‘In my workshop! On my banco! You let others tend to your mother as you tend to your lust with the son of a lowlife like Hog Galati!’ He raised the sword.
‘Papa, no!’
‘Don’t “Papa” me—’ In a kind of daze he threw down the blade, grabbed her hair and pulled her to her feet. ‘Your mother’s right. I’ve been too soft with you.’
Sofia’s hands were shaking when she came out of Tower Bombelli. The sun was up over the river, the pink light over Piazza Stella throwing long shadows of those revellers who hadn’t yet gone home. She hugged her hands under her arms to stop them shaking and stopped before the small Madonna perched in an alcove on the side-street. It was an oddly humble statue for the richest family in Rasenna. Was it Bombelli’s studied humility, a sentimental attachment to the old style, or just apathy?
The servant Sofia had sent returned with her master trailing after her like a captured prisoner. Fabbro went to the ladder’s base and looked pleadingly at Sofia.
‘I’m sorry.’ She couldn’t meet his eyes.
Rung by rung, Fabbro climbed the ladder and pushed the door open. The long emptiness was filled by the swallows’ shrill songs amongst the morning towers. Fabbro reappeared at the door, stumble-falling down the steps like a drunkard. ‘Why did you cut her?’ he asked with wounded outrage.
‘She begged me!’ Sofia wept. ‘She knew she wasn’t going to make it. The baby’s only hope was—’
With dull eyes Fabbro wandered away from Sofia’s explanations: ‘It – he must have been dead all the time. It was a boy, Signore Bombelli. I’m sorry—’
He disappeared into the maze of alleyways.
‘The Contessa regrets. What consolation!’ Sofia turned to find Maddalena stumbling towards the tower. Her gown was torn at the shoulder and her face covered in ugly bruises. Her left eye was black and the other one was completely shut by the swelling.
‘Maddalena – who did this to you?’
‘As if you don’t know! Papa – you sent him – you want to destroy the Bombelli family. We’re in charge now and you can’t stand it. And now you’ve murdered Mama.’
‘I loved your mother.’
‘Do Rasenna a favour and keep your love to yourself. It’s poison.’
Maddalena glared at the weeping servants. ‘Get up there and start scrubbing!’
She turned back to Sofia and screamed, ‘I told you to go!’ She clumsily lifted the Madonna from the alcove and threw it with a roar of hate. Sofia didn’t have to duck; it smashed harmlessly against the cobblestones. ‘The Scaligeri are a plague on Rasenna. How many Waves must come before we realise!’
Sofia backed away from the hysterical girl, but her screams echoed in the piazza.
‘You’ll only be happy when we all drown. Wake up, Rasenna, save yourself! Wake up!’
CHAPTER 39
The Gospel According to St Barabbas
33
The Jinni searched the depths and the secret places of the earth until he found that prize the priest had wished for. Zacharias stood on the mount that all the city might hear, and cried aloud, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that killest the prophets. See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. Jerusalem, the winds will take you. Even as the walls of Jericho fell, and the pillars of Iram fell, this Temple will fall. The tyrant who built it, he too will crumble.
34
And Zacharias blew upon the ram’s horn.
35
And King Herod ordered the troublesome priest thrown down from the mount. So perished Zacharias of the House of David.
36
In Galilee his daughter heard of it and was filled with wrath.
37
But the Lord had heard the horn. He visited Herod and Herod was visited with affliction.
38
The tyrant fled Jerusalem and her troublesome people. He retired to his palace overlooking the Sea of Zoar, and the servants said that his body stank worse than the sea. His privy parts burst forth with maggots and festering wounds.
39
And though he suffered, the tyrant thought himself safe in his stronghold. But the Lord is not denied.
40
Mary and Her band climbed the mountain. They stormed the palace and found him hiding there. For his life he offered gold that Mary took and threw from the mountain.
41
And She said, Now, false king, thou shalt follow thine idol.
CHAPTER 40
The gonfaloniere’s wife was well liked, and Rasenna was unusually subdued in the days that followed. Fabbro didn’t notice. He’d tried losing himself in the minutiae of his accounts and when that failed, drink worked.
It was