Ricardo came just in time to see their gondola disappearing behind the corner. A servant told that the young mistress and her friends decided to take some fresh air.

Such a pity.

Alessandro, who came with his friend, frowned and tried to pretend that he didn`t care. Though he couldn`t help feeling a kind of regret of not meeting with senhorita Julia today. He did want to see her. And he didn`t.

Alessandro barely remembered Ricardo`s little sister. She didn`t come to Venetta too often. She was a naughty child, that was for sure. A funny little girl with lovely face and capricious voice.

But when he saw Julia at the quay, she captured his imagination at the very first sight. Those shining hazel eyes, sharp-cut eyebrows and stubborn chin – he kept seeing them every time people talk about the Granaccis and their chiamata girl.

She`s Enrique`s fiancée, he reminded himself.

But is it really?

Enrique was engaged to Julia. But that girl… who was she?

He walked along the terrace marked with the light and shadow stripes and stopped right near the stone shelter. A chain clanked and two green sparks lit in the depth of the gap. Paurozo showed its membranous paws, its ugly triangular face with slanted mouth full of stinking saliva.

Alessandro didn`t see it. he had another vision in front of his eyes, a face of a girl with gentle rosy cheeks, chestnut-brown curl and slightly mocking smile…

Could she be a sea monster with a face of an angel? He had heard a lot of those legends about creatures that turned into beautiful women to entrap some poor fellows and then eat their flesh. Do you really believe in that? Those are just fairy tales! she would say for sure. But back then, on the terrace, he could see her face twitch.

Someone touched his shoulder.

“You`d better keep off the pond,” Ricardo said. “That might be dangerous…”

Ugly face hid itself in the darkness. Alessandro`s shoulders shrugged.

“Terrible creature,” he said.

“Sure. Believe it or not, but it gives me creeps. And Julia – have you seen her? Such a gift, really… Well, she was always different. Even when she was a child. She could tame anything. And the nuns taught her well… But still, I was really shocked when I saw her near that ugly frog…”

“She changed a lot, don`t you think?”

There wasn`t anything special in that question, but with no reason at all it made Ricardo flare up.

“What do you mean? Watch your mouth, man.”

“Sorry, I didn`t mean to offend you or your sister. But I think you really should go to Terra dei Mirakolo.”

“To the convent? What for? You can go there yourself if that`s so important for you.”

He did. He spent a half of the day in vain in that miserable dirty place. He even swallowed two bowls of disgusting polenta just to make the innkeeper talk. The nuns didn`t allow him into the convent, no way. It was easier for a camel to get into an eye of a needle than for a man to get into that women`s kingdom. Luckily, he met an old beggar, who looked like a big walking pile of rags. She was as mad as a bedbug and she smelt funny too! But two soldi bought him a story which semed more or less true.

“A girl died. She went into that damned crypt – and that`s it! They only found a pair of sandals and her clothes there. They ate her. They always take what they want,” the witch mumbled and waddle away.

“They`ll be more polite to a brother of one of their best students,” Alessandro explained.

Ricardo shrugged nervously.

“Well, I can visit the old abbess. She was mother`s friend, as I remember. But I`m not sure that will make any difference to us.”

“To us.” Did that mean that he wasn`t the only one who suspected something? Who else – donna Assunta, maybe? Well, it wouldn`t hurt to talk to her as well, but the old woman fenced herself with heavy doors and countless excuses every time she heard Alessandro coming.

Why on earth did he behave as if he didn`t care a bit about Julia? Sometimes Ricardo`s calmness even made him think that “new” Julia, more compliant and easygoing, was more advantageous for her brother than that stubborn and proud Granacci girl.

By the way, now he remembered a story told by an old fisherman from Terra dei Mirakolo. After a couple of silver coins, the old man remembered helping a young fellow get on the island.

“He had a lover, you know. One of the new novices. Convent walls can`t hold you if you`re young and deep in love,” the fisherman said.

If what he said was true, then Julia must be…

He didn`t tell that story to Ricardo. Not yet. But one was for sure: the mysterious island still had a lot of secrets to deal with.