Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

Duke Valentino is used to working late at night, so he can't get up early in the morning.His secretaries followed the duke until very late to rest, and took the opportunity to sleep until the sun was up.So the next morning, Machiavelli basically had nothing to deal with before lunch, and the letter to the ruling group had already been sent, thinking that he could finally take it easy today.He read Levy, making notes on the pages as he read, and then he took out his borrowed lute and played with it for a while to pass the time.The lute had a good sound, deep but very sweet, and when he tried it for the first time he found that the sound matched his baritone very well.It was a sunny day, and he sat by the open window, basking in the warm sunlight.Someone was burning wood not far away, and the smell made his nostrils feel very comfortable.The alley that separated the courtyards of Serafina and Bartolomeo was so narrow that a donkey with a pack basket could hardly pass through.Machiavelli looked down from his window at the little courtyard with the well fence and chestnut trees.He starts singing.He had a good voice this morning, and after a few lines he felt good, so he went on singing.Then he found that the window in the opposite room was being opened, and he couldn't see who was opening the window, not even the hand that placed the paper window frame.But he felt a thrill of being sure that the person who opened the window could not have been anyone but Aurelia.He sang two of his favorite songs, both of which are love songs.When he was singing the third song, the window was suddenly closed, as if someone had walked into the opposite room.This disturbed Machiavelli's mood to some extent, and there was a cloud of suspicion in his heart. He wondered if the maid was eavesdropping on his singing. He was disturbed by the mistress who walked in, in order not to let the mistress find out that she was eavesdropping on the opposite room. The man singing and neglecting the business to do, hastily closed the window.When it was time for dinner, he discovered through carefully guided conversation that the room with the opened window was the master bedroom of Bartolomeo and his young wife.

Later that day he went to the palace.But he saw neither the duke nor his secretaries.So he chatted with those who were staying at the palace and obviously had nothing to do, asking them what news they had lately.These people know nothing.But he got the impression that these people at least knew something had just happened.Whatever it was, the event itself was kept under wraps for the time being.At this moment he happened to meet Bartolomeo.Bartolomeo told him that he had made an appointment with the Duke, but the Duke suddenly couldn't see him when the time came. "We're wasting time here," said Machiavelli, with his characteristically endearing geniality. "Let's go to a restaurant and have a drink. We can play cards, and if you play chess, we can kill One plate."

"I like playing chess." On the way to the Golden Lion Hotel Machiavelli asked him why everyone in town was so busy today. "I don't have a clue either. No one can tell me anything." There was a trace of irritation in Bartolomeo's tone, and Machiavelli guessed that he was telling the truth this time.He thought very highly of himself, and it was humiliating when he found out that he did not have the Duke's full confidence. "I have heard that if the Duke tries to keep a secret, even those closest to him will not know it," said Machiavelli. "He's been with his secretaries all day today. Orders are going out one by one like a revolving door."

"Obviously something must have happened." "I understand that a messenger arrived from Perugia this morning." "Is it a messenger, or a person pretending to be a messenger?" Bartolomeo glanced quickly at Machiavelli. "I don't know. Do you have any doubts?" "No. I'm just asking." The road to the hotel is not far.They ordered a jug of wine and a chess set.Machiavelli was good at chess, and it didn't take long for him to discover that Bartolomeo was no match for him.But he deliberately made the chess game so close that he lost to Bartolomeo in the end, just for fun.Bartolomeo was full of pride, so while drinking, he pointed out to Machiavelli what mistakes he made and the strategy he should adopt to deal with the enemy.Machiavelli then blamed himself for lack of foresight.On the way back to their respective lodgings Bartolomeo asked:

"My mother-in-law said she heard someone singing in your house this morning. It's a pretty good one. Is it you or my young cousin Pierrot?" "Pierrot's voice is better than mine, but it is indeed me who sang today. It is a great honor to know that Mrs. Caterina did not dislike my efforts. Piaggio, I and two other friends often sing to pass the time." time." "I have a good bass." "Pierrot sang tenor. The three of us together would be a perfect combination. If you don't mind the shabby hut, it would be my great pleasure to come and sing at my convenience. We can also drop by our A little concert with my good friend Serafina."

Will the fish bite with this cleverly cast bait?Haven't seen any signs yet. "We have to do this once. It will bring back memories of my youth. When I was a youth, in Smyrna, we Italians were always singing." "Patience," Machiavelli murmured to himself. "Be patient." Back at the apartment, he took out a greasy deck of cards, and he began to play a poker game called "patience."As he played cards, he turned in his head what Bartolomeo had told him, and what he had heard from Serafina.He came up with a plan, and a very good one at that.But executing the plan required some creativity.The more he thought of Aurelia, the more lustful he became.The thought of the possibility that he might bear Bartolomeo a child, preferably the boy Bartolomeo so desired, made his heart itch.

"It doesn't come often," he thought, "that you can give yourself so much pleasure when you're doing something good." It was obvious that he had to please Katerina, because he couldn't do anything without her.But the difficulty was how to build a close enough relationship with her to gain her support throughout the project.She was a sensual woman, and it occurred to Machiavelli that perhaps he should persuade Piero and Caterina to go to bed.Pierrot was young, and at her age it was impossible not to be grateful for it.But he immediately dismissed the idea.Making Pierrot the maid's lover would better serve his needs.It was said that Caterina had been gay and merry when she was young.If there is one thing that Machiavelli is convinced of, it is that a woman begins to act as a madam when she herself has lost her charm.One of the sexual instincts, he thought, is that when a person is getting old enough that sexual enjoyment is out of proportion to their age, to experience the pleasure in a phantasy of being there.Besides, why should she worry about Bartolomeo's honor?It is also in her own interest for Aurelia to have offspring.

But what about Father Timoteo?He was a confessor of the family, a friend of the family.It may be necessary to meet this man and find out what kind of man he really is.This person might be able to come in handy.Machiavelli's thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a knock on the shutter.He didn't move, just looked up at the window.The knock on the window was low and repeated cautiously.He went to the window and opened the shutters a little.The visitor announced his name in a low voice. "Ferinelli." "Please wait a moment." "Are you alone?" "only myself."

He walked down the corridor and opened the door.In the darkness he saw only one person standing there.Ferinelli, as you may recall, was the accountant from Florence whom Machiavelli met the day after his arrival in Imola.Huddled under a shawl, a scarf covering his face, he slipped through the door and followed Machiavelli into the drawing room.There was only one candle in the room.He sat down at the table, close to Machiavelli, so that he could talk to Machiavelli without raising his voice, but in a whisper. "I have something very important to tell you." "Speaking." "Will you give me a generous reward if what I reveal is useful to the executives of the ruling group?"

"Absolutely no problem." "A messenger on a post-horse has arrived at the palace today. The rebels have at last signed an agreement among themselves. They are determined to join Bentivoliu in defending Bologna, and to keep the deposed nobles in their former domains. Restored to power, and mutually assured each other not to make a separate peace with the duke. They resolved to raise seven hundred soldiers, one hundred swift horses, and nine thousand infantry. Bentivoliu was to attack Imola, Vitellozzo, and Ossi Ni is preparing to march on Urbino." "This is indeed a new situation," said Machiavelli.

He was happy and excited again.He was heartened by the changing situation, and he looked forward to the best part of the drama, to see for himself how the Duke would deal with the crisis he now faced. "There is one more thing. Vitellozzo and the duke secretly communicated and proposed to the duke that he could join the duke's if he could obtain assurances from the duke that he would keep his lands in Castello perpetually. camp." "How do you know this?" "All you need to know is that I know this." Machiavelli was a little confused.He knew Vitellozzo.A gloomy, suspicious, and emotionally unstable person is extremely prone to anger and depression.His syphilis infection affected his health so badly that there were times when he was completely irrational.Who can know what evil plans are hatched in that tormented mind?Machiavelli then sent the accountant home. "Can I ask you to keep a secret for me, Lord Niccolo? If someone finds out that I have disclosed the above situation to you, my life may be in danger." "I know. I wouldn't kill a goose that laid golden eggs."