~

Mercury Gandt was perusing the fruit stalls on the market square when he heard a familiar voice call his name behind.

"Don Mercurio! What a coincidence!"

He turned to see Fiorino Pera, one of the apprentices he had known on Rocca Sorrentina. The boy seemed genuinely glad to have run into him, and to be honest, Mercury found it refreshing to see a friendly face and hear a congenial word for a change. The Sbirri were starting to get impatient -- it had been a while since he had provided them with any new interesting information. He had been unable to learn more about the cannons that seemed to have some connection to the Conte Foscari, and of course he had no news at all about the Contessa Foscari. To say that the Sbirri agents were greeting him with friendly faces when he met with them was something of an understatement. It crossed his mind that if any of them actually ever smiled, their faces might break.

But here was Fio, of all people: they talked of why the apprentices had come to Venezia and how they fared; they spoke of things back on the island (and Mercury felt a little twinge of regret due to the realization he was unlikely to ever go back to that place); they talked of life in Venezia and what they liked and disliked about the great city. Mercury bought some melon for Fio, and another whole one for him to take back to his fellow apprentices to share with them.

It was, all in all, one of the more pleasant times that Mercy could recall during the last several months. Even so, the more he talked to Fiorino, the more he found himself missing the situations and individuals he had left behind to pursue this adventure in the serene republic.

Ultimately the conversation turned to people they knew. Mercury -- partly out of curiosity and partly in the forlorn hope that he might learn a bit of new and potentially useful information with which he could keep the Sbirri off his back for a little while -- asked if Fio knew anything about the whereabouts of the Contessa Elena Foscari.

Mercury asked the quetion in a very causal way, both to avoid arousing any suspicions by seeming unduly interested, and because he was not really expecting any positive response. To his surprise, Fio replied that although he himself had no knowledge of where she might be, he did know some people who might.

He then asked if Don Mercurio would perhaps like to meet these people.

Mercury found himself agreeing to rendezvous with Fio the next evening, and together, they would make the effort to see if these people could be contacted.

Consequently, the following the night they met at the appointed time. Fio took Mercury though a series of darkened streets and alleys, following a route that Mercury realized would be difficult for him to remember, and also that would be sufficiently complex to shake off anyone who might be following them. He was beginning to wonder about the wisdom of agreeing to do this after Fio took him into a lonely church...and then out a side door and through some passageways and a back lot of a darkened house. Nonetheless, he kept going. Then they came out on a small dingy street that was utterly unfamiliar. They stopped in front of the door of what seemed to be a mouldering tavern. Fiorino bowed, saying, "the people who may be able to help you are within. Now I must attend to another matter, so with your permission, Don Mercurio, I shall leave you to your inquiries."

Without actually waiting for the gentleman's permission to do so, he then turned and disappeared into the darkness before Mercury could react.

Seeing no other option at this point, Mercury tried the door, despite feelinga distinct sense of unease that was mixed in with his hope and curiosity The battered door opend with a creak, and there inside an extremely well-used common room were a few tables and chairs, some stools, and a counter with wine bottles. A shapely female figure sporting a spectucular head of hair was behind the counter, turned and working on something so that Merucry could not see the woman's face. At a table in the corner was the only other occupant of the room: Merucury was intirugued and a little surprised to recognize Achille Giglio, the tavern-keeper from Rocca Sorrentia.

"Buona sera, Don Mercurio," said the tavern-keeper, in a not unfriendly way. "In case you are wondering, you have come to the right place."

Mercury mumbled some greeting and moved closer to the man. As he did so, he heard a gentle sound from behind him. He did not need to turn around to know that woman who had been behind the counter had quietly latched the door. She now moved to stand hear Achille and for the first time, Mercury could see her face. The expression she wore was not at all friendly or sympathetic. And to make matters just a little more problematic, as she stepped into the light where he could see her better, Mercury immediately recognized the face: it belonged to Devi, that damned creature who worked for Elena Foscari.

~