To Lie with Lions - Dorothy Dunnett [333]
Gelis had a grasp, now, of the purpose of this expedition to Augsburg in the vale of the Danube, where the Emperor and his princes conferred. Here, if anywhere, rumours and news could be gleaned. She would have liked to learn more, but attempts to discuss it with Nicholas failed. Eventually, roused to impatience, she professed an enquiry to which he was bound to respond. Now they had met ahead of time, had he considered advancing the end of the contest?
They had just passed through the Tyrol, and he was impatient because they had failed to meet either Duke Sigismond or the Duchess. Anything that annoyed Nicholas always gave pleasure to Gelis, whether she understood it or not. Unwisely, she showed it.
He said, ‘Our resolution? I hadn’t planned to advance it. Well, especially not after this terrible reverse over the Duke. Did you have a proposal?’
‘No. Were you expecting one? I hear the lady Violante was in Nicosia.’
‘You are speaking of an elective bid, rather than a proposal.’
‘Which you accepted.’ She kept indignation out of her voice.
‘It would have been impolite to refuse,’ Nicholas said.
‘So you suffered it. Noblesse oblige.’
‘I try to give humble satisfaction. A fervent fighter and untiring soldier of Christ. Although I have been known to charge tronage fees,’ Nicholas said. ‘One way or another. Here is Jodi.’
‘So I see,’ Gelis said. ‘What a teacher your son is going to have in you one day.’
She had fired her dart, and he had replied, as in Venice. She had achieved nothing.
At Augsburg, they were met at the gates.
‘God’s toe-nail,’ said Julius, when he had greeted Gelis and Tobie. ‘It’s like the Flight from Egypt. I never expected to see Nicholas de Fleury hanging with napkins and nursemaids and children.’
‘You missed the cartload of whores,’ Nicholas said. They went in by the Ulm gate. ‘And what about you? Whoever thought to see Julius with a wife? How is your extremely beautiful, extremely brave lady?’ He shook the hand of his agent and they all began to move through the port.
‘You want me to say, sick of a morning. Well, she isn’t. Time enough for all that. She’s staying with friends. And my God, what good news from Cyprus! Venice with the whip hand at last! Now the Bank will get its chance!’
Nicholas said, ‘You should have stayed on Rhodes and joined in the rejoicing.’
‘I know, but I’d done all I could. The Patriarch, too. I have to tell you about that.’
‘I heard it from Gregorio, or most of it. The Order insists it hasn’t stolen our gold; the ship they attacked was a pirate; if we want to prove the gold ours we have to produce witnesses, bills of lading, hard evidence. We shall, when there’s time. I didn’t think you’d be here. I thought you would have left after the Emperor.’
In present company, Julius seldom bothered with tact. He said, ‘I stayed to tell you what to do. You’ve to go to Luxembourg.’
‘Really?’ said Nicholas.
‘Yes, really. Take your objections to the Duke, but not in that tone, I’d suggest. He’s in Luxembourg. He wants you. He and the Emperor are going to meet. Charles thinks he’s going to be crowned this autumn at last. Think of the festivities! Everyone will be there!’
‘Where?’
‘They haven’t decided yet,’ said Julius, happily.
It was a very long road to their lodging. Nicholas rode smiling, because they were drawing attention. He said, ‘The festivities. They want us to advance them more money?’
‘Oh, that too,’ Julius said. ‘But they also want practical help.’
‘Practical help,’ Nicholas repeated. His mind ran over the areas of contention in Europe, all the way from Denmark in the north, to lucky Cyprus under the Venetian whip. He said, ‘What kind of practical help?’
‘The Duke’s heard of your Play,’ Julius said. ‘He wrote to Scotland, and asked if he could