The Unicorn Hunt - Dorothy Dunnett [345]
The six he wanted were there: Gregorio and Julius, Tobie and John, Cristoffels and Father Moriz. Margot had come with Gregorio, but was off on some woman’s business. Diniz had been left to manage Bruges, but had given his willing consent to the investment of the gold that should have been his. One supposed that investment was the word.
And Astorre, of course, had been forbidden to leave the Duke’s camp, which was perfectly sensible. He would have sent him back himself, had he come.
He had summoned no one from Scotland but had had notified Antonio Cavalli in the Tyrol who had set out at once, he was told. Naturally. Cavalli was a Venetian: the Palazzo Cavalli was not all that far from the Banco di Niccolò. Or he might lodge at the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. That was close to where the Scots usually stayed.
Nicholas knew, from those who were watching Adorne, that the Baron was travelling north with his son and his niece. Why the girl was coming he could not imagine, unless van de Walle and Reyphin, both continuing home, had been considered inadequate chaperones.
Adorne could not, of course, hurry home without getting mixed up in politics. And Duke Charles would not now be much interested in his reports, although the merchants of Bruges certainly would. As for King James – the other King James – he would have to whistle, one supposed, for his Book.
Well, men whistled. Nicholas called his six executives together and informed them of his reading of what the Bank would be asked for and what they could provide as part of a strategic plan against the Grand Turk. He heard their comments. He asked Julius to give his interpretation of the Signoria’s thinking; and then added his own estimate of what the Turcoman and Karaman rulers, the Knights of Rhodes, the Mameluke Sultan and the King of Cyprus (bien plaintive de tous biens) could offer, and the degrees in which they could be helped. He then set all that against the Bank’s other business and resources and passed round some fresh calculations. He did not talk of the war in the West. Their minds on the East, no one queried it.
Gregorio said, ‘You anticipate difficulty with the Knights of Rhodes. With Genoese interests.’
‘Anselm Adorne is on his way,’ Nicholas said. ‘The Knights went so far as to exclude him from their discussions on Rhodes, but I suspect he guesses they are coming to Venice: even that this time he might catch Uzum’s envoys. I fancy he also realises that if we help Uzum Hasan overrun these particular Ottoman lands, Venice will end up with all the former Genoese alum and perhaps even the mastic. As well as all the usual trade in silk and jewels and scents and rhubarb roots and beautiful women.’
‘You mean that we shall,’ said Julius.
‘If we choose to favour Persia, yes,’ Nicholas said.
‘And the Genoese?’ Gregorio persisted.
‘They have a base on the Black Sea called Caffa,’ Nicholas said. ‘Ludovico da Bologna has just gone there. He may get back in time to explain, with diagrams, how Caffa deserves to be protected. It won’t help Adorne or the Vatachino, but it will placate the Genoese among the Knights and even in Genoa. So when are the Persian envoys due to arrive?’
‘We think in eight days,’ Julius said. ‘The Knights sent them in a squadron of galleys from Rhodes. The word is that they should come by next Thursday, take a day or so to recover, receive some attention, and then meet ourselves and the Senate on the Monday before Lent begins. So we have to know what we’re doing before then.’
‘It shouldn’t be impossible,’ Nicholas said. ‘I grant you we have a lot of ground to cover. And as we cover it, it might be as well to start some quiet talks with some of the Senators. Julius, Cefo? You know which ones, and when I should see them. It would be nice to meet the Knights and the Persians with something already understood. Gregorio?’
‘It would be sensible,’ Gregorio said.
‘I thought you were sleeping,’ said Nicholas. ‘Perhaps it has gone