just sat there and toyed with his mask. Lost in thought, he stroked its long, bent nose. It was so quiet that you could hear the crackle of the candles. "Yes, that is indeed quite interesting," he wondered aloud. "Yes, why not?"
Prosper watched him uneasily. He still had that feeling that something dark and threatening was moving in on them. Trouble...and danger...
Scipio seemed to read his mind. "What do you think of all this, Prop?" he asked.
"Not much," Prosper answered. "I don't trust Barbarossa." He could hardly say: because I don't think much of stealing. After all, he lived off Scipio being such a master of it.
Scipio nodded.
Just then Bo, of all people, let Prosper down. "So what?" he said. He kneeled next to Scipio, his eyes shiny with excitement. "It'll be easy for you, won't it? Right, Scip?"
Scipio had to smile. He took the kitten out of Bo's arms and placed it on his lap, stroking its tiny ears.
"And I will help you!" Bo moved even closer to Scipio. "Right, Scip? I'll come with you."
"Bo! Stop talking such complete nonsense!" Prosper shouted at him. "You're not going anywhere, is that clear? And you're definitely not going to do anything dangerous."
"You bet I will!" Bo made a face at his brother and folded his arms defiantly.
Scipio still hadn't said anything.
Mosca smoothed out one of the colorful mandorlati wrappers. Riccio pushed his tongue through the gap in his teeth and kept his eyes fixed on Scipio.
"I agree with Prosper," Hornet said breaking into the silence. "There's no reason to take any more risks. We've got enough money for now."
Scipio examined his mask and poked a finger into one of its hollow eyes. "I will take the job," he said. "Riccio, you will go to Barbarossa tomorrow morning and give him my reply."
Riccio nodded. His scrawny face beamed all over. "And this time you'll take us along, won't you?" he asked. "Please! I'd love to see a big, fine house from the inside --just once."
"Yes, I'd like that too." Mosca gazed dreamily up at the curtain, which was glittering in the candlelight as if it were covered in golden spider's threads. "I've often wondered what it must be like. I've heard that in some of the houses the floors are paved with gold and that they have real diamonds on the doorknobs."
"Well, go to the Scuola di San Rocco if you want to see things like that!" Hornet gave the boys an angry look. "Scipio just said himself, he should take a break for a while. After all, they're probably still looking for the man who broke into the Palazzo Contarini. Another break-in would be madness right now. Just stupid!" She turned to Scipio. "If Barbarossa knew that the Thief Lord hasn't got a single hair on his chin and doesn't reach up to his shoulder even in a pair of high-heeled boots, he would have never asked him anyway ..."
"Oh yeah?" Scipio straightened himself up as if that would prove Hornet wrong. "Did you know that Alexander the Great was smaller than me? He had to push a table in front of the Persian throne so he could climb on to it. I've made my decision. Tell Barbarossa that the Thief Lord will take the job. I have to go now, but I will be back tomorrow." He started to leave, but Hornet stood in his way.
"Now listen," she said quietly. "Maybe you're a better thief than all the grown-up thieves in this city, but when Barbarossa sees you in your high heels with all your grown-up playacting, he'll just laugh at you."
The others looked at Scipio in embarrassment. Never before had any of them dared to talk to him like that.
Scipio stood completely still and stared straight at Hornet. Then his mouth twisted into a sneer. "Well, the redbeard is not going to see me!" he said, pulling the mask over his face. "And should he ever dare to laugh at me then I'll just spit into his moon face and laugh right back at him, twice as loud. He is just a fat, old man. I am the Thief Lord." With a sudden spin he turned his back on Hornet and stalked off. "I'll be quite late tomorrow," he
Prosper watched him uneasily. He still had that feeling that something dark and threatening was moving in on them. Trouble...and danger...
Scipio seemed to read his mind. "What do you think of all this, Prop?" he asked.
"Not much," Prosper answered. "I don't trust Barbarossa." He could hardly say: because I don't think much of stealing. After all, he lived off Scipio being such a master of it.
Scipio nodded.
Just then Bo, of all people, let Prosper down. "So what?" he said. He kneeled next to Scipio, his eyes shiny with excitement. "It'll be easy for you, won't it? Right, Scip?"
Scipio had to smile. He took the kitten out of Bo's arms and placed it on his lap, stroking its tiny ears.
"And I will help you!" Bo moved even closer to Scipio. "Right, Scip? I'll come with you."
"Bo! Stop talking such complete nonsense!" Prosper shouted at him. "You're not going anywhere, is that clear? And you're definitely not going to do anything dangerous."
"You bet I will!" Bo made a face at his brother and folded his arms defiantly.
Scipio still hadn't said anything.
Mosca smoothed out one of the colorful mandorlati wrappers. Riccio pushed his tongue through the gap in his teeth and kept his eyes fixed on Scipio.
"I agree with Prosper," Hornet said breaking into the silence. "There's no reason to take any more risks. We've got enough money for now."
Scipio examined his mask and poked a finger into one of its hollow eyes. "I will take the job," he said. "Riccio, you will go to Barbarossa tomorrow morning and give him my reply."
Riccio nodded. His scrawny face beamed all over. "And this time you'll take us along, won't you?" he asked. "Please! I'd love to see a big, fine house from the inside --just once."
"Yes, I'd like that too." Mosca gazed dreamily up at the curtain, which was glittering in the candlelight as if it were covered in golden spider's threads. "I've often wondered what it must be like. I've heard that in some of the houses the floors are paved with gold and that they have real diamonds on the doorknobs."
"Well, go to the Scuola di San Rocco if you want to see things like that!" Hornet gave the boys an angry look. "Scipio just said himself, he should take a break for a while. After all, they're probably still looking for the man who broke into the Palazzo Contarini. Another break-in would be madness right now. Just stupid!" She turned to Scipio. "If Barbarossa knew that the Thief Lord hasn't got a single hair on his chin and doesn't reach up to his shoulder even in a pair of high-heeled boots, he would have never asked him anyway ..."
"Oh yeah?" Scipio straightened himself up as if that would prove Hornet wrong. "Did you know that Alexander the Great was smaller than me? He had to push a table in front of the Persian throne so he could climb on to it. I've made my decision. Tell Barbarossa that the Thief Lord will take the job. I have to go now, but I will be back tomorrow." He started to leave, but Hornet stood in his way.
"Now listen," she said quietly. "Maybe you're a better thief than all the grown-up thieves in this city, but when Barbarossa sees you in your high heels with all your grown-up playacting, he'll just laugh at you."
The others looked at Scipio in embarrassment. Never before had any of them dared to talk to him like that.
Scipio stood completely still and stared straight at Hornet. Then his mouth twisted into a sneer. "Well, the redbeard is not going to see me!" he said, pulling the mask over his face. "And should he ever dare to laugh at me then I'll just spit into his moon face and laugh right back at him, twice as loud. He is just a fat, old man. I am the Thief Lord." With a sudden spin he turned his back on Hornet and stalked off. "I'll be quite late tomorrow," he
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