Free City of Secrets by Mary Hoffman Page A

has any weight here.’
    â€˜I believe, honoured sir, that the request was made more in the spirit of a favour between rulers than one made according to the law,’ said the messenger. This was not going well.
    â€˜You know,’ said Antonio confidentially, pouring more ale for the messenger. ‘If we were sitting here discussing an ordinary murder – or assassination as it would have been – I would be sympathetic to the Grand Duke’s request. But death in a duel is never subject to prosecution – unless, of course, one duellist played dirty.’
    He looked the messenger in the eye and the poor man changed colour. It was common knowledge in Giglia that Grand Duke Niccolò had poisoned the foils. He said nothing.
    â€˜As it is,’ said Antonio. ‘I don’t find that the Cavaliere has any charge to answer and it would be foolhardy for him to return to any Tuschian city while the new Grand Duke is so unreasonably angry with him.’
    â€˜So that is the answer I must take my master?’ asked the messenger.
    â€˜Say to him that I rejoice in his good news and recommend him to look forward to the good fortune of a healthy child, not backward to the death of a father. And if the Cavaliere should find himself in my city, I will accord him all the welcome and protection that Padavia can afford.’

    When Matt woke in his room after his second stravagation, he no longer doubted that he had become a traveller in time and space. For whatever reason, he was being transported to Talia every night and both of the people he had met there were in danger from the family called di Chimici. Luciano was basically on the run from a murder rap, though he hadn’t in fact done anything wrong. And Professor Constantin was printing illicit material that would get him into serious trouble if it got outside Padavia and into di Chimici hands.
    â€˜The penalty for practising what they call magic is death,’ Constantin had said. ‘And what they call magic covers everything that the Stravaganti do.’
    â€˜Stravaganti?’ said Matt. ‘Including me?’
    â€˜Including you,’ agreed Constantin.
    It was all very well to feel unhappy in his own world about girlfriend problems or difficulties with schoolwork. But in his Talian life, which was clearly going to continue, it seemed that if he set foot outside the city, Matt was going to be as much a di Chimici target as Luciano.
    He looked at his mobile phone and found a text message from Ayesha. He froze as he deciphered the dreaded words ‘We need to talk.’

Chapter 6
    University Students
    When he got to the gates of Barnsbury Comp that morning, Matt found his best friend Chay waiting for him. He was relieved to see him. If they bumped into Ayesha, she would hardly dump him in front of someone else.
    â€˜What’s up?’ asked Chay. ‘You look rubbish.’
    â€˜Cheers,’ said Matt but the bathroom mirror had told him much the same thing. He had dark circles under his eyes like someone who hadn’t slept. And in a sense that was true.
    â€˜Girlfriend trouble?’ said Chay.
    Matt looked up sharply. ‘Has she said anything to you?’
    Chay shifted uncomfortably and kicked at a little bit of gravel with his trainer. ‘Might’ve,’ he said, looking down.
    â€˜Come on,’ said Matt. ‘What did she say?’
    â€˜Just that you seem to have gone off her,’ mumbled Chay. ‘If you haven’t, I think you need to tell her soon – before she gets in first and dumps you.’
    Matt felt a weight lift off his heart. ‘Of course I haven’t gone off her! She’s the best thing that ever happened to me. But I’ve got a lot of stuff going on. I’ll tell her, don’t worry.’
    â€˜What sort of stuff?’ asked Chay. ‘And what do those guys in the upper sixth have to do with it?’
    Matt was absolutely stumped. How on earth