"Well, why not release me? I've paid up," he said indignantly.

"What if you've sold us short?" replied the captain. "The money has to be counted first. You must see that."

"What? Ten thousand ducats? It'll take all night!"

"It has to be done."

"If Luigi's late, he'll get the stick. I can imagine the kind of man the Banker must be!"

"Shut up up."

"You people certainly have a very limited vocabulary. Look, think of poor old Torcelli-if he doesn't show up with the money soon, the Banker probably won't let him join in the fun. Does Does he let his lackeys join in the fun?" he let his lackeys join in the fun?"

The captain cuffed the senator impatiently on the head, and Egidio fell silent, still grinning. He'd seen Ezio slip past and begin to climb the facade of the building in the direction of the dome behind it.

Once on the roof of the circular edifice, which the classical frontage partially concealed, Ezio made his way toward the round opening-the oculus-he knew was at its center. It would be a test of all his climbing skills, but once inside, he would find the agent and put the next phase of the plan, which was rapidly forming in his mind, into operation. The agent was about his size, though far less muscular, and his flowing robes would hide Ezio's physique-if all went well.

The trickiest part would be lowering himself through the aperture at the dome's apex and then finding some way of descending from there. But he'd been to the church before and knew that censers, hanging far below, were suspended by chains from this very roof. If he could reach one of them...if it would take his weight...

Well, there was no other way. Ezio knew full well that even he couldn't climb, flylike, across the inner curve of a dome, coffered though it was, 140 feet above the cold grey flagstones of the floor.

He hung over the edge of the oculus and peered into the gloom beneath. A pinpoint of light far below showed where the agent was, seated on a bench that ran around the edge of the wall. He'd have the money next to him and be counting it by candlelight. Next, Ezio looked around for the chains. None was within reach, but if he could just...

He changed his position and lowered his legs over the edge of the circular opening, gripping it with both hands. It was a huge risk, but the chains looked solid and old, and far heavier than he'd thought. He looked at their fixtures in the ceiling, and as far as he could see they were set fast in the solid stone.

Well, there was nothing for it. Pushing hard with his hands, he threw himself forward and sideways into the void.

For a moment it seemed to him that he was suspended in the air, that the air even held him up, as water does a swimmer. But then he started to fall.

His arms flailed forward and he willed his body toward the nearest chain. And caught it! The links slipped under his gloves and he slid several feet before he was able to get a firm grip, but then he found himself swaying gently in the darkness. He listened. He had heard no sound, and it was too dark for the agent to see the chain swinging, from far below where he sat. Ezio looked toward the light. It still burned steadily and there were no calls of alarm.

Steadily, he lowered himself, down and down, until he was near the floor, perhaps twenty feet above it. He was quite close to the agent and could see his silhouette as he hunched over the money bags, the gold coins glinting in the the candlelight. Ezio could hear the man muttering and the gentle, rhythmic click of an abacus.

Suddenly, though, there was an awful, tearing sound from above. The fixture of the chain in the roof could bear the strain of the extra weight no longer and had ripped loose. Ezio let go of the chain as it went slack in his hands and threw himself forward, toward the candle. As he sailed through the air, he heard a startled "Who's there?" from the agent, and a seemingly unending rattle as 140 feet of chain fell snaking to the floor. Ezio thanked God the church doors were closed: their thickness would deaden any sound from within.

Ezio fell upon the agent with his full weight, knocking the breath out of him. Both men sprawled on the floor, the agent spread-eagled beneath Ezio.

He wriggled free, but Ezio had him by the arm.

"Who are you? Christ protect me!" said the agent, terrified.

"I am sorry, friend," said Ezio, releasing the hidden-blade.

"What? No! No!" the agent jabbered. "Look, take the money! It's yours! It's yours! yours!"

Ezio adjusted his grip and drew the man close.

"Get away from me!"

"Requiescat in pace," said Ezio. said Ezio.

Leaving the body on the floor, Ezio quickly stripped the agent of his outer robes and put them on over his own, drawing a scarf over his lower face and tipping the agent's hat down low. The robes were a little snug on him, but it was not a noticeably bad fit. Then he finished transferring the money from the bags into the metal box the agent had brought for the purpose, where much of it was already neatly stacked. To it he added the account book, and, abandoning the abacus and the leather bags, he tucked the heavy box under his arm and made for the door. He had heard enough of the agent's manner of speech to be able to emulate it tolerably, he hoped. Anyway, he'd have to chance it.

As he approached the door, it opened and the captain called through it, "Everything going well in there?"

"Just done."

"Well, hurry up, Luigi, or we'll be late."

Ezio emerged into the portico.

"The count is complete?"

Ezio nodded.

"Va bene," said the captain. Then, turning to the men who held Egidio, he crisply ordered: "Kill him." said the captain. Then, turning to the men who held Egidio, he crisply ordered: "Kill him."

"Wait!" said Ezio.

"What?"

"Don't kill him."

The captain looked surprised. "But that's...that's hardly usual procedure, is it, Luigi? Besides, do you know what this guy's done done?"

"I have my orders. From the Banker himself. This man is to be spared."

"May I ask why?"

"Do you question the commands of the Banker?"

The captain shrugged and nodded to the guards, who let go their hold of the senator.

"Lucky you," he said to Egidio, who had the sense not to glance at Ezio before hastening off, without another word.

The captain turned to Ezio. "OK, Luigi. Lead the way."

Ezio hesitated. He was stumped, as he had no idea where to go. He hefted the box. "This is heavy. Have the guards carry it between them."

"Certainly."

He passed the box over but still didn't move.

The guards waited.

"Ser Luigi," said the captain after a few moments, "with respect, we must get this to the Banker on time. Of course, I am not questioning your authority...but should we not get going?" Luigi," said the captain after a few moments, "with respect, we must get this to the Banker on time. Of course, I am not questioning your authority...but should we not get going?"

What was the point of buying time to think? Ezio knew he'd have to work on a hunch. It was likely that the Banker would live somewhere in the vicinity either of the Castel Sant'Angelo or of the Vatican. But which? He plumped for the Castel Sant'Angelo and started off in a westerly direction. His security detail looked at one another, but followed him. Even so, he sensed their disquiet, and indeed, after they had gone a little way, he heard the two guardsmen whispering: "Is this some kind of test?"

"Not sure."

"Perhaps we're too early?"

"Maybe we're taking a roundabout route deliberately-for some reason."

Finally the captain tapped him on the shoulder and said: "Luigi-are you all right?"

"Of course I am!"

"Then-again with respect-why are you taking us toward the Tiber?"

"Security reasons."

"Ah-I did wonder. Normally we just go straight there."

"This is a particularly important consignment," said Ezio, hoping it was. But the captain didn't bat an eyelid.

While they had stopped to talk, one of the guards muttered to the other, "Load of rubbish, if you ask me. This kind of arsing about makes me wish I were still a blacksmith."

"I'm starving. I want to go home," muttered the other. "Stuff the security. It's only a couple of blocks north of here."

Hearing this, Ezio breathed a sigh of relief, for his mind had flashed on the location of the palazzo of the other banker, Agostino Chigi, who dealt with the Pope's affairs. That was a little to the northeast of where they were now. It stood to reason that Cesare's banker's place would not be far away-in the financial district. What a fool he'd been not to think of that before. But it had been another busy day.

"We've made enough of a detour," he said decisively. "We'll take a direct route from here."

He set off toward the Palazzo Chigi and was reassured by the sense of relief he got from his companions. After a while, the captain even decided to take the lead. They adopted a brisk pace and very soon reached a district of clean, broad streets. The large and well-lit marble edifice they then headed for had different guards on duty at the foot of its entrance steps and in front of the imposing double front door at their head.

Evidently, Ezio's party was expected.

"Not before time," said the leader of the new guards, who clearly outranked the captain. Turning to Ezio, he added, "Hand over the box to my men, Luigi. I'll see the Banker gets it. But you'd better come, too. There's someone here who wants to talk to you." He looked around. "Where's Senator Troche?"

"Dealt with as ordered," said Ezio quickly, before anyone else could answer.

"Good," replied the guard leader gruffly.

Ezio followed the box, now in the hands of the new guards, up the steps. Behind him, the captain made to follow.

"Not you," said the guard leader.

"We can't go in?"

"Not tonight. You and your men are to join the patrol here. And you might send one of them to fetch another detachment. We're on full security. Orders of Duke Cesare."

"Porco puttana," growled one of Ezio's guards, the former blacksmith, to his mate. growled one of Ezio's guards, the former blacksmith, to his mate.

Ezio pricked up his ears. Cesare? He's here? Cesare? He's here?-he thought to himself, his mind racing, and he went through the open doors into an entrance hall ablaze with light and, luckily, thronged with people.

The captain and the guard leader were still arguing about the extra patrol duty when a detachment of papal city police came up to them on the double. They were out of breath, and concern showed on their faces.

"What is it, Sergeant?" the guard leader said to their commander.

"Perdone, Colonnello-but we've just been on the beat near the Pantheon-the doors were open-"

"And?"

"And so we investigated. I sent some men in-"

"Spit it out, man!"

"We found Messer Messer Torcelli, sir. Murdered." Torcelli, sir. Murdered."

"Luigi?" The guard leader turned to look up at the front door, through which Ezio had just disappeared. "Nonsense. He arrived here a few minutes ago. With the money. Must be some mistake."

THIRTY-TWO.

Ezio, after having quickly and discreetly divested himself of Luigi's outer garments and hidden them behind a column, made his way through the crowd of richly attired guests, many of them wearing masks, keeping a close eye on the guards with the box of money. He drew nearer to them as they approached an attendant in fine livery, to whom they handed it.

"For the Banker," said one of the guards.

The attendant nodded and, carrying the box with ease, turned to make his way toward the back of the hall. Ezio was about to follow when he was joined by three girls, who brushed against him. Their dress was as opulent as that of the other guests, but their decolletage left little to the imagination. With a shock both of surprise and pleasure, Ezio recognized them as courtesans from the Rosa in Fiore. He'd obviously underestimated his sister. No wonder she was so furious with him.

"We'll take over from here, Ezio," said one of the girls.

"It wouldn't do for you to get too close," said a second. "But keep us in sight."

They swanned off after the attendant and caught up with him; one of the girls engaged him in conversation.

"Hi, there," she said.

"Hello," replied the man guardedly. But it wasn't much fun, being at such a party and yet having to be on duty.

"Mind if I walk with you? All these people! Hard to get through them with any speed."

"Sure. I mean-I don't mind if you want to keep me company."

"I've never been here before."

"Where did you come from?"

"Trastevere." She shuddered theatrically. "Have to pass some of the old ruins to get here. They make me nervous."