Niccolo Rising - Dorothy Dunnett [273]
Tobie’s eyes, returning the look, were round and pale with a nasty black dot in the middle: the kind you saw if you were a weasel with a goshawk coming for you. Tobie said, “What’s all this about Jaak de Fleury?”
“He’s dead,” said Nicholas. “What’s all this about Astorre and a new contract?”
He got his answer, but didn’t really go on to force Tobie to talk about business, when there were much more interesting things to discuss. Nicholas himself sat listening, as usual these days, instead of saying very much. But, immersed in a bath of news and gossip, Julius sat chatting with the other two straight through the noon break, stopping only for visitors. People called at the house all the time to offer sympathy to Felix’s mother. And after they’d seen Felix’s mother, they walked through all the time to open the office door and speak to Felix’s friends.
They’d already had visits from Sersanders and John Bonkle and Colard Mansion (to ask about Godscalc) and even Tommaso Portinari, who had hardly been in Felix’s circle but who seemed to be experiencing an unwilling compulsion to cultivate Nicholas. He’d asked Nicholas all about the joust and the battle at San Fabiano, and Nicholas had told him.
The friends of Felix, Julius noticed, didn’t seem to blame Nicholas for what had happened, but were privately very keen to hear all about the fighting. Having been told so often, Nicholas’ account had acquired a rather truncated form, but Julius was able to add to it. He had also a lot of very good stories about Sarno. He found it all rather stimulating and was a little ashamed. But after all, the dead shouldn’t be forgotten. One should talk about them.
He did, to Lorenzo Strozzi, who called just after Tobie had arrived. Lorenzo wanted news of his brother in Naples, and to be reassured that King Ferrante would stay on his throne and the Strozzi business would be safe. Julius, as an equally anxious depositor, gave Lorenzo what tidings he could, but few reassurances. Lorenzo then began to talk about the meanness of the Strozzi in Bruges, and how the expanding Charetty company must be looking for bright young factors. When no one followed up this line of conversation, he reverted to talking about Felix. Nicholas told him about the battle. Lorenzo began, at last, to take his leave. At the door he said, looking at Nicholas, “I owe you something for getting that bird back.”
For a moment, Nicholas looked entirely blank. Then he said, “The ostrich? Where is it?”
On Lorenzo’s gloomy face there spread a rare grin. “Tommaso has it,” he said. “They fed it on shellfish in Brittany. It arrived in a very poor state, and he’s trying to get it well enough to cross the Alps before winter. I got paid for it.”
“Good,” said Nicholas.
“Is that all?” said Julius as the door closed. “According to Loppe, Felix told him some story …”
“Yes, I know. Let Tobie finish what he was saying first.”
So Tobie resumed his discourse, but was still in the middle when they all had to get up because the door had opened on Giovanni Arnolfini, the Lucca silk merchant, who had brought some black velvet for the demoiselle. A gift from the most serene and excellent Dauphin to console the sorrowing mother for the loss of her gallant young son.
They talked about Felix, and Nicholas explained about the battle. After Arnolfini had gone, Tobie looked at Nicholas and said, “Why don’t you lock that God-forsaken door?”
Gregorio said, “Because the work bell’s just going to sound, and we rather want all the clerks to get in. I haven’t had any food yet. Shall we take Meester Tobias and see what we can find? If the demoiselle can be persuaded to excuse us all?”
Nicholas said, “You three go. I’ll tell her. I’ll see you all later,” and got up and left. And Tobie and Gregorio, who didn’t know each other, exchanged glances again.
In the tavern, they had the room to themselves because they were late. It was an inn Julius had known for a long time, and he got them to spread the board with food in the doctor’s honour, and add as much good Rhenish wine as he could drink. Though