The Thief Lord

"Hold on. You really can't wait, can you?" Renzo pulled a bundle from under his old-fashioned coat and threw it over to Scipio. "You better put these on if you don't want to burst out of your clothes. They're some old things of mine, or I should say, of the Conte's."

Scipio reluctantly climbed down from the sea horse again. Prosper nearly laughed out loud when he saw Scipio in Renzo's grown-up clothes.

"Don't laugh!" Scipio grinned, throwing his own things at him. Then he rolled up the long sleeves, pulled up the baggy pants, and laboriously climbed back up on the wooden sea horse. "These shoes are going to fly off my feet!" he complained.

"As long as you don't fly off yourself." Renzo stepped up to Scipio and placed his hand on the sea horse's back. "Hold on tight. Just one push and it's going to turn, faster and faster, until you decide at what age you jump off. Are you sure you won't change your mind?"

Scipio buttoned up the huge jacket. "I've got to decide?" he asked. "Hmm, I'm not saying I'd want to, but if I did want to, could I change back again, ride in the other direction?"

Renzo shrugged. "As you can see, I haven't tried that yet."

Scipio nodded. He looked at Prosper, who had taken a few steps back. He was nearly swallowed up by the shadow of the trees. "Please come too, Prop."

Scipio looked at Prosper so desperately that he didn't know where to look. But still Prosper shook his head.

"Well, suit yourself!" Scipio sat up straight. The sleeves of the jacket slipped over his hands. "Off we go!" he called. "And I swear, I'll only jump off once I'm ready to have a shave!"

Renzo gave the sea horse a gentle shove.

The merry-go-round started to move with a slight jolt. The old wood groaned and creaked. Renzo walked back to stand next to Prosper.

"Whoopeeee!" they heard Scipio shout. Then he leaned down over the neck of the sea horse. The figures spun around faster and faster. It was as if time itself was pushing them along. Prosper got dizzy trying to follow Scipio with his eyes. He heard him laugh out loud, and then suddenly he too felt a strange surge of happiness spread through him. His heart felt lighter than it had in a long time as he saw the figures zoom past him. He closed his eyes and felt the magic as if he were turning into the winged lion himself. He spread his wings and flew away, higher and higher.

Renzo's voice brought him back to earth. "Jump off!" Prosper heard him shout.

Startled, he opened his eyes. The merry-go-round was going slower now. The merman came around with his trident, now the mermaid, now the lion, and then the unicorn drifted into sight, even slower now. It stopped -- and the sea horse's back was empty.

"Scipio?" Prosper called. He ran around the merry-go-round.

Renzo followed him.

It was quite dark on the other side. High evergreen trees grew here, their branches reaching over the clearing. They were swaying gently in the wind. Something moved in their shade. A figure rose from the ground, tall and slim. Prosper stopped stock-still.

"That was close," said an unfamiliar voice. Prosper drew back; he couldn't help himself.

"Don't look at me like that." The stranger laughed self-consciously. He seemed strangely familar to Prosper. He looked like a younger version of Scipio's father. Only the smile was different, very different. Scipio reached out -- how long his arms had become -- and gave Prosper a bear hug.

"Prop, it worked!" he cried. "Look! Just look at me!" He let go of Prosper and stroked his chin. "Stubble! Incredible. Do you want to feel it?"

Laughing loudly, he spun around, his arms stretched out wide. Then he grabbed the protesting Renzo and lifted him into the air. "As strong as Hercules!" he shouted, before putting Renzo back on the ground. Then he felt his face, traced his eyebrows and his nose with his fingers. "If only I had a mirror!" he said. "How do I look, Prop? Different?"

Prosper wanted to say, just like your father, but he quickly bit his tongue.

"Grown-up!" Renzo answered.

"Grown-up!" Scipio breathed. He looked at his hands. "Yes, grown-up. What do you think, Prop, am I bigger than my father? A bit at least?" He looked around. "There's got to be some well, or a pond, where I can look at myself."

"There's a mirror in the house," Renzo answered, smiling. "Come on. I've got to go back anyway." But he stopped in the middle of the clearing. They heard a branch snap somewhere in the bushes, as if a large animal was creeping about.

"Where are you taking me, you little squirt?" they heard a voice say. "I'm already as bristly as a cactus."

"This is the way. We're nearly there," they heard Morosina answer. Renzo looked at Prosper and Scipio, clearly afraid. He wanted to run in the direction of the voices, but Scipio dragged him back behind the merry-go-round.

"Duck!" he whispered to Prosper and Renzo. They all cowered behind the platform.

"You will pay for this!" They heard Morosina's shrill voice. "You have no right to snoop around here. When the Conte finds out ..."

"The Conte!" the deep voice sneered. Prosper thought the voice sounded somehow familiar. "The Conte isn't here today! He told me so himself. No, you're here all by yourself, whoever you are. Why do you think Ernesto Barbarossa came to this island today of all days?"

Renzo gave a start. "Barbarossa!" he whispered.

He wanted to jump up, but Scipio held him back. The three of them carefully crawled forward to peer over the top of the platform.

"Do you think I would have climbed over that wall otherwise?" They heard Barbarossa breathing heavily. "I want to find out once and for all what all this secrecy is about. And I'm going to get quite unpleasant if I don't find out soon."

A few more branches snapped loudly, and then Barbarossa stomped into the clearing. He was panting, dragging Morosina by her pigtails like a dog on a leash.

"What the devil is this?" the redbeard roared when he saw the merry-go-round. "Are you making fun of me? I'm looking for something with diamonds, huge diamonds, and pearls. I knew you were stringing me along. Right, well, the two of us are going back to the house right now, and you'd better show me what I'm looking for, or else!"

"Prosper!" Scipio whispered so quietly that Prosper could hardly hear him. "Do I look like my father? Tell me!"

Prosper paused, but then he nodded.

"Excellent!" Scipio straightened his jacket and licked his lips like a lion anticipating a hunt. "You wait here for now," he whispered. "This, I think, is going to be fun. Great fun."

Keeping low, he crept past Renzo and Prosper. He looked around once more -- then he stood up to his full height.

He was actually a few inches taller than his dad. Sticking out his chin, just like his father always did, Scipio walked toward Barbarossa.

The redbeard looked at him and gasped. He was still holding on to Morosina's pigtails.

"Dottore...Dottor Massimo!" he stammered. "What...are you doing here? We haven't met for ages."

"I wanted to ask you the same question, Signor Barbarossa," Scipio answered, giving a perfect imitation of his father's condescending tone. "And what, for heaven's sake, are you doing with the Contessa?"