I poled my way quietly through the interconnected waterways of the old city. Around me was both opulence and decay. Elaborately decorated old palazzos were crumbling into the fetid water of the canals. Inside those crumbling facades the fine families of La Serenissima proudly went about their lives pretending that problems besetting the city did not affect them. They soon learnt that the underbelly is attached to their world and it would turn their world belly up before the Doge could sell out it people.
I could see the entryway to the cellar of Signore Victor’s workshop, I skilfully turned my old gondola into the entry way and hit the door in the pattern I had been given. Silently the door opened and I poled into the water cellar. The brightness of the one lantern momentarily blinded me. Bezio pulled my gondola to the tie and looped the rope to hold it fast.
“Ciao Luca, the boss is waiting with the parcel you’d better hustle, you know he doesn’t like being kept waiting.”
I gave Bezio the finger as I strode past. Heading toward Signore Victor’s office when I reached the door I knocked.
“Ah! Little Luca, come, come; you are in good time to take the parcel” Signore Victor called.
As I entered I saw the woman and child all wrapped up in cloaks to hide their identity, they were my parcel. My role was to get them out of the city.
“Signore Victor, my gondola is ready and the tides are right to get them to the ship. We need to go immediately” I replied.
“Dama, I trust in this little one she will take you on the next stage of your journey. Do not hesitate to trust in her she will get you and the child to safety.” Signore Victor gave a deep bow to the hidden woman.
“Avanti!” I indicated towards the door.
“Grazie, Signore Victor Our Blessings upon you” she replied in a whispery voice.
The woman and the child followed behind me and I got them settled in the gondola. Bezio opened the door and I poled out into the canal. I kept to the back ways for as long as I could but to get to the boats I had to enter the Grand Canal. There were lamps lit all over the area and groups of men tramping all around. I turned my head.
“You need to get under the cover” I whispered. “And stay silent I will get us across the Grand Canal.”
Once she and the child were under the canvas I poled out into the canal.
“Signore, Signore” I called to the nearest soldiers “Mi scusi, Ho bisogno di un medico, Mama is bleeding and the baby won’t come.”
The nearest soldier yelled Vattene!”
I kept poling down the canal weeping and calling out to the soldiers and they just kept yelling at me to get away. I moved out of the Grand Canal into the area where the ships were moored. Moving along until I spotted the Golden Sun I poled alongside its floating dock and hit the dock in the sequence I had been given. Silent men in brocade doublets hustled down and assisted the woman and child into the ship. The last man to leave, turned to look at me “Huh, a child” he muttered and he threw the bag of coins into my gondola.
I am small but I am not a child. Many underestimate me due to my size and their assumptions. I now needed to find out why a member of the Loredan family was fleeing Venice. Information and knowledge are the best levels of exchange in the underbelly of La Serenissima
