Chapter 11 chapter Ten

We were still up when Mom came home, and she and Dad had breakfast with the door shut. Around 10 o'clock, Ilila woke me up, saying that my father wanted me to go to his study.She saw the blood, smiled slyly, changed the sheets for me, and gave me another piece of cloth with which to bind my underwear. "Don't tell it," I said, "You know? Don't tell anyone until I admit it." "Then you'd better say it quickly. Maria will sniff it out soon enough." Ilila hurriedly helped me get dressed, and I went to the study.I bumped into Luca at the dinner table, bleary-eyed, stuffing bread and aspic into his mouth.I had no appetite, he glared at me and I glared at him.Mom and Dad were waiting, and it was a while before Tommaso arrived.Even though he changed his clothes, he still looked like he hadn't slept through the night.

With such a busy business, it is not difficult to understand why Dad pays little attention to family affairs.But that morning he looked particularly tired, with more lines on his face than in the past.He was 17 years older than his mother, in his late fifties.A wealthy businessman with ideas, he was twice elected to the city's top leadership and most recently won a seat on the Security Council.If he used his influence wisely, his success would come more quickly; but though a shrewd businessman, he was also a simple man, better suited to selling cloth than to playing politics.I'm sure he loved us little ones, and when Luca and Tommaso misbehaved he taught them well; but in a way he was more at home in the workshop than at home.He could pass on to us only a few tricks of trade (that's what his grandfather taught him), and had no mother's knowledge or eloquence; Also know how deep red is best in daylight to please those fashionable ladies.

So that morning, he had a long conversation with us that was obviously well thought out, and I suspect it was something Mom had planned with him. "First of all, I have good news to tell you. Protila is fine. Mom was with her last night, and she is fine." Mom sat upright, with her hands folded on her knees, as still as a virgin.If you didn't know her well, you might think she wasn't thinking anything. "But there is some other news. You will hear rumors about it soon, and we think you should get news from home first." I glanced at Tommaso.Was he talking about the naked woman with the penis in her mouth?Of course Dad wouldn't say that.

"The Town Hall met last night, because something abroad was endangering our security. The French king's advance troops had gone north, claiming Naples as his dominion. He routed Naples' naval fleet at Genoa, and made peace with Milan. Venice signed the treaty. But in order to go south he had to pass through Tuscany. He sent envoys to seek our support and to ask for the safe passage of his army." I saw Tommaso grinning smugly. He knew more than he told me.But women are certainly not suited to political power. "So there will be a war?" Luca's eyes were shining like military medals. "I heard that the French are brave and good at fighting."

"No, Luca. There will be no war. Peace is more honorable than war." Papa's voice was stern, knowing that war would destroy the demand for fine cloth. "The lord took Piero Medici's advice, Remaining neutral and not supporting his demands on Napoli. In this way we showed our strength cautiously." "Well, if we pin our hopes on Piero, it will be no different from opening the door to a thief." Dad sighed, "Which gossip told you that, Tommaso?" Tommaso shrugged. "I tell you that the lord has great confidence in the name of the Medici. No one else has the same respect from a foreign sovereign."

"Let's put it this way, I don't think we should let them pass by. I think we should fight them," said Luka, who was listening as before, but not listening. "No, we will not fight them. We will negotiate with them, Luka. Their war is none of our business. It will be a treaty of equality, and they will give us something in return." "What? You think Charlie's going to settle the dispute for us and give us the pizza?" I'd never heard Tommaso yell so loudly in front of Dad, and Mom gave him a hard look, but he didn't pay attention. "He will do as he pleases, knowing that he needs only a little intimidation and our great republic will fall like a house of dominoes."

"You're just a kid pretending to be a grown-up, laughable," Dad said. "Better put those rebellious remarks away until you can talk about them. I don't want to hear them in this house." The room fell silent, and I looked away from them.Then Tommaso said quietly, "Very well, sir." "What if they come?" Luca said absently. "Will they come into the city? Will we let them in?" "This will be determined after we learn more about the situation." "What about Alexandra?" Mom said quietly. "Honey, if the French attack us, Alexandra will be sent to a convent where all the girls in town will be. We discussed the plan..."

"No." I screamed. "Alexandra..." "No, I don't want to be sent away if..." "If I see fit, you'll be sent away," Dad said angrily.This rebellion in the family disturbed him, but he forgot that we were all grown up.Mom, more intelligent and pragmatic, just looked down at her folded hands again and said softly, "I think we'll stop arguing, your dad has other announcements to make." They looked at each other, she was smiling, and Dad was grateful for her relief. "I... I am likely to be elected to the Council of Eight in the near future."

Elected to the Council of Eight!Although he has long known that this kind of promotion can only prove that the electoral process has become a formality, it is really a matter of glory.Looking back now, I can still remember the pride in his voice when he said it. "Father," I said seeing my two elder brothers being indifferent, "you have brought great honor to our family!" I walked away In the past, she knelt down in front of him, kissed his hand, and became a good daughter for a while. When I stood up, my mother gave me an approving look. "Oh, thank you, Alexandra," he said. "I will remember the time when I took my place in government."

As we looked at each other and laughed, I couldn't help thinking of the massacred bodies, and the blood they shed under the pews of the Holy Spirit; and how Savonarola used them against the city, and the threat of alien invasion made His status as a prophet in people's minds is more secure. Mom sat by the window of her room for a long time, and I thought she was praying.Because since she was sensible, she always sat so quietly, so quiet that no one could feel her existence. She finally noticed me, but didn't turn around. "I'm tired, Alexandra," she said quietly. "If there's nothing urgent, you can come back later."

I took a deep breath and said, "I want to tell you that I don't want to go to a convent." She frowned and said, "It hasn't been finalized yet! If it's the final decision, you have to obey." "But you say you yourself..." "No! I'm not going to tell you that now. You heard what Papa said. If the French come—and that's not certain, of course—young women will be dangerous in this city." "But he says they're not here to fight, and if we make a truce..." "Look at you," she turned around after all, and said calmly, "women shouldn't know the affairs of the country. Especially you, knowing these will only increase your burden. But it's by no means that you You can be stupid and ignorant. No army will join forces to occupy a city without a name. And, soldiers in war are not good citizens, the most dangerous are merchants and young virgins. You must go to the nunnery." I took another breath and said, "What if I get married? I'm no longer a virgin and I have a husband to protect me, so I'm safe." She looked at me: "But you don't want to get married." "I don't want to be sent away!" She sighed and said, "You're still young." "Age-wise yes!" I said.Why are there always two dialogues?One kind when there are men around, another kind when it's just the two of us? "But in other ways I am more mature than them. If I have to marry in order to stay, then I will choose to marry." "Oh, Alexandra, that's not a good reason." "Mom," I said, "everything has changed. Protila is gone, Tommaso is always fighting with me, and Luca lives in his own fog. I can't read forever. Maybe that means I I'm ready." At that moment, I really believed that I was ready to marry. "But you know you're not ready!" "Now I'm fine!" I said frankly, "I started to get popular last night." "Ah!" She raised her hand and put it on her lap again, the gesture she always made whenever she wanted to calm herself. "Ah!" She smiled and stood up, and I saw her cry too. "Ah! my dear child," she said, taking me in her arms, "my dear, dear child."