AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Aurelianus looked surprised. 'In Vienna,' He said. 'Don't you - oh. Of course. You've been away for three years. Before I took over it was called the St Joseph Monastery.'
'Oh yes. Where the Herzwesten beer comes from. You haven't shut down the brewery I trust?'
Aurelianus laughed softly. 'Oh no.'
'Well, thank God for that.' Duffy Drained his glass.
'How in hell did you get the Church to sell the place?'
'Actually, I inherited it. A prior claim on the land. Very complicated. But let me continue - I'm now running the place as an inn, and not doing a bad business. Vienna is a good location, and the Herzwesten brewery has as good a reputation as the Weihenstepan in Bavaria. My problem, though, you see, is that I haven't got -'
There was a hesitant rap-rap-rap at the door, and Aurelianus jumped. 'Who is it?' he called in an agitated voice.
The answer came in a Greek dialect. 'It's Bella. Let me in, little lover.'
Aurelianus clenched his fists. 'Come back later, Bella. I've a guest.'
I don't mind guests. I like guests.' The latch rattled.
The old man pressed a hand to his reddening forehead. 'Go away, Bella,' he whispered, so quietly that Duffy barely heard it.
'Yoo hoo, guest!' came the raucous, liquor-blunted voice from beyond the door. 'Tell the old juggler to let me in.
Good Lord, Duffy thought; domestic embarrassments. Pretend not to notice. He crossed to the bookcase and began squinting at the Latin titles.
'I've got news,' Bella whined ingratiatingly. 'Worth a ducat or two, I think you'll agree.'
'News about what?' rasped Aurelianus.
'El Kanuni, as my dark-skinned friends say.'
'You're a worthless trollop, Bella,' the old man sighed unhappily, 'but come in.' He unlocked the door.
Preceded by an overpowering reek of stale perfume and grappa, a middle-aged woman in a somewhat sprung-at-the-seams skirt flounced into the room. 'Give me some wine, for the Virgin's sake!' she exclaimed, 'lest I catch my death of the vapors.'
'For whose sake?' Aurelianus inquired savagely. 'Forget the wine. Vapors would be a blessing, considering what you've got already.'
'Envy will rot your pale liver, little monk.' The woman grinned. Duffy, having at least rudimentary manners, made a show of being absorbed by the books to the exclusion of all else.
Aurelianus turned to him apologetically. 'Will you, sir, be so good as to excuse us for a moment?' He was all but Wringing his hands with embarrassment
'Of course,' Duffy assured him with an airy wave. 'I'll divert myself with your excellent library.'
'Fine.' The robed man took the woman roughly by the arm and led her to the far corner of the room, where they proceeded to converse in heated whispers.
Duffy buried his nose in a book, but, being a cautious man, strained his ears to catch as much as he could. He heard Bella's hoarse voice say, 'The word is they've begun assembling the akinji in Constantinople...' Aurelianus asked a question about supplies and the Janissaries, but Duffy couldn't follow the woman's answer.
News of the Turks, the Irishman thought. It's all you hear these days. I wonder why this old bird's so interested.
'All right, all right,' Aurelianus said finally, flapping his hands at the woman. 'Your personal speculations don't interest me. Here.. .here's some money. Now get out. But first put that dagger back.'
Bella sighed sadly and took a jewelled dagger out of the prodigious bosom of her dress. 'I was only thinking a woman needs to be able to protect herself.'
'Hah!' The old man chuckled mirthlessly. 'It's the Turk sailors that need protection, you old vampire. Out!'
She left, slamming the door, and Aurelianus immediately lit several incense sticks in the candle flame and set them in little brass trays around the room. 'I'd open a Window,' he said, 'but in very old towns you never know what might be flying past in the darkness.'
Duffy nodded uncertainly, and then held up the book he'd been leafing through. 'I see you're a student of swordplay.'
