pure steel bar-stock! Smoke powder weapons would surely come into their own.
We can use the beams to scribe delicate engravings… perhaps even to cut the finest mechanical parts…"
Captain Ilego viewed the drawings with a frown.
"And does this chemical combination reliably work?"
"Um… essentially. Essentially, yes!" The boy cleared his throat. "The problem of explosion is a minor fault at best. Given enough funding, I am sure I can overcome the obstacles."
A logical mind in a potential son-in-law may have been an advantage. An addled mind might be even more so; Prince Mannicci narrowed his eyes, measuring the possibilities.
As Mannicci sank into thought, Ilego flicked a calcu-lating glance between his prince and the Lomatran boy. Blade Captain Ilego handed back the boy's drawings with a cool, predatory smile.
"Since Lorenzo is here with an ambassadorial mission, my lord prince, I'm sure his experiments can be encour-aged for the duration of his stay. We can find him a work-shop, perhaps. A place outside the city walls…"
"No. I believe we shall house him well within our palace. We might have business with him yet…"
"Oh! Oh, thank you, my lord!" Lorenzo flicked a glance toward the palace balcony, drawing in an inspired, dizzy breath as he helplessly searched for words. "I shall not disappoint you."
"Do as you like, boy. But no chemicals, and no jumping off any towers." Not until he had safely married Miliana. "We'd never explain it to your ambassador."
"Oh, thank you, my lord! Thank you!" Lorenzo bobbed up and down like a toy spider on a string.
"M-my grati-tude is… it's…"
Unable to think of proper superlatives, the boy could only open out his hands, finding out too late that Prince Mannicci had taken his chance and ridden fast away. Lorenzo scarcely noticed; looking over the troops, he saw a scrawny figure leaning over a distant balcony; a figure with a bored expression half hidden behind gleaming glass and a towering, pointed hat.
Lorenzo's thoughts were jarred by a cool hand descend-ing upon his arm. Gilberto Ilego looked down at the boy with a reassuring, though somewhat crocodilian smile.
"Five hundred, I think."
"My lord?" Lorenzo's mind wrenched itself from a dizzy flight through a vague and rosy fairy land. "Five hundred?"
"Five hundred gold ducats. It should keep you supplied with experimental equipment during your stay."
Ilego drew a scented handkerchief from his belt and passed it under his nose. "My bursar will honor any notes that you may write."
Stunned, Lorenzo could only stare up at Ilego in utter awe. The Blade Captain turned his horse about and saluted with a wave.
"May your experiments prove to be a profit and a delight! Do avail me of your progress from time to time. After all, we are brothers, you and I. Intellectually speaking…"
The horse reared back in a splendid caracole, pumped the air with its hooves, and then was gone.
Standing alone beneath the dusty olive tree, Lorenzo threw out his arms, shook his drawings in delight and felt his spirits soar.
Finally, a patron who knew the value of true science! No longer would Lorenzo be hounded out of house and home by angry relatives and enraged cleaning staff. Sumbria would be his launching place. After this, the whole world would remember the name Lorenzo Utrelli Da Lomatra!
*****
In the Valley of Umbricci, in a sighing stand of grape vines beside a mountain stream, war-horses pawed the soil while armored riders sipped lightly at the local wines.
The Blade Council of Colletro prided itself on its sophistication and elegance. Twenty-one Blade Captains had come to coolly supervise the handing over of the cam-paign spoils. The gentlemen made a gay pretense of absolute disinterest, commenting on the savor of the local vintages, while behind them the fruits of two years hard campaigning were casually tossed away.
Sumbrian heralds came to take formal acceptance of signed articles of peace. The cheese platter came out in
We can use the beams to scribe delicate engravings… perhaps even to cut the finest mechanical parts…"
Captain Ilego viewed the drawings with a frown.
"And does this chemical combination reliably work?"
"Um… essentially. Essentially, yes!" The boy cleared his throat. "The problem of explosion is a minor fault at best. Given enough funding, I am sure I can overcome the obstacles."
A logical mind in a potential son-in-law may have been an advantage. An addled mind might be even more so; Prince Mannicci narrowed his eyes, measuring the possibilities.
As Mannicci sank into thought, Ilego flicked a calcu-lating glance between his prince and the Lomatran boy. Blade Captain Ilego handed back the boy's drawings with a cool, predatory smile.
"Since Lorenzo is here with an ambassadorial mission, my lord prince, I'm sure his experiments can be encour-aged for the duration of his stay. We can find him a work-shop, perhaps. A place outside the city walls…"
"No. I believe we shall house him well within our palace. We might have business with him yet…"
"Oh! Oh, thank you, my lord!" Lorenzo flicked a glance toward the palace balcony, drawing in an inspired, dizzy breath as he helplessly searched for words. "I shall not disappoint you."
"Do as you like, boy. But no chemicals, and no jumping off any towers." Not until he had safely married Miliana. "We'd never explain it to your ambassador."
"Oh, thank you, my lord! Thank you!" Lorenzo bobbed up and down like a toy spider on a string.
"M-my grati-tude is… it's…"
Unable to think of proper superlatives, the boy could only open out his hands, finding out too late that Prince Mannicci had taken his chance and ridden fast away. Lorenzo scarcely noticed; looking over the troops, he saw a scrawny figure leaning over a distant balcony; a figure with a bored expression half hidden behind gleaming glass and a towering, pointed hat.
Lorenzo's thoughts were jarred by a cool hand descend-ing upon his arm. Gilberto Ilego looked down at the boy with a reassuring, though somewhat crocodilian smile.
"Five hundred, I think."
"My lord?" Lorenzo's mind wrenched itself from a dizzy flight through a vague and rosy fairy land. "Five hundred?"
"Five hundred gold ducats. It should keep you supplied with experimental equipment during your stay."
Ilego drew a scented handkerchief from his belt and passed it under his nose. "My bursar will honor any notes that you may write."
Stunned, Lorenzo could only stare up at Ilego in utter awe. The Blade Captain turned his horse about and saluted with a wave.
"May your experiments prove to be a profit and a delight! Do avail me of your progress from time to time. After all, we are brothers, you and I. Intellectually speaking…"
The horse reared back in a splendid caracole, pumped the air with its hooves, and then was gone.
Standing alone beneath the dusty olive tree, Lorenzo threw out his arms, shook his drawings in delight and felt his spirits soar.
Finally, a patron who knew the value of true science! No longer would Lorenzo be hounded out of house and home by angry relatives and enraged cleaning staff. Sumbria would be his launching place. After this, the whole world would remember the name Lorenzo Utrelli Da Lomatra!
*****
In the Valley of Umbricci, in a sighing stand of grape vines beside a mountain stream, war-horses pawed the soil while armored riders sipped lightly at the local wines.
The Blade Council of Colletro prided itself on its sophistication and elegance. Twenty-one Blade Captains had come to coolly supervise the handing over of the cam-paign spoils. The gentlemen made a gay pretense of absolute disinterest, commenting on the savor of the local vintages, while behind them the fruits of two years hard campaigning were casually tossed away.
Sumbrian heralds came to take formal acceptance of signed articles of peace. The cheese platter came out in
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