The Master of Verona

The Benedictine bells were just finishing the call to Sext when two panting teens raced up the inner stairs of the great Scaliger palace in Verona. Attaining the top, they skidded to a halt at a demure distance from the open double doors. Listening, they heard arguing and laughter echoing down the hall. They grinned at each other in relief. They were not too late.

An understeward came bustling forward. "Master Montecchio, welcome. Your father and brother are already within." He glanced at the other young man with an inquiring inclination of his head.

"This is my friend, Pietro Alighieri," said Montecchio.

"Alaghieri," said Pietro automatically.

"Right, sorry. Pietro Alaghieri. He's the son of-"

"Of course," said the steward, unable to entirely hide the sign against evil he made behind his back. "Your esteemed father is also within. If you will both doff your boots, I have slippers waiting by the door. You are the last to arrive."

This statement renewing their panic, they hastily removed their boots in favor of soft-soled, pointy-toed slippers.

Montecchio said, "I've always heard your name as Al-ee-gary. What's this Al-ah-gary business?"

Pietro shrugged. "It's my father biting his thumb. Alighieri is the Florentine pronunciation. Since the banishment, he's insisted on the older pronunciation — Alaghieri, after our ancestor, Alaghiero di Cacciaguida."

Mariotto nodded as if he were truly interested. "And your brother came with you?"

Pietro grunted as he struggled with his right boot. "Jacopo."

"What's he like?"

Familial pride battled honesty. He settled on saying, "He's fourteen."

"Ah. No brothers here, just a sister. She's all right, if a little quiet. Aurelia."

"Mariotto and Aurelia?"

"Actually, Romeo and Aurelia. My mother named us — or so my father tells me. I never knew her. She chose Romeo as my baptismal name, but he wanted to honour his father, so I am Romeo Mariotto Montecchio. Call me Romeo and I'll murder you." He finished fitting his own slippers on and stood up tall. "Ready to face the lion's den?"

If it were a lion I wouldn't be so terrified. "How do we explain being late?"

Mariotto clapped Pietro on the shoulder and together they made for the grand hall. "Some things you just have to take a deep breath and live through."

Just before they reached the door, Pietro halted beside a fresco on the wall by the door. It was one of a set of five, each depicting a man on horseback, behind whom flew the banner of the five-runged ladder. The five men showed a great deal of resemblance, but it was to the last, closest to the door, that Pietro gazed at.

"Our lord," said Mariotto approvingly.

Pietro peered at the glazed paintwork. If you didn't know the man, the fresco might have been deemed flattery. Mounted on a great destrier, mace in one hand, sword in the other, head free of his hound-shaped helmet, Cangrande was fiercely beautiful, his face full of dark joy. Above his head, alongside the banner of the ladder, flew a personal banner with a greyhound racing across an azure field. The artist had added some dark spots to the banner, signifying the blood spilt in battle by this magnificent cavaliere.

But it was the actual paint that had Pietro's interest. "This is excellent work."

"It surely is," nodded Montecchio, looking close. "The neck of the stallion is just right, and also the length of the mane… Oh — sorry. My family breeds horses. These were painted by Giotto di Bondone." Pietro startled Mariotto with an abrupt laugh. "You've heard of him?"

"Better," said Pietro, "I know him! He's a friend of my father's. Sort of. We visited him often in Lucca." Pietro opened his mouth, then shut it, visibly resisting temptation.

Knowing he was missing something, Mariotto made an open gesture with his hands. "What?"

Pietro shook his head. "Have you ever seen Giotto's children? As sweet as can be, really nice. But they're repulsive. Girls as well as the boys. Ugly as sin. Well, we're eating supper in their house one night when my father asks how a man who paints such beautiful frescoes could make such ugly children."

"Oh dear God! What did Giotto say?"

Pietro did his best imitation of the cheery painter. "'My dear fellow, I do all my painting by daylight.'"

Smothering their laughter, they entered the salon.

Somewhere near Torre di Confine, a lone rider reined in before an inn. Young and frantic-looking, he leapt from his sweat-streaked horse and called for a fresh one. A stable boy emerged from beside the inn, hunk of cheese in hand. At the same moment the inn's proprietor, a burly man with one arm, sauntered out the door.

"Need — a horse," said the young rider.

The stable boy looked on, bored, as his master gave first the youth then his horse an appraising look.

"No," he said over his shoulder. "No horse for him. To judge by this one, he'll kill it."

The breathless rider clutched the innkeeper's one arm, gasping as he gave his news. At the same moment he spilled his purse at the innkeeper's feet.