Page 338 - The Grotesque Children's Book

Chapter 54.

Gaps in the bays

Early August, 1571.

There were only seven weeks left until the gallery’s opening on October 1st. Allori was
frantic. There were still five ceilings left to be finished. Allori had begun with his southernmost
ceilings gradually working northward, while the apprentice painters had worked from north to
south, closing in on Bay 37, currently leaving a gap of Bays 38 and 39, and big pieces of 43 and
29 which had been delayed when some hasty plaster had fallen. This would not please the Duke.
But it was too late now to hire and train additional painters. Santi was dismally accepting of the
fact that he would not be paid for all his work, because Allori would not be paid. Santi tried to
reassure himself that now payment no longer mattered. Either he would be safe-away with the
jewels, or caught and culprited in a prison, but in either scenario it was irrelevant whether or not
he got paid for his work on the ceilings. This wasn’t true for Tozzo, who had a terrible blow
coming to him the other side of October 1st; and a little less so for Aurelio, who stood a chance
of deciphering the code to the symbols and retiring to England a rich, speaking man.

Meanwhile, Allori had grown nervous as a cat. “We’re running out of time!” he
whispered one day as he grabbed Santi by the scruff of his neck at day’s end. “You must steal
those jewels quickly!” Santi had been dodging Allori for several weeks, and just needed a few
more days to finish his clue-painting and to await his father’s imminent death. As soon as both
of those events came to pass, the very next day he would plan to take the jewels and disappear.
But instead, he said to Allori, “There’s no rush, is there? We have until October 1st, don’t we?”

“We don’t! I’m nearly finished with the portrait. So soon I won’t have access to Lady
Bianca’s chambers. But more pressing, they’re beginning to move artwork into the galleries. A
week from next week, they’re moving everything inside the Grand Ducal Palace including My
Lady’s jewels, for they’re to be part of the display.”

This is new; and not good, thought Santi. “I thought we had more time.”

“We did, but we won’t any longer. You must make your move tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow then.”

Tomorrow came. The plan, you recall, was for Santi to come to the chamber where
Allori was painting the portrait with some fresh pigments and some cloths. Allori was to pretend
to be annoyed with Santi. (“Can’t you see I’m busy here? Get back to your own work!” To
which Santi was to reply, “But this morning you requested I bring you these pigments and new
cloths.” To which Allori was to say, “Oh, bother then!” or some such pretend annoyance, “Let
me see that one cloth then!”) Then Allori would flap open the cloth, blocking the view of the
jewelry box from the ladies-in-waiting, giving Santi the briefest of seconds to open some
drawers, slip out some jewels, and hide them inside his other folded cloths. A foolproof plan.

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