Anso found himself wanting to tell her everything. But that was almost certainly due to the wine and her considerable enticements. Perhaps this girl was what he had been waiting for, the patron that could help him build his machine on a scale that he could not accomplish at the monastery.

“Alright,â€? He said, making an effort to ignore her licentious behavior. “Let us deal. You tell me what you want the machine for, and I will decide whether to sell you my services and at what cost.â€? She was full of smiles.

“Father has a project he will insist you work on.â€? The candles that Anso had laid out to provide light for his writings sputtered in a gust of wind, throwing weird shadows across Lucrezia’s face. “And I don’t think there will be much in the way of negotiations. Father will name his price and you will accept it, or you will live out the rest of your days fighting rats for food in a catacomb.â€?

As Anso pondered this unhappy decision there was a deep boom and the sharp sound of splintering wood from above.