8. Cardinal Sin

There it sits. A household god. A dusty green bottle in an alcove. It has been in the palazzo for as long as Donizetta can remember. Admittedly, since she is 12 years old, that is not so very long. Nevertheless, she thinks, it is a long time for a dusty bottle to have pride of place in a Cardinale's palace. Donizetta has been waiting altogether too long in this room of late. Since the Cardinale began to take an especial interest in her Catechismo. When Sister Immolata summoned her that first time, Donizetta had thought it was about the blood. She merely tutted and escorted her to a private bathroom, telling her that it was for her use now. The rags were rough but absorbent and they remained out of sight next to her shame. No, it is for religious tuition that the Cardinale continues to send for her.

It is boring, but nonetheless she hopes the man will come soon.

The room is small, like one of the nuns' cells. Simple, some might call it, but even Donizetta can see that the cot and table are made of rare woods from far away. The least prepossessing item in the room is the bottle. The candlestick is gold and glitters in the light of candles which smell of anything but tallow-fat. On the cot itself are furs from animals that have never been seen in the Holy City. On the table is a silver bowl, piled high with rare fruits, grown in houses of glass in the Palazzo gardens. Donizetta has promised not to touch a single berry until the Cardinale arrives. Such things are tiresome, but she may eat the entire contents of the bowl, should she so desire. The churchman encourages her gluttony, it must be said.

So what is a young girl to do? The fruit is forbidden, what harm can picking up the green bottle do?
None at all. The bottle is stoppered with a cork as old and black as some of the Cardinale's teeth. It is a moments work to remove it, but... The bottle is full of nothing but scraps of paper and dust! Donizetta is replacing the bottle, when the door to the little room opens. The green glass is safely in its niche, by the time the prelate has pinched her cheek. She thinks he has not seen her presumptive
inspection of the bottle. But what if he has? She knows she can distract him soon enough.

It is a matter of what to steal, after the Cardinale's seizure. Donizetta is still surprised that she didn't realise the old man's release was final this time. Only a far worse smell than normal alerted her. It is not worth being caught with the corpse of a Cardinale, not for an orphaned girl from who knows where. Donizetta takes the bottle, without quite knowing why, and flees through the dark passages of the Palazzo to the courtyard where the hens squawk and squabble in the dust. Carlo opens the gate and waves as she runs into the streets of the Holy City.