they will awards me medal?’ the Russ said dryly.
Pedro locked eyes with his godfather across the empty Speaker’s Circle. Fabbro broke away first. The purse was handed round the chamber. Each man had a black and a white pebble. When it came back to Fabbro he added his white pebble and tipped out the contents into a silver tray. Two black pebbles in a mound of white.
‘Captain Yuri, the Signoria thanks you for your services,’ Fabbro said. ‘You are dismissed. I hereby appoint Lord Geta Podesta of Rasenna, with all attendant privileges and powers. May the Madonna’s cloak shield him.’
The door opened, and Geta strode in, going straight towards Yuri. The Russ had seen his fate coming, but still he was slightly dazed. He stood to attention, handed Geta the baton and marched out with dignity, followed by Uggeri.
Pedro watched Geta as he hefted the baton in his fist. ‘Signori, I’m honoured. I consider this a homecoming. In Rasenna I learned the art of war. My first lesson wasn’t demonstrated by my workshop maestro but rather by the birds of the air.’ He smiled, looking around the bewildered faces of the magnates, and finally settled on Pedro. ‘I mean, of course, those audacious cuckoos who nest in the towers. They grow big as their siblings languish. They betray the fools that nurtured them. The Madonna has always watched over the City of Towers. I believe she brought me here to give you a timely warning. The Signoria has a duty to protect the people from monopolistic practice. You, who have so lately thrown off the tyranny of the Families, be mindful not to nurture another. The engineers have far too much power to be allowed the independence afforded other guilds. Engineers are weapons. To let a weapon decide how it’s used is not merely bad policy, it’s suicidal. If there’s a lesson to the Concordian Re-formation, that’s it. Therefore I move the Engineers’ Guild be broken up and that engineers be hereafter considered part of the Guild of Fire, with similar status to, oh, blacksmiths for example; no longer should they have a seat in this house.’
Pedro didn’t even wait for the pebbles to be counted.
CHAPTER 78
PUBLIC ORDINANCE
By Order of the Podesta.
Banners may only be used in workshops;
banners are prohibited in public;
NO EXCEPTIONS.
Geta’s decree was posted on the doors of the Palazzo del Popolo in Piazza Luna and Santa Maria della Vittoria in Piazza Stella and on each of the lions’ plinths. The injunction was aimed directly at Tower Scaligeri as far as Uggeri was concerned. The bandieratori guessed what his reaction would be, and they were not disappointed.
‘Flags up!’
He marched to the river with his men, all bearing flags. Standing at the decapitated lion’s plinth he tore down the decree and cast it into the Irenicon, then he silently raised his flag. On the other side of the bridge the Small People and other guilds looked on with watchful eyes.
‘Doc Bardini taught us to take up this flag. If we hadn’t, the Twelfth Legion would have destroyed Rasenna. Should we throw it down because a corrupt Signoria in thrall to a foreign dog says so?’ He looked around as if he were genuinely uncertain, then he rolled his banner across his knuckle and caught it in a combat grip. ‘Should we look for leadership from those who only care to profit themselves?’
‘No!’ the bandieratori answered as one.
‘Damn right! This Signoria taxes us without our consent. This Signoria made a noble our podesta. As long as every Rasenneisi can defend himself, Rasenna is safe. Give up that right, allow it to be taken, and Rasenna is in peril. If Geta wants my flag, he can take it from my cold, dead hands!’ He caught sight of Geta crossing the bridge. ‘Behold the man. Taking down names, Podesta? Mine’s Uggeri Galati. I’m not hiding.’
The crowd turned with malevolent intent to Geta and those who stood beside him. One of them – the Russ – grabbed Geta’s arm. ‘Podesta, no good comes of this.’
Geta threw him off, but Yuri persisted, ‘They are just throwing tantrum, like children, yes? Let them shout and wave their flags. Who harms it?’
Geta ignored him and marched forward until he was standing face to face with the first ring of bandieratori. ‘Small People, go home! As for you bandieratori, this is an illegal protest. Anyone bearing a flag is liable to be arrested.’
Dozens of flags suddenly popped up amongst the milling crowd and dangled from the windows