Scales of Gold - Dorothy Dunnett [37]
‘Nothing,’ Gregorio said. ‘Or the barest facts, which bring their own warning. Nicholas married the woman on Rhodes, and the annulment was effected on Cyprus.’
Father Godscalc looked surprised. ‘So fast? They have powerful lawyers on Cyprus.’
‘A King can usually get what he wants,’ Gregorio said.
‘Ah,’ said the priest. He was silent. Then he said, ‘But Zacco has not married the girl?’
‘Of course not,’ said Gregorio.
‘Ah, dear Lord,’ said the priest. He lifted his fist and struck a blow at the table that made Gregorio flinch. He said, ‘This is a wicked mess and, man of experience that I’ve made myself out to be, I do not know what to do about it. Tell me something. Does Nicholas know where Jordan de Ribérac is?’
Gregorio supposed he should answer. He said, ‘He knows where everyone is, by my guess. Diniz, Simon, his father. The van Borselen, even. Couriers pass all the time with that sort of news. I don’t know about the ship, though; or Crackbene.’
‘I see,’ said the priest, and sat a moment, gripping his knees. He looked up. ‘You’re a sensible man. What do you think we’ve got here? Is he hell-bent on revenge?’
‘Nicholas?’ Gregorio said. ‘He wants to be the richest man in the world, or so he says. Certainly, it’s a financial empire that he is building.’
‘What for? Palaces? Possessions? Country estates? Rare food and wine and costly women and the admiration of Bruges? Or if not, what? You don’t need money to kill.’
‘You do, to humiliate,’ Gregorio said. ‘And to protect yourself while you’re doing it. The spy whom Nicholas got rid of on Murano had been put on his track by the Vatachino. And the Vatachino, Julius thinks, are Genoese.’
‘Is that important?’ said the priest.
‘It could be, to Nicholas. You’ll notice that wherever they are, the Vatachino seem to strike at Venetian trade. Hence they and we are direct rivals. Nicholas advanced Venetian interests in Trebizond and in Cyprus. It was his work at Famagusta that starved the Genoese out of the city and gave Zacco the throne. Even his ship is a Genoese prize: it was the capture of the Adorno that forced the Genoese to surrender. If the Vatachino are Genoese, their first ambition must be to pay him out, one way or another.’
‘Whether they are Genoese or not,’ Godscalc said. ‘That is what I came to tell you. There is a man called Martin in Bruges who is one of their two prime officials. I saw him in Venice today.’
As soon as Nicholas returned, Gregorio, talking, followed him to his room. ‘Martin. A man of about forty, red-haired and built like a wrestler, with iron hooks in his mind. That’s Father Godscalc’s description. I’ve never heard of the man. All our dealings here have been with David de Salmeton.’
‘And mine,’ Nicholas said. ‘Also with iron hooks in his mind, but pretty. What else did Godscalc tell you?’
‘Martin doesn’t matter?’ Gregorio said.
‘I didn’t say that. I wondered if Godscalc wanted to say something particular about the Charetty company.’
‘He’s worried,’ said Gregorio. ‘Not for himself, of course, but about Tilde and Catherine. He said that, in any case, it was time Tilde got married, and to someone as rich as possible; except that the estate would have trouble producing a dowry. He was joking, of course.’
‘Of course,’ Nicholas said. Soaked with the heat of the city he had already pulled open his shirt and walked to the window. They were alone. He said, ‘Don’t you ever feel hot? No, you never go out. Does Cristoffels ever talk about the old days in Bruges?’
Gregorio looked at his back, which was immense. He said, ‘He liked it well enough.’ He added carefully, ‘He’s learned a lot since he came here.’
Nicholas turned. He said, ‘I’d better see Julius, and find out how they’re really placed. If it’s a temporary problem, then Cristoffels and Henninc might manage well enough on Tilde’s behalf, releasing Julius to use his talents elsewhere. You haven’t really had a chance to assess him?’
‘Julius?’ Gregorio said. He felt as if walking a path laid with snares. He said, ‘I’ve been in touch by letter