Dark Shimmer by Donna Jo Napoli

Author:Donna Jo Napoli
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2015-09-07T16:00:00+00:00

The small boat usually handles very well, even with a passenger, but it’s hard to maneuver tonight. Pietro looks in all directions continually. No one should see him. No one should stop him. He knows the laws of the Republic very well. For assault or rape, one might be beaten, at the least, and, at the worst, branded. Jail, a steep fine. Being a servant, he’d get more jail time and less fine. But this would be considered attempted murder. He could be killed for this. And given that he’s a dwarf and she’s nobility, it could be a ritual execution, public mutilation. His hands chopped off and hung around his neck. He’d be marched through the streets to Piazza San Marco preceded by a herald proclaiming his guilt. He’d be hanged between the columns of justice. People would cheer.

Pietro has never harmed anyone in his life. If he were truly a murderer, he would have thrown her overboard immediately. But he isn’t a wretched sort. He’d say that if anyone caught him. He’d say it was obvious that he wasn’t a wretch, because he could have killed her easily.

Would it matter? Who would believe him? He isn’t even sure Agnola would. After all, who could imagine what The Wicked One had forced him to do? No one. It was unthinkable. She was unthinkable.

Pietro jumps at every noise from the banks as he goes through the series of quiet canals. This is the quickest way to cut from one side of Venezia to the other, but it’s still too long for comfort. Someone will catch him. His life is over. All because he loves Agnola. Blackmail is the worst of crimes; The Wicked One is the worst of criminals.

He eases the boat out into the lagoon now. The forest of the Isola della Certosa looms to his right. He rows harder. His arms and back and thighs strain with the work. His hands feel frozen to the oar. His gloves were lost in the water when The Wicked One rolled the girl into the boat. What a mistake to take them off. The wind whips off the water and steals the feeling from his cheeks.

Murano is asleep. The whole lagoon seems asleep. Pietro feels dead on his feet. But he’s alive. He needs to keep rowing to stay alive.

The girl gives a little moan.

The Wicked One said the girl would be unconscious till morning. Looks like she is as much a dunce as she is a devil. At least the girl is coming to…at least she’s not dead. Pietro dwells on that. If he can keep her from doing anything rash, this could still end well.

“Are you awake? Can you hear me?” How can he hope to get away with this? He does not seem a likely winner against The Wicked One.

Gull cries come from behind him. Dawn is breaking over the lagoon. The black-and-white ducks fall behind quickly. The mainland grows closer. Let his luck hold out—let him make it to the mainland unseen.

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