The Family - Mario Puzo [77]
All of the members dreaded the prospect of what they would discover, about both Florence and themselves. For though they were often impressed by this young man’s ability to present an argument, they were also concerned by the degree of concentration they must maintain in order to fully understand his presentation. They could not rest their eyes for a moment.
Machiavelli was slightly built; he looked even younger than his twenty-five years. Now, with his body dramatically wrapped in a long black cloak, he paced up and down in front of them as he spoke. “All of Rome believes that it was Cesare Borgia who murdered his own brother. But I do not. The Pope himself may believe it, but still I disagree. Certainly Cesare Borgia had a motive, and we all know the relationship between the brothers was at the very least strained. It is said they nearly fought a duel on the night of the murder. But still I say no.”
The president waved his withered hand impatiently. “I don’t care a Tuscan fig what Rome thinks, young man. In Florence we make up our own minds. You were sent to assess the situation, not to bring back gossip that could be heard on any Roman street.”
Machiavelli remained unflustered by the president’s attack. With a sly smile, he continued. “I do not believe Cesare Borgia killed his brother, Excellency. There are many others who had strong motives. The Orsini, for one, who are still bitter over the death of Virginio and the attack on their fortresses. Giovanni Sforza, due to the divorce proceedings over the Pope’s daughter, Lucrezia.”
“Hurry, young man,” the president said. “Or I shall die of advanced age before you finish your presentation.”
Machiavelli didn’t flinch. He spoke passionately, though he had been interrupted. “There is the duke of Urbino, Guido Feltra, who was imprisoned in the dungeons of the Orsini due to the captain general’s incompetence—and left there for months, for due to his greed, Juan Borgia would not pay the ransom. And let us not overlook the Spanish commander de Córdoba, who was robbed of both the money and the glory of the conquest of the Orsini. But perhaps more than any other, there is the Count Mirandella. His fourteen-year-old daughter was seduced and used by Juan, who immediately afterward boasted of it to the crowds in the public square. You can understand a father’s shame. And it is his palace that is just opposite the site on the Tiber where Juan Borgia was thrown into the river.”
The president began to doze, and Machiavelli raised his voice to seize his attention. “But there are still more enemies . . . Cardinal Ascanio Sforza could have done it, for his majordomo was slain just the week before. And let us not overlook—the man whose wife he had seduced . . . ” He stopped in a well-choreographed pause, then continued in a voice one had to strain to hear: “His younger brother, Jofre . . . ”
“Enough, enough,” the president said, annoyed. Then, with a clarity remarkable for his age, he argued, “We are concerned only about the threat to Florence from Rome. Juan Borgia, the captain general of the papal army, has been murdered. There is the question of who has murdered him. Some say his brother, Cesare, may be guilty. It is reasonable to assume that if Cesare Borgia is guilty, Florence is in danger. For if this is the truth, he is a patriot filled with ambition, and it follows that he will one day attempt to claim Florence as his own. To put it simply, young man, what we find necessary to know is the answer to the question, ‘Did Cesare Borgia murder his brother?’ ”
Machiavelli shook his head. Then, in a voice both impassioned and sincere, he argued, “I do not believe he is guilty, Your Excellency. And I will state my reasons. The evidence shows that Juan Borgia was stabbed nine times. . . . in the back. That is not the style of Cesare Borgia. He is a warrior, and a strong one, who requires only one thrust to an