Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

Chapter 37

"Ezio! How long has it been since we saw each other?" Leonardo greeted him affectionately, as if he were his long-lost brother.His workshop in Venice was already identical to the one in Florence, except for a full-sized bat-like machine in the center, whose purpose Ezio was only now realizing.But first, he had to explain the situation to Leonardo.

"Listen, Ezio, you had another page from the tome delivered by that very polite man named Ugo, but you never asked me about it. Are you so busy?"

"Better busy than idle," Ezio replied.He remembered the page he had found in Emilio Babaig's papers.

"Okay, here it is." Leonardo quickly rummaged through the seemingly chaotic room, but quickly took out the neatly rolled page of the ancient book, and sealed it again with wax. "There are no new weapon designs on this page, but judging by the symbols and text on it - I believe those are in Aramaic, or even Babylonian - it will be a pretty crucial piece of the puzzle. I Think I see the traces of the map," he held up his hand, "but don't tell me anything! All I'm interested in are the inventions on these pages you brought me. And I don't even want to know. People like me It's only because of my own use that I won't be in danger, but if someone finds out that I know too much--" Leonardo meaningfully stroked his neck with his fingers. "Oh, that's it," he continued, "it's clear to me now, Ezio, that your visits are never just for social purposes. Have a glass of this lousy Veneto—I really Miss the Chianti - if you're hungry I might have some fish cakes or something."

"Is your mission complete?"

"The Earl is a very patient man. Cheers!" Leonardo raised his glass.

"Leon - is this machine of yours actually usable?" Ezio asked.

"You mean it can fly?"

"Correct."

Leonardo rubbed his chin. "Oh, it's just a prototype. I mean, it's not quite a finished product - but I can say without exaggeration, yes! Of course it can fly. God behold, it took me a lot of time ! I think about it almost every day!"

"Leon—can I try?"

Leonardo looked shocked. "Of course not! Are you crazy? It's too dangerous. First, we have to get it on top of a tower so you can fly..."

The next day, before the first pink-gray sky illuminated the eastern horizon, Leonardo and his assistants disassembled the flying machinery into parts and carried them to the flat roof of the Count's Palace in Pesaro. Nadeau's employer had no knowledge of this.Ezio went up to the roof with them.The city below fell silent.There are no guards on the roof of the Governor's Palace, because this is the "hour of the wolf", the time when the power of vampires and ghosts is strongest.Only madmen and scholars would venture out at such a time.

"Get ready," Leonardo said, "thank God there's no one around. If anyone sees this, they won't believe their eyes—if they know it's my invention, I'll die deal."

"I'll go and come back quickly," Ezio said.

"Try not to break it," Leonardo said.

"It's just a test flight," Ezio said. "I'll be careful. Tell me again, how to maneuver your darling."

"Have you ever seen a bird fly?" Leonardo asked him. "The important thing is not to be lighter than air, but to be graceful and balanced! You have to use your own weight, control your height and direction, this double The wings will carry you forward." Leonardo looked serious.He squeezed Ezio's arm. "Good luck, my friend. I'm about to write history—or so I hope."

Leonardo's assistants carefully strapped Ezio under the machinery.Batwings spread over his head.Secured by leather brackets, he can only face forward, but his arms and legs are free, and in front of him is a horizontal wooden bar, which is connected with the wooden frame supporting the wings. connected. "Remember what I told you! Left and right control the rudder, and front and rear control the angle of the wings." Leonardo explained seriously.

"Thank you," Ezio said, taking a deep breath.He knew that if the machine couldn't be used, this leap would be his last.

"May God be with you," Leonardo said.

"See you later." Ezio's voice sounded with forced confidence.He adjusted his posture and ran to the edge of the roof.

His heart sank first, and then a strange sense of pleasure surged up.The whole Venice spread out below him, but the machine trembled immediately, and then fell down.Fortunately, Ezio remained calm and remembered Leonardo's instructions for using the "joystick".He succeeded in balancing the flying machine and guiding it back toward the roof of the Palazzo Pesaro.When it landed on the roof, he took a few steps forward—and used all his strength and dexterity to keep it balanced.

"Christ Almighty, it worked!" Leonardo yelled, forgetting safety for a moment.He helped Ezio untie his body, before hugging him warmly. "You are amazing! You fly!"

"Yeah, for God's sake, I flew," panted Ezio, "just not as far as necessary." His eyes turned to his destination: the Doge's Palace and the patio.He knew that if he still wanted to stop the plot to kill Mocenigo, he had little time left.

Back at Leonardo's workshop, Ezio and the artist-inventor took the machine apart.Leonardo spread his blueprints on a wide trestle table.

"Let me see my blueprints. Maybe I can find some way, some way to extend the flight time."

Antonio interrupted their research in a hurry. "Ezio! Sorry to bother you, but this is important! My spies report that Silvio has obtained the poison they need and has given it to Grimaldi."

But at this moment, Leonardo shouted in despair. "It's useless! I've researched it over and over again, but it's useless! I don't know how to extend the flight time. Oh, to hell!" He brushed the papers off the table angrily.Several of them floated into a nearby fireplace, where the paper caught fire and ashes flew into the air.Leonardo looked at this scene, his expression brightened, and a happy smile swept away the anger on his face. "My God!" he exclaimed, "I figured it out! Of course! That's great!"

He salvaged the unburned sheets of paper from the fireplace and stamped out the flames. "Never give in to your temper," he advised the few pieces of paper, "for the consequences can only be worse."

"Why are you not angry again?" Antonio asked him.

"Look!" said Leonardo, "see the rising ashes? The heat makes things rise! How many times have I seen eagles soaring high in the air, not flapping their wings at all, and yet remaining in the air! The principle is simple! All we have to do is apply it!"

He reached for a map of Venice and spread it out on the table.Pencil in hand, leaning forward towards the map, he marked the route between Palazzo Pesaro and the Doge's Palace, marking the key points between the two buildings with swastikas. "Antonio!" he cried, "will you arrange for your men to prepare fires at each place I have marked, and to light them in succession?"

Antonio looked at the map. "I think we can—but why?"

"Don't you understand? That's Ezio's flight path! Those campfires will buoy my flying machine all the way to its destination! The heat will rise!"

(End of this chapter)