at the eastern shore of the Polybian Peninsula

The weather was most suitable for sailing. Our felucca was going really fast and I was looking forward to seeing the familiar bright splashes of Venettian houses, which looked like a mirage floating between the sea and the sky. Besides, I couldn’t wait to get rid of signor Alonzo. I didn’t like his ostentatious good nature. And he made a strange impact on Manriolo too.

My friend seemed to have already wandered around Venetta in his thoughts. Obviously, all the dangers we’d been though had been erased from his memory and the city itself looked a place of great adventures and endless opportunities. So Manriolo was chatting non-stop and boasting of his past glories (shamelessly lying to make them sound more impressive). And what was worse, he looked at me as if I were a nuisance to him! A whole year of living together came to waste as soon as the charming captain appeared…

I tried to ignore Manriolo’s sudden change, but it wasn’t easy. On a small boat like ours it was quite difficult to keep away from each other. However, as guests of the captain, we were given a tiny cabin on the stern. Not even a cabin ─ a tiny cubbyhole enclosed by a rough, oiled cloth, so tight that if you spread your arms you could touch both bulkheads. We left our things there and decided that it would be more pleasant to spend more time on deck. Manriolo helped (or rather hindered) the sailors, trying to impress them. And I ─ I just whiled away the hours, watching the waves. As we neared the shore, our ship was attacked by flocks of vociferous gulls, to Pulcino’s delight. Sometimes he flew away with his fellows, but always returned in the evening.

The felucca made another maneuver, heading north, and the shadow of the swollen sails covered my face. The sea around me glittered with silver and green. As I leaned over the side, I suddenly saw a ridge of water rise behind me. Some big fish was catching up with our ship!

I sighed with relief when Manriolo clapped his hands, and a big shadow shot out of the water, its wet gray sides and sparkling splash flashing in the sunlight. It was Grigio, a sea horse, that had been tamed by Manriolo long ago.

What a bad time to show off, I thought to myself and gave Manriolo a scornful look.

The sailors shouted with delight, encouraging him for new tricks. Obedient to his master’s orders, valluco overtook the ship, then went around in a circle, then again soared high above the water. The captain was laughing along with the others, but I could see an unpleasant tenacity in his narrowed eyes.

I was afraid that Manriolo could reveal my secret too. Once in Perna I opened up and told him about Karita. Last spring in Venetta some people decided to test my chiamata skills and sent me a gift ─ a sea monster, with the secret hope that it would kill me immediately. However, Karita and I managed to get along, and even more than that. That was her who protected me from an assassin. I really didn’t want this story to reach signor Alonzo’s ears. Sometimes other people’s curiosity costs too much.

I waited until the sailors went back to work and took Manriolo aside.

"What are you doing? Do you think chiamata is just for fun? Do you think you can play with it? You can’t stay in mental contact with Grigio for so long, it’s dangerous! And not just for you, but for him, too! I told you thousand times already!"

Alas, my words were just lost in the air again. Manriolo, who was completely drunk on his success and popularity, only shrugged his shoulders:

"Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. And Grigio doesn’t mind at all. I feel him much better now thanks to you!" and he patted my shoulder as if we were having a nice conversation.

I was a terrible teacher if my lessons made Manriolo think he could risk valluco’s life for the honor to buffoon in front of the crew! But it was impossible to convince him, so all I had to do is sigh and let go of his sleeve.

"All right, do whatever you want. Maybe for you it’s better to talk to Grigio more often. Maybe he can teach you some manners!"

I had to lower my voice because one of the sailors was just coming our way, unwinding a coil of rope. Maniolo suddenly put his arm around my waist:

"Guess what? My dearie refuses to listen to me!" he winked at the sailor, with a frivolous smile. That obscenity took my breath away. In Perna Manriolo never behaved like that! Obviously, he wants to show off in front of the team. Make himself look like a lovelace who could easily seduce any stupid girl around him!

I pushed him away and went into the cabin, livid with wrath. Such a pity it was separated from the deck only by a canvas curtain, which couldn’t be slammed angrily behind!

After the bright sunlight the room seemed completely dark. I hit my knee on the corner of the couch, which didn’t help my mood either. It was so crowded that we bumped into something every time. But right now I’d rather sit in the heat than be the butt of stupid sailor jokes! There were chuckles from the deck. Manriolo must have been telling something about me. To Horror with him!

I brushed some things off the bed and sat down, frowning, propping my cheek on my hand. This is how Pulcino found me when he returned in the evening. Against all my expectations, his reaction was quite lenient:

"It’s just that he wants to settle himself in a new place, and on a ship where everyone has their own place, it’s not so easy! For signor Alonzo’s boys, he’s just a loser. A penniless exile stranded in a fishing village."

"So he’s humiliating me because he wants to smooth over his own humiliation? It doesn’t make me feel any better, you know! "

"In two or three days, everyone will get used to it, and you won’t have to sit here like an owl in a hollow tree anymore!" Pulcino chuckled.

"You don’t say…" I grumbled.

Though I gave Manriolo a reprimand he fully deserved, I still felt anxious. It came to me that Pulcino’s remarks were surprisingly accurate. In fact, I could even say that over the years of our relationship, he had learned to think almost like a human. I hadn’t thought much of it before, but now I wondered what I was turning him into. Our friendship, as natural as breathing – where could it lead us?!

Later, taking advantage of the darkness, I went on deck to get some fresh air. Felucca was rocking slightly on the oily-dark waves. The sunset was fading in the western sky, dirty-pink, like fish gills. The crew were sitting around a pot of bean stew. The air smelled of corned beef, rough jokes, sweat and that special peace that comes when people feel that they have worked well and now can enjoy their rest. Manriolo was there too. I could still hear their chuckles and snatches of conversation, but now I tried to ignore them, absorbing the muted murmur of the waves, the smell of tar and salt, the creaking of the rigging and other mysterious sounds of the night… Finally, I felt that I was just a small dot, moving towards the invisible horizon. I concentrated and tried to call out Grigio but got no answer. The sea was still and serene, except for a flock of dorados that darted away from my call. I thought that valluco must have been really exhausted because of all the tricks. Manriolo was so selfish! I’d serve him right, if Grigio wanted to leave for good!

***

On the third day a fresh head wind suddenly blew, so that we had to row part of the way. In the evening all the sailors were as tired as a worn-out shoe, even Manriolo finally stopped fooling around and went quiet.

"We’ll be landing early today!" Signor Alonzo ordered. "We’re in no hurry."

The captain was right. I knew from the sailors ‘ stories how treacherous the wind could be. If you miss the moment, the tide will throw you right on the rocks in the dark!

Picene was just coming into view, a bustling coastal town with red-tiled roofs, black needles of cypress, and a traditional castle on a hill. The thick squat towers at the corners of the ramparts seemed to sag under the weight of the clouds. There were two large ships in the harbor roadstead, one of which, judged by its rounded hull and tall superstructures on the fore and aft, was easily recognized as a Venettian merchant ship. My heart skipped a beat. I thought the captain must for sure know Ricardo Granacci... or maybe Alessandro.

The dirty port messy and noise. Signor Alonzo slapped a local official on the shoulder and started asking about the parking lot and a decent tavern. From time to time they both glanced in the direction of the Venettian caracca. It seemed that the ship aroused more than just my curiosity.

"Want to try?" someone said right into my ear.

Startled, I looked around. Manriolo was standing next to me, holding out a handful of olives covered in grape leaves.

"Let’s have a walk," he suggested. "Signor Alonzo would settle the rest. We’re not moving out of here until tomorrow anyway."

Judging by the olives and the peaceful tone, he was hoping to make friends with me again. We hadn’t made up since last night. Manriolo had to spend the night on deck with the other men, and I lay awake all night, listening to the tired creaking of the bulkheads and the steady lapping of the waves.

The farther we got from the port, the quieter it became. On the jetty there stood fishing huts on stilts, like fascinated sentinels watching the sea. The wind, which had so inconveniently delayed us on the way, ruffled the nets stretched out to dry.

The olives had a strong, salty taste, but it didn’t soften my mood a bit.

"I don’t like you making a fool of me in front of Alonzo Carignano’s people," I said bluntly. "I am neither your wife nor your betrothed!"

"Your words break my heart," Manriolo said with a deliberate sigh, but as he caught my angry gaze, he became really serious. "Well. If you were my fiancée, everything would be much easier. You know what the sailors are like ─ some of them are not averse to taking advantage of the circumstances. Giovanni, or Barril, for example. They’d almost played you at dice in the last parking lot! The captain stopped them just in time. If donna Julia ever finds out about this, she’ll rip my head off and feed it to the morays! I’d rather make these fools think you’re with me…"

My cheeks flushed. I had never encountered such rudeness before. There were, of course, no men in the convent on Terra dei Miracolo, except for an old guard Vannozzi, who had been dozing off all day in a booth at the gate. But Vannozzi was so old that the question of his gender could be considered irrelevant. He seemed of the same age as the convent walls. After that, in Venetta, I lived under the protection of Ricardo and donna Assunta, who watched my every step. In Perna the fishermen were too afraid of my talents to take liberties. "God forbid you insult the sea witch – then you’ll be slurping empty cabbage soup for a whole month!" they probably thought when I was passing by. I was safe then. And what about now?

The world wasn’t very friendly to single women like me. When we get to Venetta, who can I turn to for protection? Julia was the one who could probably help me, but her brother… I tricked Ricardo last spring by pretending to be his sister and I wasn’t sure he’d let me get away with it so easily. In fact, he could send me to jail: for an ordinary girl to call herself a patrician was a crime, no matter how noble my motives were! And since Julia’s husband was away, there would be no one to stand up for me. Except for Alessandro... but I forbade myself even to dream of him. He must feel really disappointed, or even disgusted. Because of me he’d been through a terrible nightmare. Would he be happy to see me again? I really didn’t know.

Manriolo, in the meanwhile, continued to apologize. I realized that I had missed his last words.

"That’s all right, forget it."

I wasn’t in the mood to fight anymore. After all, did it really matter what signor Alonzo and his men thought about me? In a day or two we would part and never see each other again. At least that was what I thought...

We turned back to the port and went along the bustling streets of Picene. The local tavern was really busy. Manriolo wriggled into the crowd at the bar to find the owner, and I stepped aside to let a panting delivery woman pass with a heavy tray. At a separate long table I saw captain Alonzo surrounded by some noble-looking signors. Was that the captain of that Venettian caracca sitting across? The elderly, white-haired signor looked very much like a Venettian judging by his solid, low-key clothing and energetic manner of speech. His companions were wearing simpler clothes and kept silent. His guards, perhaps? Signor Alonzo, as always, chatted for the three of them: he smiled and constantly called the peddlers to get roast goat meat, ham, or a new jug of wine. They all seemed to be having a great time.

"I think I’ll join them to find out the news," Manriolo said and gave me the key. "You can go upstairs if you want. The place is packed, but I managed to bargain for one room. At least today we will sleep like normal people, in normal beds! God knows I’m tired of folding myself up like a knife to fit into that trunk that signor Alonzo proudly calls a cabin! And I’m tired of falling asleep on deck with Barril snoring! This guy roars in his sleep as if he thinks he’s a bear!"

I laughed, took the key, and went upstairs. I really wanted to hear the news from Venetta, too, but in the light of our last conversation, it would be the height of folly to ask for the company of tipsy gentlemen. Then I’ll have no end of problems, even if Manriolo swore with his life that I was his wife by law! So I resigned myself and went to get ready for bed.

The room with low, dark beams seemed a peaceful and quiet haven. From below, I could hear distant splashes of voices and the clink of dishes. The bed looked comfortable enough, and there was water in the washstand. What else did a tired traveler need? Manriolo even brought a bale of hay for himself. How prudent!

I chuckled and opened the window. Somewhere in the distance, the dogs were barking. The slimy fishy smell filled my nostrils and made me think of Perna for a moment. It was just as quiet here. Political storms that raged in Venetta, Fieska, Mediolanum and Atturo didn’t touch this small town. Places like Picene attracted people who preferred to be spectators rather than participate in the of events themselves. An ideal place for me, I thought to myself and got into the lavender-scented bed. Let’s forget about the worries at least for one night...

Although I was very tired, I didn’t fall asleep immediately. I guessed I was used to the lulling rocking and the creaking song of felucca. And it was too stifling in the room, the customers’ voices humming below. Eventually, they faded and the silence fell.

I was about to doze off when suddenly someone screamed and that terrible sound pulled me mercilessly out of my sleep. I jumped up and sat in my bed. My ears were still ringing and the white square of the window stood out in the middle of the darkness like a portal. It took me a while to figure out where I was. My head was spinning and my temples were pounding with pain.

Something happened while I was sleeping. Something bad. But not here. Something was wrong with the sea.