Chapter 42: How Much Does Loyalty Cost?

Caterina’s reply came with a cough into the back of her hand, quick and unconvincing.

"Come in, come in. Don’t stand there in the doorway like a customs man."

Brisk and businesslike. It was an answer to the door, at least, if not to the question he had actually put to her.

Vito had no trouble finding his own answer. "Leon! Come in, amico, don’t linger out there. You’ve caught me exactly as God made me, and I’m not charging for the view."

He waved toward the room, perfectly content with the fact that the invitation was coming from a man wearing nothing but underpants and an unreasonable amount of good humor.

Marouda set the tray beside the cot and went out without a word, leaving the three of them to sort out whatever their discussion had decided to become.

Vito tore the heel from the loaf and ate without hurry, his thoughts wandering for the archon’s purpose for the visit.

Perhaps it was the cathedral. It could keep prisoners for a season, but not forever. Sooner or later the city outside would begin asking why God’s house had been closed for repairs that apparently required the patience of saints and the eyesight of nobody.

Every week the doors remained barred to ordinary worship, the story about the rats grew a little more ridiculous.

Leon simply stepped inside, straight to business. "About the clergy, there are men among them known to me. Those that would accept the influence of Latins, in moderation, and those who would prefer to make martyrs of themselves over it.

The archon shrugged, "I assure you, Ser Barozzi, that second sort would enjoy the martyrdom considerably more than you would."

Vito tore off another piece of bread. It was coarse beneath his fingers and dense enough to make every bite work its way through his jaw.

"Then you suggest to replace the clergy? And the old ones, what becomes of them?"

"Retired, of course."

Leon tried the word cautiously. "An invitation to retirement, as I hear you enjoy to say, Ser Barozzi. There are enough soldiers to watch every door to cover the truth well enough."

Vito’s grin showed genuine appreciation.

Retirement. Much like being a hostage, provided the world thought the hostage was given a house and willingly accept the compromise.

Caterina clicked her tongue in a gentle pop.

"Naturally, some of them will not so easily accept this invitation of yours."

She looked at Leon without malice. "And the new clergy must earn the commonfolk trust from nothing, one liturgy at a time. It might turn into a difficult task without the public endorsement of the previous archbishop."

Vito nodded and drank from his cup. The wine was thin, watered down until it scarcely deserved the name. He had hated this sort of breakfast once, back when everything in this era seemed a worse variation of the food he had left behind.

Now, most mornings, he preferred it.

The fish beside the bread had not met a single seasoning in its life. There was something almost comic about that, how one merchant preparing to build his fortune on pepper was eating breakfast that had apparently never heard of it.

Regardless, his thoughts returned to the discussion. Restraint had bought them peace for the moment, yet trust was another matter, and much dearer.

No single night of mercy could buy it outright, and everybody at the room, whether they cared to say so or not.

Caterina rose her chin. He recognized the expression, one that set the scene for a bold plan of hers.

She started to explain in an even tone, "The clergy is only one way to pacify the population. Commonfolk follow their bread before they follow any banner, Vitale. Be it Venetian, Genoese, Roman, it makes no difference to a man whose children are hungry."

She stared at his eyes. "The quickest road to loyalty on this island goes straight through their stomachs. Make the Republic the reason they eat, and the trouble with uprisings and schemes will have solved itself by winter."

Vito hummed in approval. "And how do you propose we manage that?"

Caterina sternly nodded, "Simply speaking, we hire more men than the construction effort strictly needs. It will artificially inflate the prosperity of the city, enough to buy us the time we need for trade to pick up activity."

Vito thought it over, pulling another strip from the loaf.

"Can we pay for it?"

"I intend to spend the reserve, and borrow beyond it besides."

Caterina simply stated, with no hesitation nor fear.

The gamble felt familiar. It was alike the cheerful proposal that had put three galleys in his hands with little more than nerve, confidence, and a promise he had not yet managed to prove.

Vito’s grin came slowly, and then all at once.

"Do it," he said. "Borrow against tomorrow. I’ve made a living doing that before."

That brought the discussion to their next problem. Candia and the townships around it were pacified now, but that was only the little piece they could see.

Beyond it lay a much larger stretch of coast and countryside that none of them had walked, mapped, or even properly guessed at.

Vito tore the last of the bread in two and chewed on it together with the thought. "We have a stranger sitting aboard one of my galleys who may know more about the state of the island, or at least where another uprising might arise."

Caterina let out a small, dry snicker of agreement.

"Then that is the next thing to do, isn’t it? No point letting him get comfortable down there."

Vito finally got off the bed.

He stretched until his spine popped about every place last night’s work had left its mark, then reached for the sword and his clothes.

"Well. I’m awake now."

He grinned at each of them. "I shall wholeheartedly allow you two to quarrel over debts and priests. Meanwhile, I’ll go remind our Pisan friend that hospitality has its limits."

Caterina’s eyes dropped once, quite openly this time to take in the considerable amount of skin that was still on display. When they return to his face, there was a mischievous expression accompanying the faint pinkish blush.

"Do try to find your decency before you board that ship, Vitale. You seem to have lost it."

"Ma va’, mia cara. Even if that was the case, I still have to see you truly complain."

Vito laughed and waved them both toward the door.

"Out now, both of you. Allow this patrician to dress appropriately."

Leon’s dry laugh and Caterina’s exasperated breath rang as they left the room.

Vito shut the door behind them and dressed himself properly before buckling on his sword.

The breakfast was over, the talking was done, and the real work had only just begun.