The adventures of Orlando furioso kept me excited all through dinner. Just as we said the final prayer and were about to leave, a tall stranger blocked the exit of the boys dining room. I need the apprentice Fiorino, he announced, and I immediately responded: At your service, Signore.

The stranger identified himself as Captain Kungler of the Aurelia, and spoke without ceremony. Ive come to Melioria with a shipment of beaver pelts. Tomorrow we ship out. I am in need of a cabin boy. I am told that you know the sea and how to sail.

Signor Capitano, I must decline, I said respectfully, An apprentice gondolier like me knows the canals of Venice but does not know the sea.

Not important. Cabin boys have other responsibilities and answer only to the Captain. You will learn to be a seaman, he smiled, and relit his pipe.

The captains smile did not reach his eyes, which made me very uneasy.

Signor Capitano, without my patrons permission I must refuse your generous offer, I answered, in the most polite of tones.

The Prince of Melioria is lost at Sea. You need a new patron, and that would be me. I expect you to accept my offer and to be at the docks at sunrise. The captain took another puff. Make yourself ready, he added, then turned and strode out of the room.

My heart was pounding. Who told the captain about me? Who told him I should go to sea with the Aurelia? I grabbed my cloak and raced down to the southeast shore where the Earl of Essex had his summer cottage. Ever since the Prince of Melioria had gone on his journey, Essex had shown me great kindness. I needed to see him now!

A shocking disorder greeted me just before reaching the cottages: an enormous pit, surrounded by tools, shovels and carts. Who was digging? When I got closer, I observed a bronze lion wedged at the bottom of the pit.

What could this mean? Why would anyone bury such a beautiful sculpture? I got as close as I could, but I did not dare go into the hole. It was a good thing too, because I was startled by a voice that came from behind. You see the lion, Fiorino? Does it remind you of anything?

I nearly fell in the hole out of surprise! As soon as I caught my balance I realized that it was Professor Stern who stood behind me. Does that lion look familiar?

It reminds me of San Marco, I said: the lion of St Mark, who protects Venezia.

The professor from Turin smiled and shook his head. Oh no, I do not believe this has anything to do with Venezia. Look again, and see if it reminds you of any other lion.

Taking a different position, I studied the magnificent sculpture. It was certainly very familiar to me. Many cultures used the lion as their primary symbol, the professor explained, In fact, we know many invaders came through this area, from the Normans to the Saracens, not to mention Pirates. This may indicate that the Normans built a settlement here centuries ago.

The lion was magnificent. But why would anybody bury this lion here? I asked.

Who says anyone intended to bury it? the professor countered. Perhaps there was a disaster and this area was abandoned. If we keep digging, we may find more interesting ruins. Melioria is richer in mystery and history than we imagine.

As the professor spoke, a heavy mist rolled in from the sea, and I pulled my cloak more tightly around me. The professor began to hum a tune that I recognized as La fiera dellest , a ballad that tells how one thing builds on another. I looked at the professor and then stole a look at the lion. The professor was smiling and quite happy; the lion was dark and solemn, as if to say that he had some mysteries to reveal.