by UD Sandberg
42
Rome
Year 1599
* * *
Ciriaco
The Devil is approaching. I enclose the General Inquisitor´s letter that he put in Girolamo´s bookstore after he had him killed. Be on your guard, Ciriaco.
your Brother
Rome in the holy year MDIC
Thoth´s Brotherhood and the patron of the Theatre of the Five Gates. Lead us to the Theatre or go the same fate as the bookseller, Girolamo. The courier has told us your names, Ciriaco.
43
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
June 16
It was a heated atmosphere inside the central at the art museum. Alexander shouted to everyone who was in the room.
”Shut up! I'll talk to Nora now so we can get rolling on this shit.”
Alexander returned to the handset. Nora Smith had arranged tripartite talk with Wagner and Frati. She said in English.
”As soon as August's phone is online again, we know where he is. We have hopefully some luck that they are still in Siena. There are many towers there just like in any other cities. We will get the distance plus or minus a few yards.”
”Can we not do a passive triangulation of his cell”, asked Alexander eagerly.
Nora replied.
”No, we've already tried. The phone is off, you cannot ping it then.”
Nora cleared her throat.
”Luigi”, she continued. ”I suggest you post some units at strategic locations in Siena where one can imagine that they show up.”
”Signorina, I have already done that. We have uniforms on their way to Campo, a number of famous hotels, and men who patrol the streets. No problem. I myself will go to the Siena Cathedral.”
”Good, Luigi”, said Nora. ”You seem to have the situation under control. We will phone each other as soon as something happens. Okay?”
Luigi and Alexander agreed.
”Where are you now, Luigi?” asked Nora.
*
Ludwig and August crept along the streets and it was lucky that they took it easy, with their limited experience, they would have ended up with the police so easily if they weren´t careful.
They stopped at the mouth of one of the streets facing the square in front of the cathedral. No cops in sight. No civilian cops with earphones.
They crossed the square and tried to go on in as normal a manner as possible and I can say right away that I have never seen someone walk that normal.
They walked quickly up to the entrance and solved another ticket, they did not even try to get in on their old tickets not to attract attention.
A school class stood around the first two mosaics. A teacher spoke in Italian about the artworks. The students roamed with their eyes.
Ludwig and August were waiting impatiently. At last the teacher finished her education and urged the class further into the nave.
Ludwig August and went directly to the second mosaic to look at the lion. At the entrance a few feet away they heard a police radio.
The man who came in bolted down the volume. He showed his police identification to the girl at the counter and was admitted. The turnstile clicked. He had a phone to his ear. He spoke loudly, as if he did not believe that someone heard but it was normal for Luigi, he liked to speak out. He said in English.
”Nora, I'm already in the Siena Cathedral so you can relax. Yes, we are waiting for the signal.”
Luigi put the cell phone in his belt and turned up the radio again.
Ludwig and August looked quickly on the mosaic. Went with certain steps towards the souvenir shop that was beside the entrance.
There they were caught.
They had to cross the floor to get to the exit on the other side.
Luigi passed the mosaics to a guard. From his pocket he took up an A4-page that he unfurled. The image was printed on an old inkjet printer at Siena's police station. The guard shook his head. They started talking about something else.
Ludwig and August picked a few books in the shop. Looked carefully into the nave. August said quietly.
”Did you see what it said under the lion, Ludwig?”
He nodded. August had also managed to see.
Luigi slowly walked around the cathedral. He talked to all the guards and showed the picture.
”Sooner or later, he will come. What should we do, Ludwig?”
Ludwig's brain went into overdrive. He said.
”Did you hear what he said when he went in, August?”
”He was talking to someone named Nora, right? About a signal.”
”An Italian police officer who speaks English”, said Ludwig quiet. He thought for a moment and then said.
”You don´t think he's looking for us?” asked Ludwig.
”Unfortunately I think so”, said August. ”We have to get him away from the cathedral so we can get out of here. How are we gonna do that?”
”He said something about a signal. They are gonna get a signal.”
”But how, Ludwig? Then they will of course track us when we send it.
”Possibly, but not necessarily.”
”Give me your cellphone, August.”
August handed over his mobile phone.
”Now, this is a huge fucking gamble”, said Ludwig and looked out in the cathedral.
”What do you mean?” August asked anxiously.
”We hope that they are just looking for you so far. That they have not yet discovered who I am, at least not here.”
”Wait, is there no other way?”
”This is probably the best. We cannot risk that he gets more time in the cathedral. He will begin to approach us soon. I go now. When he passes away, you call me a call on the mobile from my phone so that I know you can go out. We meet at the side of the cathedral. At the stand next to the cathedral where they sell football jerseys.”
He gave August his own phone.
”Wait”, said August and gripped after Ludwig in the air, but he was already walking.
The police talked to a guard when Ludwig went past. He turned to him but did not notice him more than anyone else.
August stood nervously left and waited.
He saw Ludwig go through the turnstile at the exit.
Ludwig ran to the piazza where they were earlier.
Luigi walked around the cathedral. August looked after him. Lost him out of sight. He could hear his voice further away in the nave. Dared not go out and see.
Suddenly he heard the crackle from his radio just a few feet away.
He hurried to the toilets which were at the side of the souvenir shop. When he was on his way down the aisle towards the booths, he heard a voice behind him. It was the woman in the store's checkout.
”Scusi, signor. Excuse me.”
August turned around. She said in English.
”It costs 50 cents to use the toilet.”
August pulled out his wallet. He flipped quickly among the note s and felt in his pockets. He looked and saw Luigi´s back. He looked around inside the souvenir shop.
August snatched up a bill. Drove it in the hand of the woman. She looked at it and said.
”Have you nothing less? I cannot exchange a 100 EURO bill.”
”But, my God”, said August and wiped his forehead with his hand.
He saw Luigi turn around. August moved into the aisle and said while walking backwards. ”Keep the change.”
He smiled a strained smile.
He turned and ran towards the toilets. He heard the woman yell after him when he locked himself in a cubicle.
He pulled up his feet and swore quietly to the woman.
Luigi walked up to the cashier and asked what was going on. She showed the note.
”It was a very eager man who ran into the toilets.”
”Really?” said Luigi interested. He leaned over the counter and flexed his aplomb wrinkles. Picked up the Marcello-smile.
”Maybe he was very anxious.”
”Yes, I may sa
y so. He had no change so he pressed this 100 EURO bill in my hand.”
Luigi looked suddenly suspicious.
”How did he look?”
”Older gentleman. Maybe around 60 years. Well dressed.”
Luigi took up the A4-paper with August's picture and unfurled.
”Is that him?”
The cashier looked scared. It was as if she had identified a killer. She nodded slowly. Answered yes to Luigi's question.
”Stay here”, said Luigi.
He walked down the aisle towards the toilets. He saw that a stall was locked. Luigi took short steps, looked around the corner at the booths to see if the window was open. It was not.
”Scusi, Signor.”
Luigi unbuttoned his holster to his service pistol.
”Are you okay?”
August was completely paralyzed by fear. Prayed that he wouldn´t believe he was there.
He saw the police´s black shoes under the door.
Luigi knocked.
”Scusi, signor. Everything all right?”
His voice was right next to the door.
August could almost feel his breath.
August did not answer. He held his breath.
Luigi knocked again. Repeated the question sharply. He sounded irritated.
August's shirt smeared him and stuck against his back.
August clung to his legs harder and harder with his arms.
Moved the feet further into the toilet seat.
Luigi took up a small pocket knife. He brought it to the door.
August heard how it was scratching the lock on the door. The knob turned a little to the left. He reached out and held back. Sweat dripped from his forehead to the floor. He slid the thumb on the lock.
The woman at the counter was standing further up the aisle and looked anxiously towards the booths. A colleague stood by, the woman picked up the paper as Luigi left on the counter, said something and pointed to the booths. Her colleague put a hand over her mouth.
Luigi felt that August held the lock. He lost his patience. He put down the knife and had backed off two steps. He held the gun along his side. He pulled back to kick in the door.
It crackled in Luigi´s radio. He backed into the corridor. Spoke in Italian. Asked what was going on.
August heard someone say in Italian.
”We have a signal. Nearby Campo!”
He heard Luigi protest.
Luigi looked toward the stall. The police radio repeated the location of the signal.
He hesitated but decided quickly.
Luigi ran up the aisle and snatched the paper from the cashier. He decided that he didn´t trust her.
He ran out of the hallway and the turnstile. Shouted in his radio that they would narrow the field. He drew up the phone. Phoned Wagner and Smith. Told them what was going on while he ran the short distance to Piazza del Campo.
August gently opened the stall. The corridor was empty. He took the paper and wiped his forehead. He walked past the souvenir shop and looked straight ahead. The cashier stared at him.
He avoided her gaze and slipped out of the cathedral.
*
Ludwig immediately shut the phone off when August phoned him. He waited for the onslaught of police officers. Because they were not looking for him, he went against the tide of people. Several police officers came running. The police in the cathedral was about to run into him. Ludwig walked with his eyes on the ground. Hands in pockets. Looked back toward the piazza after a few meters.
The policemen looked perplexed.
They ran around and looked under the stairs and in the streets around the piazza. Came back with their hands in the air.
He met up with August at the cathedral's long side.
”Let's go. Right away!” said August.
They hurried away to a taxi. The lion in the mosaic appeared in the mind of both of them when they said where they were going.
”Drive us to Oltrarno in Florence”, said August in Italian.
[ Notes October 25 ]
Ella
I'm in Rome, I arrived in the afternoon to Stazione Termini after a few days in Florence. On the train, and at the hotel Palazzo Magnani Feroni I stayed at in Florence, I took the time to really read through the Manuscript once again. It has bothered me from the beginning and I don´t understand if I've got it wrong, or if there´s a big misunderstanding, but now I´m starting to feel more on top of the matter, especially after Stephen, my old editor at the Times, also read the parts that have puzzled me. I'm still not sure if it´s consciously or unconsciously because I felt deceived the first and the second time I read it, like Coetzee tried to trick me. I need to read it again and check with Stephen. One thing is certainly clear, Coetzee is lying about the whole thing, or he doesn´t know about it, I don´t know which is worse.
Notes