Council.
capisce: you understand
capisco: I understand
capiscono: they understand
capite: you (plural) understand
casa: grand house owned by a member of the aristocracy
Castana: means ‘chestnut’; is the name of Cristoforos’ horse
cavola: literally ‘cabbage’, but also slang for ‘bitch’
certo: certainly; sure
ci vediamo: till we see each other again (pronounced che)
colleganza: a short-term business partnership
Commedia dell’arte: term for a particular type of theatre with distinct characters that relied on humour (usually satire and irony as well as slapstick) to tell the story
Council of Ten: elected nobiles who advise the Doge on matters of governance and security. They have extraordinary powers of veto and often work without the Doge’s knowledge to protect the interests of Serenissima.
Doge: elected ruler of Serenissima
dorata: golden (feminine)
dorato: golden (masculine)
dottore: doctor
esattamente: exactly
esatto: exactly
Estrattore: someone who has the ability to extract specific emotions and feelings from a person, animal or object and alter and transfer this emotion/feeling, positive or negative and distill these in different ways
Factotum: general servant or person who fulfils many functions in a household – mostly, administrative
felze: small passenger compartment on a gondola
fondamenta: paved path that runs beside the canal
forcola: the oarlock on a gondola
fortuna: fortune, chance, good luck
grazie: thank you
grazie mille: thank you very much (literally: thank you a thousand times)
homicidi: murder, homicide
insegnante: teacher
Limen, the: a peculiar space that divides countries and, according to legends, worlds. Within this space, time stands still. Only Bond Riders and their horses or those who have partial or no souls can dwell in these parts.
maestro della casa: literally, master of the house; a Major Domo
maragona: see ‘bells of Serenissima’
mercato: the market
Morto Assiderato: a plague, literally means ‘frozen to death’
Mortians: wraith-like beings whose specific origins are unknown but who currently have an allegiance with the Queen of Farrowfare, Zaralina. They are able to breach the Limen and can move mostly undetected. It is also believed that they have formed a treaty with a Bond Rider faction to enable them to navigate the Limen more readily. Also known as Morte Whisperers.
naturalmente: naturally
nobile: noble; aristocrat
non è possible: it’s not possible
nona: see ‘bells of Serenissima’
nonno/a: grandfather or grandmother
ombretta: small glass of wine
paean: song or poem of joyful praise or exultation
palazzo: palace
paline: red-and-white striped poles in the canals to which personal watercraft are tied
piano nobile: main floor of a palazzo or casa
pianterreno: ground floor of a palazzo or casa
piazza: main central plaza in Serenissima – the Doge’s palazzo and the Cardinale’s basilica face onto the piazza
piazzetta: small square for markets or concerts, often linked to other parts of the quartiere by bridges and calles. Casas, businesses and local basilicas usually line piazzettas.
pledge stones: name given to the strange monoliths that absorb the souls of Bond Riders. Each is named after a major Serenissian nobile’s house or casa.
ponte: bridge
Ponticello di Mille Pietre: Bridge of a Thousand Stones
portego: main room in some casas
porteghi: a covered walkway generally formed when houses meet or through deliberate design
puttana: bitch or whore
quartiere: a district; plural is quartieri. In Serenissima, quartieri are named after the major profession or trade of the area.
ragazza: adolescent girl
ragazzo: adolescent boy
rami: very small, often dead-end, alleyways
Redentore: the Redeemer
salizzada: main street; means ‘paved’
scion: a descendent (of a notable family); a son or daughter
scuola: school or trade group. In Serenissima, scuola are non-religious establishments based in areas where master craftsmen live. The group decides on tithes, training and the general rules by which craftsmen and women should live.
senta: literally, ‘listen’; a common way to start a conversation
La Serenissima: republic formed by a group of islands nestled in the lagoon area of the Mariniquian Seas and surrounding mainland areas, between the Jinoa and Vyzantian pensinulas
Serenissimina: a conquered island off the coast of Hibernya. Forms part of an important trade route between Moroko, Hibernya and Serenissima. Literally ‘little Serenissima’.
sestieri: the six major areas of Serenissima, which are then broken up into quartieri named for the dominant craft in each area
signor: mister, sir
signori: gentleman; lords
Signori di Notte: Lords of the Night. A band of elite soldiers/police who answer usually to the capi (three heads) of the Council of Ten, but also, in Serenissima, to the Cardinale.
Signorina: unmarried woman
sottoporteghi: passageways through the city; tunnels formed when buildings meet over open spaces
squero: boatyard
stazione: jetty where passengers wait for sandolis or traghettos, also known as fermata
ti amo: I love you
traghetto: a gondola ferry
vero: it’s true
vi amo: I love you (plural)
Zia: Aunt
Zio: Uncle
THIS NOVEL HAS BEEN A LABOUR of love and I’ve so many people I wish to thank. I fear I’ll be a little sentimental, but when you read why, I hope you’ll forgive me that indulgence.
When I wrote