Free The Alchemist's Code by Dave Duncan Page B

bad for her at the moment and had been for several days, with Mercury in the house of Virgo. Next weekend her fortunes should improve dramatically. Curiously, my own horoscope showed the reverse—good now, bad later.
    â€œYour father said—”
    â€œYes, I know!” she snapped furiously. “I heard you. I always knew he would say that. Of course he will take me back! I never doubted it. But did my mother say the same? She’s mad because Danese loves me and she thought he loved her!”
    Both ladies had relied on information from the same source. Love makes fools of us all.
    â€œWon’t your father have final say? Why do you doubt?” I asked patiently.
    â€œBecause it’s too soon!”
    Ah! The Sanudos were supposed to suffer. “Would it help if I asked them for you?”
    She melted. “Oh, would you? Please, sier Alfeo?”
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    Back down to the gondola we went. Grazia naturally took the place of honor, the left side of the felze , and this time I did not stop Danese from joining her. He wrapped his good arm around her and the two of them sat there like birds in a cage, scowling at me. Giorgio pushed off. Nobody said a word until we emerged from the narrow ways onto the Grand Canal.
    Grazia had not given up on me yet. “How did you find us?”
    â€œThe Maestro foresaw you.”
    â€œThat’s witchcraft!” She appealed to her husband. “Isn’t it, dearest?”
    â€œProbably.”
    She tried her best tigress stare on me. “We shall report you to the Council of Ten!”
    â€œDon’t waste ink,” I said. “Every year Nostradamus publishes his almanac and includes a dozen or so prophecies. Every year I deliver a copy for the doge and another for the cardinal-patriarch.” I did not suggest that those esteemed gentlemen ever actually read the books, but they did not lay charges either.
    â€œAnd can you foresee what my parents are going to decide about Danese?”
    â€œThe Maestro probably could, but he charges a lot of money for private predictions. I don’t have the knack. I can cast horoscopes, though, and I drew yours.”
    She hesitated, but a desire to know the future stands very high in human wants. “And what did you foresee?”
    â€œI saw your present trouble—which wasn’t difficult, of course,” I added quickly, foreseeing her sneer from the way her lip had started to curl. “But I also predict a dramatic improvement in your affairs about a week from now.”
    She turned and beamed at Danese. Danese was quick; he saw the ambiguity right away, but he turned his snarl at me into a smile at his wife.
    â€œThen we may just have to be patient a little longer, beloved,” he said.
    I leaned forward and closed the curtains on them.
    So we returned to the Ca’ Zuanbattista Sanudo. Giorgio tied up alongside the family gondola and I left the lovers hidden in the felze while I set off to face the music for them. A footman opened the door, but he was young and broad shouldered, and I recognized yesterday’s gondolier…Fabricio.
    I gave my name and was escorted upstairs and to the same salotto as the previous day. Zuanbattista stood with his arm around his wife. Her antediluvian aunt had been moved to another seat, but did not as much as twitch at my entrance, or indeed during my stay. Girolamo hovered in the background.
    I bowed. “ Messere , madonna—Grazia is safe and I can go and fetch her directly. I must inform you that yesterday she performed the sacrament of holy matrimony with sier Danese Dolfin.”
    Eva’s mouth hardened like cement.
    Zuanbattista sighed. “Your news is welcome. I hope no daughter of mine would sleep with a man without the blessing of Holy Mother Church.”
    At their back, Giro merely shrugged, which for him was a wild display of emotion. I gathered that the decision had already been made.
    â€œI confess,” I said,