City of Swords by Mary Hoffman

like.’

    Professor Constantin the printer was startled by the sudden arrival of Matt in his private room off the Scriptorium. He hadn’t seen him for months.
    ‘Matteo!’ he said. ‘You nearly gave me a heart attack! But it’s wonderful to see you. Are you well?’
    Matt filled him in quickly on the current situation and asked if he could find Luciano for him.
    ‘Of course, though he’s not my most conscientious student,’ said the professor. ‘He should be in a class right now, but I can’t swear he’ll be there.’
    He told Matt where to find the Cavaliere in the University building and said he would see him back in the Scriptorium before sunset.
    Matt breathed deeply as he loped along Salt Street; it was a while since he had been in Padavia and he had not realised how much he had missed it. But he couldn’t stop to enjoy it; he was a man on a mission.
    He cannoned into a solid figure who did a classic double take.
    ‘Matteo!’ It was Cesare, Luciano and Georgia’s friend from Remora. He was studying in Padavia too. ‘What are you doing here?’
    ‘Hey, Cesare,’ said Matt, giving him a hug. ‘Bit complicated to explain. I’m looking for Luciano.’
    ‘Oh, we’re going to meet at the Fencing School,’ said Cesare. ‘I’ll take you there.’
    The two boys walked companionably to the school, where they met a tall curly-haired young man with a mask and a foil.
    ‘Luciano,’ called Cesare, ‘look who it is! Matteo needs your help.’
    The fencing practice was quickly abandoned and Luciano took them back to the house that Silvia used to live in. He fetched a hand-mirror from his bedroom and before long Rodolfo’s dark face appeared in the glass.
    Luciano! he thought-spoke. What has happened?
    Nothing here , replied Luciano. But we need to get a message to Fortezza, to Fabio.
    What is it?
    Can you tell him his Stravagante is not well? said Luciano. She is in hospital and won’t be back in Talia for a while.
    Is she going to be all right? asked Rodolfo. Is it because of her stravagations?
    I think so, and no , said Luciano. Only she didn’t stravagate last night, and Fabio might worry if she doesn’t come for a few days.
    He decided not to go into the notion that Laura might have given up stravagating for good; he had never met her and didn’t know how serious she might be about that. And he definitely didn’t want to have to explain self-harming to Rodolfo.
    Rodolfo turned away and Luciano could envisage him turning knobs and levers to ‘tune in’ to Fortezza.
    The three young men drank some wine together while they waited, brought by Alfredo, the old servant who had been in Rodolfo’s employ when Luciano first met him.
    ‘She’s a self-harmer, you say?’ Luciano asked Matt.
    Matt nodded over his pewter cup, remembering the taste of Bellezzan red. He was more of a beer drinker himself.
    ‘Seems like it,’ he said.
    ‘I don’t understand,’ said Cesare. ‘She cuts herself? Why?’
    Matt realised that this must be a phenomenon unknown in Talia. And it was hard to explain to someone who had no experience of the idea.
    ‘There are enough people trying to harm others in Talia, without doing any damage to yourself,’ said Cesare.
    At that moment, Rodolfo’s face swam back into view.
    I forgot to send greetings to Matteo , he said. Thank him for bringing the news. But things are bad in Fortezza as it is. Fabio tells me that Ludo is challenging Lucia for the crown. And half the army has gone over to his side.

 
    Chapter 7
    Family Loyalty
     
     
     
     
    The di Chimici family, being without benefit of a communication system like Rodolfo’s mirrors, took longer to hear the news. And when it came, it produced a variety of reactions.
    Fabrizio’s, predictably, was rage.
    ‘He has taken my cousin hostage? How dare he?’
    The messenger, who had barely escaped Fortezza with his own life, was afraid that he had ridden full pelt into almost as great danger. The Grand Duke was puce with