I am picking up my pen after a long while as my life has begun to take an interesting turn.

My dear protege, Vicomte Burly Mothman joined me in tasting lovely glass of wine this evening, during which time he asked me whether I would give some advice to a new friend of his, Sgnr Mercury Gandt and has already invited him to my rooms next Friday!! It seems I have no choice but to accept. According to Burly, Sgnr Gandt seems to be a rather nomadic soul who moves from town to town, tasting its pleasures and surviving off his gambling. He is here hoping to be introduced to members of the Venetian aristocracy so he may rise in wealth and influence. I am not too clear how he is going to achieve such an end with his limited resources since if one does not have friends in high places, one would need a great deal of money to buy the clothes and titles that would allow one to climb to those lofty realms. Clothes are expensive and honorary titles hard to acquire without a great number of ducats.

I am also afraid Sgnr Gandt may be disappointed by me, as my connections are not with the aristocracy but with the demi monde of courtesans, who, although rich and powerful, do not inhabit the higher echelons of the society of La Serenissima, no matter how low the Republic has sunk in the past century! One never knows, however, perhaps one courtesan may take him under her heavily perfumed wing and introduce him to her patron.

I hope that others might come to this meeting on Friday; they may be able to supplement the information I can give and connections I can generate.