Rafael Sabatini

“ As they ascended from the vast plain of Umbria, so leafless, grey and desolate under that leaden wintry sky, they perceived through a gap in the hills the cluster of little townships and hamlets, on the slopes and in the eastern valley, which formed the territory and dominion of Solignola. These lay practically without defences, and they must fall an easy prey to the Duke. But Baglioni knew that the fierce old Count was not the man to allow any such considerations to weaken his resolve to resist the Borgia, and to that resolve Gianpaolo hoped to spur him. ”

“ Madonna Panthasilea had come to Assisi to destroy by guile one whom she had never heard described save as an odious monster, the devastator of all Italy. She had looked to see some horror of a man, malformed, prematurely aged and ravaged by disease and the wrath of Heaven. Instead she found a youthful cavalier, resplendent of raiment, superb of shape, and beautiful of countenance beyond all men that she had ever seen. ”

“ Gianluca was led forward to the table, and stood there between his two fearsome guards to face the questioner.
From the depths of the cowl a cold voice spoke, and to Gianluca it seemed to ring and boom through the vaulted place.
“Messer Gianluca della Pieve,” said the voice, “you are guilty of having conspired with Count Guido degli Speranzoni, Tyrant of Solignola, against the High and Mighty Lord Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valentinois and Romagna; and of having prepared here in Assisi a pitfall for this same High and Mighty Lord. Thereby you have deserved death. ”

“ Across the chamber, facing the questioner's table, grey ropes, like the filaments of some gigantic cobweb, dangled from pulleys that were scarcely visible in the upper gloom of the groined ceiling—the torture of the hoist. By these ropes stood two men in leathern vests, their muscular, hairy arms bared to the shoulder. A third man, similarly dressed, stood in the foreground making knots in a length of whipcord.
In mid-chamber—the one spot of colour in all that hideous greyness—stood Cesare Borgia in his long scarlet gown, thumbs hooked into his silken girdle, a scarlet cap upon his head. ”

“ And there is one thing, and one thing only that can save Solignola—the death of Cesare Borgia.”
A roar of acclamation was the answer to those words—words uttered already by Baglioni—now that they fell from her red lips. It was her beauty and her glorious womanhood that swayed them—as men ever will be swayed even against reason, against honour and against knowledge.
But old del Campo remained untouched by the subtle magnetism of sex. He rose as the acclamations died down. He turned a calm, impassive face upon Count Guido. ”

“ Towards noon upon the morrow a very dainty page in the Duke's livery came to della Pieve's house bearing a scented letter in Cesare's own hand, wherein his Highness like the humblest suitor, craved permission to come in person and receive news of Monna Eufemia Bracci.
Panthasilea's eyes sparkled as she read. Her plans were speeding marvellously. Fortune for once was arrayed against this Cesare Borgia whose proverbial luck had caused him to be dubbed Filius Fortunæ. ”

“ They sat about a long, quadrangular oak table in the thickening gloom, with no other light but that of the log fire that roared under the wide cowled chimney; and with them, at the foot of the table, facing the Count, odd member of this warlike council, sat a woman—the Lady Panthasilea degli Speranzoni, Count Guido's daughter. In years she was little more than a girl; in form and face she showed a glorious maturity of woman hood; in mind and character she was a very man. ”

“ Can anything that you may add be of so much moment that you should suffer torture and death sooner than reveal it?”
Gianluca shivered. “What do you desire to know?” he asked. “What can I add? You seem already to know all—more even than do I. Or is it,” he added in sudden apprehension, “that you seek my evidence to use it against this lady?”
“Already have I all the evidence I need, were such my aim. There is the letter which she wrote her father. That alone would doom her did I desire it. No, no. All that I seek to learn from you is the precise nature of this trap that has been prepared. ”

“ He scanned her face and saw that it was drawn, for all that its pallor was dissembled by the ruddy firelight. He saw that she could not bear his gaze, and so concluded—as already he had suspected—that the snare was to be sprung to-night.
“Eufemia!” he cried. “My Eufemia, how cold you are!”
She shivered at the endearment, at the soft caress of his voice, the pleading ardour of his eyes. “It—it is very chill,” she faltered. “The wind is in the north.”
He turned from her and crossed again to the windows, her glance following him. ”

“ In Perugia his sometime captain, Gianpaolo Baglioni, one of the more fortunate rebels who had escaped him, was arming to resist him, and making big talk of the reckoning he would present to Cesare Borgia. But when from the high-perched eyrie of his ancient Etruscan stronghold, Gianpaolo caught afar the first gleam of arms in the white January sunshine, he talked no more. He packed instead, and fled discreetly, intent to reach Siena and take shelter with Petrucci. ”

“ Destroy Cesare Borgia, and you will have destroyed the head and brain of the Pontifical forces; thus there will be an end to this conquest of the Romagna, which presently will spread into a conquest of middle Italy; for if he lives he will not rest until he is king of Tuscany. He is not easy of access, and since Sinigaglia he uses all precautions. Yet while he is resting in Assisi should be your opportunity if you have a mind to seize it.”
Count Guido sat thoughtful and frowning, whilst eagerness glowed on several faces, positive fierceness of concurrence on one or two. ”

“ To describe her the scholarly Cerbone had already, a year ago, made use of the term 'virago'—not in its perverted, but in its literal and original meaning, signifying a woman who in intellect and spirit is a man.
It was by virtue of these endowments as much as because she was Count Guido's only child and heir, that she attended now this council, and listened gravely to all that was urged in this matter of the Borgia invasion. She was magnificently tall, and very regal in her bearing and in the carriage of her glorious head. Her eyes were large, dark and lustrous; her hair of a glowing copper ”

“ Thus, whilst some remained in Assisi who scowled as Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valentinois, went abroad, the greater portion bared their heads and bowed their duty to the conqueror, the great captain who had made it his life's task to reconsolidate into one powerful state these petty tyrannies of the Romagna.
The half of Cesare's army was encamped in the surrounding country. The other half, under Michele da Corella, had advanced to lay siege to Solignola, which had returned a defiant answer to Cesare's envoys when these had gone to invite Count Guido to surrender. ”

“ For my purpose, Messer della Pieve, your house in Assisi will be necessary to me. You will lend it me.”
“Lend it you?” quoth he in horror. “Lend it to be a mouse-trap in which you—your matchless womanhood—shall be the cheese? Is that your meaning?”
She lowered her eyes; a crimson flush overspread her face.
“Solignola,” she replied, “is in danger of being conquered. In the valley thousands of women and little children are in danger of homelessness, of death and worse than death. ”

“ That too lies between me and the Duke of Valentinois; and vengeance should give me strength in this enterprise, which must be approached by such ways as only a woman's feet may tread.”
“But the danger of it!” cried Count Guido.
“Think not of that. What danger shall I run? I am not known in Assisi, where I have not been since I was a little child I am scarce known in Solignola itself, where I have been seen but little since my return from Mantua. And I shall be careful how I show myself in Assisi. ”

“ He gasped in pain, and the Duke's grip at once relaxed. Cesare smiled—a smile of tender, infinite pity.
“Consider by that how little you are fitted to endure the cord. Be assured that you will speak in the end. And what do you think would follow? Your release? Indeed, no. If once the cords of the hoist have grappled you, you become the property of the law; and when the law has made you speak, it will silence you for ever. Consider that. From the agonies of a broken body your release lies through the hangman's hands. ”

“ That much I can say from my knowledge gained in service with the Duke. Let me remind you of Faenza. What harm was suffered by the folk of the Val di Lamone? Why, none. The strongholds surrendered, and knew no violence, although Faenza herself resisted stubbornly.”
“But to little purpose,” put in Paviano—the Guild-master—sourly.
“That,” said Count Guido, “is beside the point. And Faenza had not the natural strength of Solignola.”
“Yet, ultimately,” protested Barbero, “surrender you must. You cannot resist an army of ten thousand men for ever.” ”

“ His mind seemed benumbed under the Duke's steady glance, under the eyes of all those gentlemen at the room's end.
It was Cesare's aim to determine whether della Pieve's recusancy was that of active or of passive enmity. If passive, the man might go his ways; but if active, Cesare must know more of it. And meanwhile he had been gathering information.
He had ascertained that Gianluca della Pieve had quitted Assisi on the eve of his own arrival, and had returned upon the morrow of that event, bringing with him a very beautiful lady, a kinswoman of his, it was put about. ”

“ Cesare began to consider the wisdom of opening a bombardment, deterred, however, by the difficulty there would be in effectively mounting a park of artillery upon those rocky slopes.
The matter of this obstinate but futile resistance offered by Solignola, intrigued his highness of Valentinois, and he was assured that some explanation for it must exist that was not obvious. That explanation he sought on every hand, for the Sinigaglia affair had rendered him doubly wary and alert. ”

“ The Lord of Solignola sat in council in the Sala degli Angioli—a chamber so known from the fresco which Luini had painted on the ceiling, representing the opening heavens and a vision of angels beyond the parted clouds. With the Count sat Messer del Campo, the President of the Council of Anziani, Messer Pino Paviano, the Master of the Artificers' Guild, two gentlemen from the valley—the Lords of Aldi and Barbero—a gentleman of Assisi—Messer Gianluca della Pieve—and the Count's two principal officers, the Seneschal of Solignola and the condottiero Santafiora. ”

“ Then he dropped back into his habitual, level tones. “For the rest,” he said, “such was their confidence in you up there in Solignola that they relaxed their vigilance and afforded me the time I needed to prepare the mine. That purpose, too, I had to serve.”
The curtain-rings clashed, as he bared the windows.
She struggled to her feet, one hand to her brow, the other to her heart.
“And I, my lord?” she asked in a strangled voice. “What fate do you reserve for me?”
He considered her in the golden light. “Lady,” said he, “I leave you the memories of this hour.” ”

“ He rode away bemused, and once back at the Communale he sent for Agabito Gherardi and told him what had passed.
“And so, Agabito,” he concluded, “the Lady Panthasilea degli Speranzoni is here in Assisi, calling herself Eufemia Bracci of Spoleto, the kinswoman of della Pieve. She has thrust herself upon my notice, and sought to enlist my interest and ensnare my senses. Can you read me this riddle?”
Agabito's round white face was contemptuously placid. “It is extremely simple,” said he. “She is the bait in a trap that has been set for you.” ”

“ Now we of the valley—and my friend Francesco d'Aldi, there, cannot deny it—we of the valley lie open to attack; we are defenceless; the few townships that have walls at all, have not such walls as will resist bombardment. It is a fine thing for Count Guido and the folk of Solignola itself to talk of resistance. ”

“ Some laughed, Baglioni spluttered an angry oath, and Count Guido intervened to soothe him.
“Myself,” proceeded Francesco d'Aldi, “I oppose the sacrifice of the individual where it is not necessary, and in this case I hold that it is not. We are to consider that with Cesare Borgia are several condottieri who are devoted to him. Such men as Corella, Scipione, della Volpe and others would never allow his death to go unavenged. And the measure of revenge they would exact is such as no man may calmly contemplate. Solignola would cease to exist ”

“ He waved his hand, and the executioners fell back, leaving Gianluca alone with his Highness in mid-apartment.
“Messer della Pieve,” said Cesare gently, and he placed a hand upon the Assisian's shoulder, “consider what you do; consider what is before you. I do not think the questioner has made that clear enough. You have seen the hoist at work; you have perhaps seen it wrench a man's shoulders from their sockets.” And his steely fingers tightened about the shoulder that he held, until it seemed to Gianluca that a thousand threads of fire were coursing down his arm. ”

“ He looked at her, and sighed. “Life is so short! I should not find it long enough to tell you.”
She flushed again under his burning gaze; for despite suspicion and all else he found her—as all men must—very good to see; and his admiration showed clearly in his glance.
“We are forgetting my poor foot, my lord,” she reminded him. “And I detain you. Perhaps one of your gentlemen will come to my assistance.”
“Nay, in this office I will not be supplanted. But one of them shall fetch your mule.” ”