Read Online The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cornelia Funke
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it's him!" Victor drummed the table triumphantly. "Prosper, the Fortunate One. Well, my dear boy, your good fortune is about to desert you, and Victor is going to have it instead. You cut your hair? I am sorry, but Victor Getz is not fooled that easily. And what about the little one, the one with your brotherly arm around his shoulder? His hair is so black, he might have fallen into a barrel of ink."
Ink. Of course.
Victor hummed to himself while he took one picture after another of the Basilica, the winged lion, and the two brothers.
Everyone in Venice comes to St. Mark's Square at least once a day. You just have to be patient. Patience. Staying power. And luck. A whole barrel full of luck. And of course a pair of very sharp eyes.
Not much longer and Victor would have started to purr like a satisfied tomcat.
12 Meeting in the Confessional
Move along, Bo!" Prosper urged. "It's nearly three o'clock."
But Bo was standing in front of the massive portal of the Basilica, looking up at the horses. Whenever he came to St. Mark's Square, he stopped and tipped his head back to stare up at them. Four horses -- massive golden horses -- stood frozen there, stomping and neighing. Every time Bo wondered again why they hadn't jumped down yet. They looked so alive.
"Bo!"
Impatiently, Prosper dragged him along through the throngs of people, waiting eagerly at the entrance to the huge church, to see the gilded walls and ceilings.
"They're angry," said Bo, looking back.
"Who are?"
"The golden horses."
"Angry?" Prosper frowned as he dragged him along. "About what?"
"Because someone stole them and carried them off here," Bo whispered. "Hornet told me." He held on tight to Prosper's hand so he wouldn't lose his big brother in the crowd as they circled the Basilica. Back in the narrow alleys he wasn't usually afraid, but it was different here on the wide-open square. Bo called it the Lion Square. He knew that it had a proper name really, but he called it that anyway. During the day every cobblestone here belonged to the pigeons and the tourists. But at night when the pigeons slept on the roofs and the people lay in their hotel beds, the square belonged to the horses and the winged lion that stood among the stars. Bo was certain about that.
"It is a thousand, or even a hundred years ago that they brought them here," Bo said.
"Who?" Prosper pushed his brother past a bride and groom who were having their picture taken in front of the Basilica.
"The horses!" Bo turned around again but he couldn't see them anymore.
Scipio and the others were already standing by the lion fountain at the side entrance of the Basilica, waiting for them. Scipio had taken off his mask and was fiddling with it anxiously.
"At last!" Scipio said when Bo sat down next to him on the edge of the fountain. "Were you looking at the horses again?"
Embarrassed, Bo stared at his feet. Hornet had bought him a new pair of shoes. They were quite big but they were really nice -- and warm.
"Listen!" Scipio waved the others toward him and lowered his voice, as if he was afraid that one of the bystanders could overhear what he was about to say. "I don't want to turn up at this meeting with my whole entourage, so this is how we are going to do it: Prosper and Mosca are coming inside with me. The others will wait here by the fountain."
Bo and Riccio exchanged disappointed looks.
"But I don't want to wait here!" Bo's bottom lip began to tremble dangerously. Hornet stroked his hair comfortingly, but Bo pulled his head away.
"Bo's right!" Riccio called out. "Why can't we all go? Why only Prosper and Mosca?"
Hornet answered before Scipio could say anything, "Because we three are not good enough to be in the Thief Lord's crew! Bo is too small, you look hardly any older than eight, and I'm a girl, which simply isn't good enough! No, we three would make you look foolish, wouldn't we, oh Thief Lord?"
Scipio pressed his lips together. Without another word he stalked off down
Ink. Of course.
Victor hummed to himself while he took one picture after another of the Basilica, the winged lion, and the two brothers.
Everyone in Venice comes to St. Mark's Square at least once a day. You just have to be patient. Patience. Staying power. And luck. A whole barrel full of luck. And of course a pair of very sharp eyes.
Not much longer and Victor would have started to purr like a satisfied tomcat.
12 Meeting in the Confessional
Move along, Bo!" Prosper urged. "It's nearly three o'clock."
But Bo was standing in front of the massive portal of the Basilica, looking up at the horses. Whenever he came to St. Mark's Square, he stopped and tipped his head back to stare up at them. Four horses -- massive golden horses -- stood frozen there, stomping and neighing. Every time Bo wondered again why they hadn't jumped down yet. They looked so alive.
"Bo!"
Impatiently, Prosper dragged him along through the throngs of people, waiting eagerly at the entrance to the huge church, to see the gilded walls and ceilings.
"They're angry," said Bo, looking back.
"Who are?"
"The golden horses."
"Angry?" Prosper frowned as he dragged him along. "About what?"
"Because someone stole them and carried them off here," Bo whispered. "Hornet told me." He held on tight to Prosper's hand so he wouldn't lose his big brother in the crowd as they circled the Basilica. Back in the narrow alleys he wasn't usually afraid, but it was different here on the wide-open square. Bo called it the Lion Square. He knew that it had a proper name really, but he called it that anyway. During the day every cobblestone here belonged to the pigeons and the tourists. But at night when the pigeons slept on the roofs and the people lay in their hotel beds, the square belonged to the horses and the winged lion that stood among the stars. Bo was certain about that.
"It is a thousand, or even a hundred years ago that they brought them here," Bo said.
"Who?" Prosper pushed his brother past a bride and groom who were having their picture taken in front of the Basilica.
"The horses!" Bo turned around again but he couldn't see them anymore.
Scipio and the others were already standing by the lion fountain at the side entrance of the Basilica, waiting for them. Scipio had taken off his mask and was fiddling with it anxiously.
"At last!" Scipio said when Bo sat down next to him on the edge of the fountain. "Were you looking at the horses again?"
Embarrassed, Bo stared at his feet. Hornet had bought him a new pair of shoes. They were quite big but they were really nice -- and warm.
"Listen!" Scipio waved the others toward him and lowered his voice, as if he was afraid that one of the bystanders could overhear what he was about to say. "I don't want to turn up at this meeting with my whole entourage, so this is how we are going to do it: Prosper and Mosca are coming inside with me. The others will wait here by the fountain."
Bo and Riccio exchanged disappointed looks.
"But I don't want to wait here!" Bo's bottom lip began to tremble dangerously. Hornet stroked his hair comfortingly, but Bo pulled his head away.
"Bo's right!" Riccio called out. "Why can't we all go? Why only Prosper and Mosca?"
Hornet answered before Scipio could say anything, "Because we three are not good enough to be in the Thief Lord's crew! Bo is too small, you look hardly any older than eight, and I'm a girl, which simply isn't good enough! No, we three would make you look foolish, wouldn't we, oh Thief Lord?"
Scipio pressed his lips together. Without another word he stalked off down
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