quite what their master was saying.
‘I will smooth plaster with the thighbone of a gelded lamb. I will burnish each halo with sapphire. We shall prosper, and we shall vanquish all. Salute! Salute! Grandi amici! ’
More wine was opened, and Simone began to elaborate on his performance, telling all who would listen of his plan to create eternity in paint.
‘The divine stillness, this is what I have promised, the life of the spirit on this earth. A foretaste of heaven.’
‘And how will we do this?’ asked Paolo.
Simone seemed oddly reluctant to answer.
‘By genius and hard work, of course,’ he replied testily.
But Paolo could see that Simone was looking at him strangely, as if he had suddenly remembered something important.
‘What is it?’ he asked when they were alone.
Simone looked embarrassed. ‘There is something I must confess to you, now that we have secured the commission.’
‘Ah,’ said Paolo.
‘When I was talking to the Consiglio I told them a story.’
There was something about Simone’s apologetic tone that made Paolo uneasy.
‘What was it?’
‘It was of a man who had recently been a prisoner in Genoa.’
‘I have heard the apprentices talk of such a person. The man of a million lies.’
‘Exactly. Only this time I think he was telling the truth.’
‘Continue.’
‘He had travelled the world for many years, and he had seen the most miraculous sights. He had been to Persia, Cathay, and the Indies. He had seen golden men. Wondrous palaces. Horses descended from Bucephalus. Flocks of cranes filling the sky. But when I asked him to tell me the greatest of the wonders, he stopped, as if no one had asked him such a question before. He spoke quickly and secretively; telling of a mountain hidden away on the edge of the world which contained the most perfect blue stone. It was lapis lazuli, the truest blue he had ever seen, and it seemed that the colour would last for all eternity.
‘I asked him if he thought a man could make paint from such a stone, and he told me that if such a thing were possible then it would be as if a man were painting the dome of heaven, so precious and perfect was that colour.
‘This is what I told the Consiglio. That, from the moment I heard this story, I have been determined to acquire that blue. And I will do so. It will be the glory of the city.’
‘But how can we find such a colour?’
‘It has to be gathered from the ends of the earth.’
‘And how will we do that?’
‘This is the awkward moment.’
‘Go on.’
‘I told them that you would go.’
‘What?’
‘Clearly I cannot go myself, because I will be painting; but you, who know, love, and understand colour … think of the joy of such a discovery. A blue that is not fugitive or transitory but permanent and eternal.’
‘But I can hardly see my way out of the door. How could I ever make such a journey?’
‘I will give you a guide.’
‘That’s no use.’
‘He’s very reliable.’
‘Who is he?’
‘Jacopo, a jewel merchant. He’s Venetian like you. I am sure that you will find his company agreeable.’
Paolo was so taken aback that he could only continue the argument. ‘And why is he going?’
‘Because he is obsessed with jade and is determined to go to Cathay to find it. The mountain is almost on the way. In Badakhshan.’
‘But it will be thousands of miles.’
‘Think of the adventure. How few will have made such a journey.’
‘And how few have survived. You are mad.’
‘Jacopo is keen. I told him you had the most extraordinary gift for colour.’
‘How kind of you.’
‘You should be grateful. Such an adventure.’
‘You go then.’
‘Alas, my talent must remain here.’
‘And how long did you say the painting would take?’
‘About a year.’
‘But that is too short.’
Simone reached for more wine. ‘Don’t worry about deadlines. It only encourages them.’
Paolo could not believe Simone’s nerve. ‘Let me understand. You
‘I will smooth plaster with the thighbone of a gelded lamb. I will burnish each halo with sapphire. We shall prosper, and we shall vanquish all. Salute! Salute! Grandi amici! ’
More wine was opened, and Simone began to elaborate on his performance, telling all who would listen of his plan to create eternity in paint.
‘The divine stillness, this is what I have promised, the life of the spirit on this earth. A foretaste of heaven.’
‘And how will we do this?’ asked Paolo.
Simone seemed oddly reluctant to answer.
‘By genius and hard work, of course,’ he replied testily.
But Paolo could see that Simone was looking at him strangely, as if he had suddenly remembered something important.
‘What is it?’ he asked when they were alone.
Simone looked embarrassed. ‘There is something I must confess to you, now that we have secured the commission.’
‘Ah,’ said Paolo.
‘When I was talking to the Consiglio I told them a story.’
There was something about Simone’s apologetic tone that made Paolo uneasy.
‘What was it?’
‘It was of a man who had recently been a prisoner in Genoa.’
‘I have heard the apprentices talk of such a person. The man of a million lies.’
‘Exactly. Only this time I think he was telling the truth.’
‘Continue.’
‘He had travelled the world for many years, and he had seen the most miraculous sights. He had been to Persia, Cathay, and the Indies. He had seen golden men. Wondrous palaces. Horses descended from Bucephalus. Flocks of cranes filling the sky. But when I asked him to tell me the greatest of the wonders, he stopped, as if no one had asked him such a question before. He spoke quickly and secretively; telling of a mountain hidden away on the edge of the world which contained the most perfect blue stone. It was lapis lazuli, the truest blue he had ever seen, and it seemed that the colour would last for all eternity.
‘I asked him if he thought a man could make paint from such a stone, and he told me that if such a thing were possible then it would be as if a man were painting the dome of heaven, so precious and perfect was that colour.
‘This is what I told the Consiglio. That, from the moment I heard this story, I have been determined to acquire that blue. And I will do so. It will be the glory of the city.’
‘But how can we find such a colour?’
‘It has to be gathered from the ends of the earth.’
‘And how will we do that?’
‘This is the awkward moment.’
‘Go on.’
‘I told them that you would go.’
‘What?’
‘Clearly I cannot go myself, because I will be painting; but you, who know, love, and understand colour … think of the joy of such a discovery. A blue that is not fugitive or transitory but permanent and eternal.’
‘But I can hardly see my way out of the door. How could I ever make such a journey?’
‘I will give you a guide.’
‘That’s no use.’
‘He’s very reliable.’
‘Who is he?’
‘Jacopo, a jewel merchant. He’s Venetian like you. I am sure that you will find his company agreeable.’
Paolo was so taken aback that he could only continue the argument. ‘And why is he going?’
‘Because he is obsessed with jade and is determined to go to Cathay to find it. The mountain is almost on the way. In Badakhshan.’
‘But it will be thousands of miles.’
‘Think of the adventure. How few will have made such a journey.’
‘And how few have survived. You are mad.’
‘Jacopo is keen. I told him you had the most extraordinary gift for colour.’
‘How kind of you.’
‘You should be grateful. Such an adventure.’
‘You go then.’
‘Alas, my talent must remain here.’
‘And how long did you say the painting would take?’
‘About a year.’
‘But that is too short.’
Simone reached for more wine. ‘Don’t worry about deadlines. It only encourages them.’
Paolo could not believe Simone’s nerve. ‘Let me understand. You
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