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Authors: Jon Courtenay Grimwood
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a jockey above the barrel-chested figure of her hated brother-in-law. In case anyone didn’t recognise the bearded man, Alonzo’s plumed helm was visible on the floor.
“Burn it,” the lizard demanded.
Tycho turned in shock. The lizard glared back at him, eyes wide and a frill of skin erect around its neck, delicate half-wings spread.
“What are you?” Tycho demanded.
The lizard simply hissed.
10
Looking around the piano nobile at Ca’ Friedland, Lady Giulietta opened her mouth to disagree with her cousin Eleanor’s opinion that the grandest of the palace’s upper rooms needed bloody good clean – and decided to save her breath.
While she’d been in Cyprus her lady-in-waiting had grown up. Lady Eleanor had already made it clear she didn’t
have
to return to her old position. She would visit Ca’ Friedland and decide.
Giulietta was so shocked she agreed without protest.
And her cousin was right. After Lady Giulietta was abducted, Eleanor joined Aunt Alexa’s household. She could stay there or attend Giulietta. The choice was hers. “Leopold lived here,” Giulietta said, as if that explained why she wanted to return.
Giulietta stared out of a window and across the Grand Canal to the buildings beyond. Anything but look at the young woman watching her. She couldn’t bear Eleanor to see the fear in her eyes.
Here I can keep Leo’s true nature hidden
.
She couldn’t say that, not even to Eleanor who was her cousin as well as her lady-in-waiting and the closest she’d had to a friendbefore she met Leopold. Because then she’d have to admit that Leo was
krieghund
. And even Eleanor would find it hard to keep a secret like that.
Krieghund
were beasts, they lacked souls; full-grown
krieghund
turned into monsters under the full moon. Good Christians killed them on sight. That was her baby people were talking about.
“Who will prepare your bed and heat water for washing?” Lady Eleanor asked, changing the subject.
“I can do that myself.”
“And I suppose you’ll wash the floors too?”
Crossing black and white tiles, Eleanor threw open the shutters of a huge trefoil balcony that let on to the Canalasso. Then she folded back the shutters of a narrower window overlooking a side canal. The gondola that brought them was still tied to its post, the gondolier resting on his pole.
“How many rooms?” she demanded.
Giulietta had no idea. She avoided saying this was because the only rooms she knew were those Leopold had ringed with salt to keep her safe from Dr Crow’s magic. There were things Eleanor didn’t need to know about her life then. Things that nobody knew. Except
that boy
.
“We’ll need servants,” Eleanor said.
Giulietta recognised this as surrender. “No we won’t,” she said. “We can manage on our own.” Now was the point at which Eleanor should stick out her bottom lip, complain loudly, or announce in that case she wasn’t going to stay. All things Giulietta did at fourteen. Instead, she simply said, “We can’t.”
And before they could begin one of those
yes we can/no we can’t
spats so much a part of their childhood, Eleanor told Giulietta why. If she didn’t hire servants her aunt would. Servants provided by Alexa would be loyal to Alexa first and Giulietta second. Did Giulietta want that?
“You’ve changed.”
“I had no choice,” Lady Eleanor said tartly.
Giulietta had the grace to look ashamed. In the months she’d been gone she barely thought of her young cousin. “What do you think we’ll need?”
Lady Eleanor suggested a wet nurse for Leo, a cook, a gondolier, and an ex-soldier or two to guard the doors. A general maid to prepare the beds and carry water. If they found they needed anyone else, Giulietta could hire them later. “No one will stop you cleaning cobwebs if you want. No one would dare. But…”
“I agree,” said Giulietta, surprising them both.
Then she asked the question that had been bothering her all week. The one that
“Burn it,” the lizard demanded.
Tycho turned in shock. The lizard glared back at him, eyes wide and a frill of skin erect around its neck, delicate half-wings spread.
“What are you?” Tycho demanded.
The lizard simply hissed.
10
Looking around the piano nobile at Ca’ Friedland, Lady Giulietta opened her mouth to disagree with her cousin Eleanor’s opinion that the grandest of the palace’s upper rooms needed bloody good clean – and decided to save her breath.
While she’d been in Cyprus her lady-in-waiting had grown up. Lady Eleanor had already made it clear she didn’t
have
to return to her old position. She would visit Ca’ Friedland and decide.
Giulietta was so shocked she agreed without protest.
And her cousin was right. After Lady Giulietta was abducted, Eleanor joined Aunt Alexa’s household. She could stay there or attend Giulietta. The choice was hers. “Leopold lived here,” Giulietta said, as if that explained why she wanted to return.
Giulietta stared out of a window and across the Grand Canal to the buildings beyond. Anything but look at the young woman watching her. She couldn’t bear Eleanor to see the fear in her eyes.
Here I can keep Leo’s true nature hidden
.
She couldn’t say that, not even to Eleanor who was her cousin as well as her lady-in-waiting and the closest she’d had to a friendbefore she met Leopold. Because then she’d have to admit that Leo was
krieghund
. And even Eleanor would find it hard to keep a secret like that.
Krieghund
were beasts, they lacked souls; full-grown
krieghund
turned into monsters under the full moon. Good Christians killed them on sight. That was her baby people were talking about.
“Who will prepare your bed and heat water for washing?” Lady Eleanor asked, changing the subject.
“I can do that myself.”
“And I suppose you’ll wash the floors too?”
Crossing black and white tiles, Eleanor threw open the shutters of a huge trefoil balcony that let on to the Canalasso. Then she folded back the shutters of a narrower window overlooking a side canal. The gondola that brought them was still tied to its post, the gondolier resting on his pole.
“How many rooms?” she demanded.
Giulietta had no idea. She avoided saying this was because the only rooms she knew were those Leopold had ringed with salt to keep her safe from Dr Crow’s magic. There were things Eleanor didn’t need to know about her life then. Things that nobody knew. Except
that boy
.
“We’ll need servants,” Eleanor said.
Giulietta recognised this as surrender. “No we won’t,” she said. “We can manage on our own.” Now was the point at which Eleanor should stick out her bottom lip, complain loudly, or announce in that case she wasn’t going to stay. All things Giulietta did at fourteen. Instead, she simply said, “We can’t.”
And before they could begin one of those
yes we can/no we can’t
spats so much a part of their childhood, Eleanor told Giulietta why. If she didn’t hire servants her aunt would. Servants provided by Alexa would be loyal to Alexa first and Giulietta second. Did Giulietta want that?
“You’ve changed.”
“I had no choice,” Lady Eleanor said tartly.
Giulietta had the grace to look ashamed. In the months she’d been gone she barely thought of her young cousin. “What do you think we’ll need?”
Lady Eleanor suggested a wet nurse for Leo, a cook, a gondolier, and an ex-soldier or two to guard the doors. A general maid to prepare the beds and carry water. If they found they needed anyone else, Giulietta could hire them later. “No one will stop you cleaning cobwebs if you want. No one would dare. But…”
“I agree,” said Giulietta, surprising them both.
Then she asked the question that had been bothering her all week. The one that
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