Free Chiara – Revenge and Triumph by Gian Bordin Page B

a ferocious young thing."
     
     
     
     
     
    6
    Pisa, June 1347
     
    Next morning, I was awake as the first light of dawn crept into the room. It took me a moment to know where I was, and then a great happiness filled my heart. They had accepted me as one of their own. I was no longer alone. It felt like touching solid ground after drifting helplessly in the sea. It was also strange to lie in the same room with three other people, hearing their sounds of sleep — the wheezing breathing of the old woman next to me, an intermittent snoring of a man on the other bunk, the quiet breathing of his companion. I had not shared a room since my grandmother died, six years before. Lifting my head, I saw the tousled hair of Alda next to the unshaven face of Pepe.
    I carefully climbed over Antonia so as not to wake her and went downstairs. In the kitchen, I asked the innkeeper’s wife where I could wash. She gave me a washcloth and a small cake of soap, admonished me to use it sparingly, and directed me to the second courtyard where I could haul up a bucket of water from the deep well. Taking advantage of being alone at this early an hour, I stripped behind the well and quickly washed my body and hair, and, wet as I was, put my clothes back on. I was glad that I had not been bitten by fleas, the scourge of most cheap inns, I remembered my father telling us. When I got back to our room, Alda was up. She held a skirt to my waist and said: "Yes, as I thought. It needs lengthening. I’ll do it later this morning, so that you have it for your afternoon performance."
    This reminder brought up a queasy feeling in my belly.
    After a breakfast of bread dunked in watered-down wine, Pepe took me back to the second courtyard, where I could get practice serving as his target. With much trepidation, I watched him set up the cart that I had helped push the day before. Its bed of soft pinewood formed a wall about four feet wide and seven feet tall. He gave me a metal mask with slits for the eyes to hold in front of my face and neck and then positioned me at the wall.
    "Now, Chiara, I will stand about ten paces away from you and, while you hold yourself perfectly still, I will throw a dozen knives such that they form an outline around you. I have done this trick for more than twenty years and I had only one accident in all this time where I nicked somebody’s arm. I know it is scary to watch the knives come toward you; so at the beginning, you may want to close your eyes until I tell you to step forward, away from the wall."
    I must have looked petrified since he asked: "Are you sure you can do it?"
    I only managed to nod.
    "Now put the mask in front of your face and keep absolutely still."
    I did, but I felt my whole body tremble. He called out "Now" and I closed my eyes and held my breath. When I heard the sharp knock and felt the handle of the knife vibrate slightly against the cloth of my right arm, I almost screamed. Again he called out "Now", and a moment later there was the next sharp knock and the handle vibrating against my left arm. I was still holding in my breath and then remembered my brother’s advice. When close to panic, breathe deeply and slowly. I did and started to count the knocks. At ten, I opened my eyes and watched the eleventh knife fly toward my face. But I forced my eyes to remain open. It embedded itself safely next to my right ear, quickly followed by the twelfth on my left ear.
    "Take two steps straight forward."
    I did, lowered my face mask and turned around. My mouth fell open in utter amazement. Drawn on the board by twelve knives was my shape. And then I heard the applause of many hands clapping. Startled, I turned and faced Lorenzo, Giovanni, Antonia, Alda and Anna.
    "You are a very brave girl," exclaimed Antonia, "but then I would not have expected anything else from you."
    It was echoed by sounds of approval from the others.
    Pepe laughed and asked: "And how did it feel?"
    I looked again at the outline. "Scary,