by the stratagem, but Nicholas, when he wished to send letters, preferred to use other carriers.
The Russians, heavily penalised, had been freed, and were allowed to drag their aching bodies back to their quarter, but forbidden to leave until the dispute was settled. Since then, by amazing coincidence, Nicholas had bumped into their leader, Dymitr, at the fish-market, and after a single tense moment, had abruptly made a remark which resulted, presently, in the two men leaving the market together.
Returning, Nicholas reported to Anna.
‘Father Ludovico said you’d do that,’ she said, viewing him. Although he had left his baskets in the care of the cook, an odour of fish clung to his clothes and would adhere, no doubt, to the plain plaster walls and timber ceilings of the house the Patriarch had borrowed for her, and for which she could not pay. She had also made him take off his slippers. His feet, muscular, clean and well-shaped, were not the offence they might have been in Cologne, for example. Men with bare feet were professionally used to tread grapes, or press caviare into the barrel. Nicholas said that for caviare, they got very small men, with dimpled toes.
He had been increasingly cheerful since they settled in Caffa. He was cheerful now, smiling at her above the black rim of beard and sporting a sashed tunic dripping with shellfish. He looked, in a terrible way, like the Patriarch. ‘I’ve just spent an hour with the Russians. Petru included.’
She was still taken aback, despite the Patriarch’s surmise. ‘They might have killed you, or held you to ransom.’ She paused. ‘They didn’t. They fed you with oysters. You promised to help them against me.’
‘Of course,’ Nicholas said. ‘Even Petru remembered what a heartless mistress you were, although they understand I have to stay for the wages. It doesn’t immediately help, because they don’t have any money, and it may not come even after they’ve sent for it. But I get all the gossip. And anyone with a good intelligence service can make money in trade, if they’re quick.’
‘Can you make me rich by next week?’ Anna said.
‘No,’ said Nicholas. ‘But I still have some of the money Zeno gave me.’ A ripple of joy crossed his face. ‘D’you know Zeno auctioned off his own Venetian clerk to square his debts and free himself to go home? Martin. He’s scrubbing latrines in the Armenian monastery. Zeno told him he’d get him a pension provided he swears he volunteered to be sold. They won’t put up with Venetian envoys. Two others came through in June and had to hide in the church. It’s a threat, see, to the deals that the Genoese and the Russians are possibly doing with the Golden Horde and the Crim Tartars and Poland. And Hungary. And Uzum Hasan.’
‘You love this,’ said Anna, astonished.
Below the trousers, his naked feet were crossed in