The Time Sphere

by A. E. Albert

  Leonardo sat in silence, joined by Billy, Jeanie and Dickens. Billy knew that Leonardo had given them everything he could. He wasn’t the man of the hour that Billy had hoped he would be, but that was going to have to be enough.

  Chapter 24

  That evening, Billy sat at the kitchen table, drumming his fingers and staring into space. Girls! How long does it take them to get ready! Billy and Dickens had been waiting for an hour, already dressed and ready to leave. Dickens didn’t seem to mind, however, occupying himself with one of Leonardo’s books.

  Leonardo had returned to his old self, petting a rabbit on his lap and discussing with Dickens the book he was reading. He looked up at Billy and noticed his annoyed expression.

  “Billy, you must never rush a lady. It is our purpose to wait and theirs to keep us waiting. It is all a part of their grand entrance, yes,” said Leonardo, laughing at his own wit.

  “Leonardo is right, Billy. A lady should have all eyes on her,” Dickens added, not looking up from his book.

  Not a moment later, Jeanie entered the room. She stood in the doorway, dressed in a deep green velvet dress. It had a square neckline that was fitted at the waist. The sleeves were tight on the arms and the hems touched the floor. The skirt belled out slightly at the hips, then flowed gracefully to the ground. The hems were embroidered with gold threading. Around her waist was a golden belt, the end hanging down the front of her gown.

  Her hair was pulled back into a braid and intertwined with ribbon. On her head was a green silk headpiece that was in the shape of a large cone, a sheer gauze material streaming from the top and down her back.

  The truth was, if someone had told Billy that Jeanie was going to wear a giant cone on her head one day, he would have laughed his head off. But seeing her standing before him, she looked perfect.

  All three men were now standing, giving her their full attention and admiration. She blushed becomingly and made a small curtsy.

  “You look quite beautiful, my dear,” said Dickens, as he kissed her hand.

  Leonardo gave her a low bow. “I concur, my lady, you are a vision of loveliness.”

  Jeanie turned to Billy and looked at him expectantly. All Billy could think was that he wasn’t going to mess it up like he did last time, but he still couldn’t help getting a little red in the face.

  With his eyes directed at the floor, he said, “You look very pretty, Jeanie.” Billy looked her in the eye and he breathed a sigh of relief. Judging by her joyful expression, he knew he had passed the test.

  The men put their surcoats over their dress clothes. Dickens helped Jeanie into a green velvet coat that was lined with fur and went to her waist.

  As everyone was standing at the door attending to details, someone knocked on the door. Billy opened it, and there stood Georgii, appearing to be dressed in his best clothes, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

  “Georgii!” exclaimed Jeanie, surprised at his arrival. “Are you coming with us?” she added, sounding very pleased at the prospect.

  As Georgii stared at Jeanie garbed in her finest before him, all he could think of to say was, “Gianna! I…you…what I mean to say is…you have never…”

  Billy patted Georgii on the shoulder. “It’s ok, Georgii, don’t go into shock,” he laughed. He turned to Jeanie and smiled, “What Georgii is trying to say is that you look very nice, Jeanie.”

  “No, Billy, that is not adequate enough to describe her glorious beauty-”

  Billy just rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Come on, buddy, dinner’s getting cold,” he said, as he put his arms around Georgii’s shoulders.

  Georgii stopped in his tracks and looked at his friends. “I still have not been invited to the mayor’s feast; I just wanted to escort Gianna to the hall.” There was no self-pity in his voice, just the typical matter of fact tone that was Georgii.

  “But you’re all dressed up,” Jeanie said, sounding disappointed.

  “Oh, Gianna, I just knew that you would look exquisite this evening, and I would not dream of shaming you in my usual attire,” he responded, bestowing upon her a low bow.

  Jeanie bent down and kissed Georgii on the cheek. “You could never embarrass me, Georgii.”

  Billy had to stop himself from laughing at the expression on Georgii’s face. His eyes were wide, and his lips were in the shape of an ‘o’. The young man was in such a state of shock. Jeanie had to escort him to the mayor’s house, instead of the other way around.

  Although it was a little awkward leaving Georgii at the door, Georgii handled it with ease and bid them all a good evening.

  Billy still didn’t want to be at the banquet, not thinking too highly of the mayor or his son. However, when Billy looked over at Jeanie, her open expression and glowing eyes made him realize he had to at least fake it for her sake.

  Billy looked around the great hall. It was very large and gleaming with white and black marble floors. The stone walls were covered with frescoes. The design was… what was that word Georgii told him? Ya Romanesque, Billy thought. There were columns built into the walls, joined together by arches overhead. Billy could tell that Niccolo’s father was very wealthy.

  There were numerous people standing off to the side, talking and drinking. In the centre, there was a large group of people holding hands in a circle. They moved their feet in tune with the band, while a select individual in the circle sung a song. The whole group joined in at the chorus.

  “That is called the Carola,” Dickens whispered into his ear.

  Billy turned to Dickens and said in a sardonic tone, “Thanks, now I know the name of the dance that I won’t be doing.”

  “Oh, I wish I knew this dance,” an excited Jeanie lamented.

  “Don’t worry, dear, there’ll be many dances you can partake in,” Dickens consoled her.

  Billy gazed around the room, entranced by the clothing worn by these medieval people. Most women were dressed as Jeanie and wore the large cone shaped headdress. Others only wore a simple white cloth to cover their hair and some wore what looked like huge bullhorns covered by a sheer cloth.

  The men wore tunics, surcoats and large floppy hats. The materials were velvet, silk and expensive linens. Billy was amazed by the colors these people wore. There was one woman who wore an orange and purple patched dress. Even the men wore bright and bold hued materials.

  Billy suddenly remembered hearing something about bold colors being a symbol of status. Billy turned and asked Dickens if he knew why.

  “The more colorful dyes are very expensive. That is why peasants wear dull blacks, browns and grays. Oh, look there, I told you.” With a snicker Dickens pointed to a man who had the tip of his shoes tied to his knees.

  “That looks ridiculous,” Billy replied in a flat voice.

  With a loud laugh and droll tone, Dickens replied, “No more ridiculous than the young men of your time, mmmm, having their pants pulled down to reveal their undergarments.”

  “Fine. Whatever,” retorted Billy, trying to sound defiant, but even he couldn’t keep the smile out of his voice.

  Leonardo then clasped his hands together. “Ahhh, there is our esteemed host, Attuccus de Fabiano. His family comes from very noble bloodlines dating back centuries, you know. Come, I shall introduce you all.”

  With a smile upon his face, he took Jeanie’s arm and escorted his companions toward a small group standing by the main table. As Billy approached his host, he noticed a tall blond boy standing at his side. The young man eyes met his as they made their way to the group, but Billy turned his attention to his sire. Niccolo’s father appeared to be a jovial man, wide in girth and laughing with a goblet of wine in his hand.

  Upon seeing Leonardo, Attuccus stretched his arms out in greeting. “Leonardo! So glad you could make it to our little party.”

  “We graciously thank you for the invitation, my lord. These are current house guests of mine,” he said, as he gestured to his companions, “and I am always grateful for the opportunity to
demonstrate what a generous host our mayor is.”

  “Ahhh, Leonardo, you are always welcome at the home of the de Fabiano’s. By the way, have you had any communication with the Emperor lately? Still enjoying his yearly stipend?” Attuccus laughed as he pounded Leonardo’s frail frame. “It must be nice to receive a yearly income for just scribbling numbers on a parchment, yes?” The man continued to laugh.

  “We still exchange letters from time to time. I do enjoy adding any little tidbit which includes your name, Attuccus. I do like to sing the praises of my friends,” Leonardo said with a smile, although the smile did not quite reach his eyes.

  “Ahhh, Leonardo, I pity anyone who gets on your bad side,” the mayor said grinning, as he shook his finger at the smaller man.

  Billy was gaining a new respect for Leonardo. These two men were having a seemingly cordial conversation but with subtle undertones. Billy had a feeling that Attuccus only put up with Leonardo because of his connections with this emperor of theirs and Leonardo knew it. They seem to be playing some type of game, where you said one thing, but meant another. However, to most people watching, they seemed to be the best of friends. Leonardo was definitely not as simple as he seemed to be.

  Leonardo motioned to his house guests. “Let me introduce you all. Dickens, Billy and Jeanie, this is Attuccus, the Mayor of Pisa. And this is his son, Niccolo and his daughter, Isabella.”

  “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Niccolo stated with a sweeping bow, appearing to be every bit the son of a nobleman. Billy and Jeanie quickly glanced at each other before they responded in kind.

  Isabella was a tiny girl of about ten years, with blond hair and blue eyes like her brother. But that was where the similarities ended. She gazed at her guests with bashful eyes and gave only a slight smile.

  “I like your hair,” she said shyly to Jeanie, resulting in a pretty blush covering her young cheeks.

  “Isabella! That is not how one greets another,” her father chastised, causing the little girl to promptly curtsy.

  “Um, thank you for attending my, um, birthday feast,” she said, her voice sweet, but unsure of itself.

  Jeanie returned the curtsy and smiled down at the girl. “We are honored to be here.” As usual, Jeanie’s kind smile put the girl at ease.

  “So how have you found our fair city so far?” asked a very polite and pleasant Niccolo.

  Billy looked at the older boy warily. He was acting as if they had never met and, thankfully, Dickens responded to his question.

  “We have greatly enjoyed the city and all of its amenities; most of all, the generous hospitality of our host,” he replied, nodding to Leonardo.

  “And we have met so many interesting people, too!” added Jeanie enthusiastically.

  “Oh, who? I know everyone in this town,” asked Attuccus.

  “Well, we were introduced to many of the town’s merchants and businessmen and of course, Leonardo. Oh, and Georgii de Villana has been showing us the sites of the city,” Jeanie said with a bright smile on her face, but a with faint glint of defiance shining in her eyes.

  This last comment resulted in the mayor throwing his head back and roaring with laughter. “He is a most entertaining boy. I think I would hire him as a jester if his father would only part with him.” However, his laughter quieted quickly as he looked at his guest’s serious faces.

  “He has been most helpful to us during our stay,” Dickens said evenly.

  “Why, yes, especially if you need rescuing from a mouse found in your cupboards.” This sneering comment came from Niccolo, which brought about another bout of laughter from his father.

  “Ahh, Niccolo, not everyone can be the illustrious knight you are, isn’t that right,” Attuccus stated proudly, as he put his arm around his son.

  That was when a small voice from below said, “But what about that time Georgii pushed me out of the way of that runaway wagon? Wasn’t that brave?” asked Isabella, her eyes questioning and innocent.

  Attuccus patted his daughter’s head. “Even the peasants have their moments, dear. But if your brother had been there, you probably would not have ended up with a broken arm from that boy’s crude rescue.”

  “But, Niccolo was…”

  “You were too young to remember, Isabella,” Niccolo sharply reminded his sister, causing her to lower her eyes and bite her lip.

  Attuccus didn’t seem to hear his daughter. He just gazed fondly at his son. “Yes, my Niccolo will make a grand knight one day,” he said with pride in his voice.

  All of a sudden a loud horn was blown. “Come, that means they are seating us for dinner,” said Leonardo. He nodded a farewell to the mayor and then escorted Jeanie by the arm to one of the long tables.

  Billy felt a wave of relief as they walked away from the de Fabiano’s, glad to have that done and over with.

  Billy could see a long table with a white cloth atop a dais at the other end of the room. There he could see Niccolo seated beside Accattus and on his other side was Isabella.

  Servants came around with bowls filled with water. Everyone began to wash their hands, so Billy just did the same. Afterward, more servants came with wine and ale, served with bread and butter. Next, a broth type soup was served with pieces of white meat and unidentifiable vegetables floating in it. The courses kept coming and coming.

  Thankfully, Leonardo noticed Billy and Jeanie’s curious stares as each of the platters arrived, so he proceeded to explain each dish to them.

  “These are honey mustard eggs, this is a puffed pastry with cheese inside, and these here are pickled carrots and pears.”

  All of a sudden, there came a murmur from the crowd. Billy could see a peacock, with its beak and feathers still attached and very fancifully placed on a stand in front of the main table. Billy felt himself turn green as he heard Dickens chuckle at his side.

  “Don’t worry, it’s cooked! Chefs of this era love presentation. They just put the feathers, beak and legs back on.”

  This did not reassure Billy in the least. “I still don’t think I can eat it.”

  “Don’t worry, there will be more to choose from,” replied Dickens, smiling at Billy’s green expression.

  And there was. Billy was amazed at the amount of food served. There was roast pig, roast duck, countless vegetable dishes, pastries and a different sauce to go with each and much more.

  After the meal was done, Billy didn’t think he had ever eaten so much. He looked around and wondered what the custom was after a meal. He didn’t know much about Medieval Times, but he knew one thing. Billy then let out a belch that seemed to ricochet off the walls and stun the room into silence.

  “That was great!” he said, as he pounded his chest, with a proud look upon his face.

  Every head in the hall turned to look at him; some even had a look of disgust on their face. Billy felt his cheeks begin to burn.

  Horrified, he turned to Dickens and whispered, “I thought that’s what they did in the Middle Ages, burp and pass gas all the time?”

  Dickens was turning a faint shade of red and his hand was placed over his mouth. At first, Billy thought it was because he embarrassed him, only to discover that Dickens was trying valiantly not to laugh. People finally began to turn away and resume their meal.

  The old man cleared his throat. “No, my young man, most people think that, but it is a gross exaggeration. In fact, it was considered very rude to do a number of things during a meal in Medieval Times, especially at an upscale meal such as this. Belching, scratching your head, wiping your hands on the table cloth was all frowned upon. Even blowing on your soup was considered vulgar.”

  Billy gave Dickens an angry glare. “Wow, I wish I knew all that before I totally humiliated myself!”

  It seemed that Dickens felt it was finally safe to laugh and let it out with gusto. “Don’t worry about it, Billy, they have all forgotten it by now, I dare day. And besides, you just gave me the best laugh I’ve had in a long time,” he said, as he wiped
a tear from his eye.

  “Glad to be of service,” Billy grumbled.

  “Oh look, they’re starting to clear away the tables for more dancing,” exclaimed an excited Jeanie.

  The band immediately began to start up again, and people moved to the centre of the hall. Billy learned more names of the dances, like the ridda and the balloncchio. He fervently hoped that Jeanie would drag Dickens onto the dance floor and not him, horrified at the idea of further embarrassing himself. As if she could read his mind, Jeanie grabbed Billy’s hand and swiftly began walking to the dance floor.

  “I can’t do this, Jeanie,” Billy said in a panic stricken voice, as he looked about at the people crowding around him.

  Jeanie just looked at him and smiled, “Neither can I, we can make fools of ourselves together.”

  They joined a lineup of people, where each partner joined hands, forming a bridge. The couple at the end would then skip under the bridge of hands, joining together again at the opposite end as the group cheered them on. There was a woman at the one end shaking a tambourine in tune with the music.

  Billy began to sweat, as it was almost their turn. Then with a laugh, Jeanie grabbed his hand and began pulling him under the man made bridge, skipping to the music. Before he could think, they were at the other end, where everyone was laughing and cheering.

  Billy’s heart beat so loudly, it almost drowned out the band. He had always been terrified of making a fool of himself, which was one of the reasons he worked so hard to not draw people’s attention and kept to himself. Then he realized that no one was even looking at him. Everyone was focused on just having fun. He and Jeanie continued to dance every dance for the next hour.

  After that, Billy fully engaged himself in the festivities. There were jugglers and dancers performing for the crowd. People recited ballads and sung love songs, which surprisingly, Billy didn’t mind in the least. Sword swallowers and fire eaters walked amongst the crowd, showing off their skills. He and Jeanie ate honey and fruit pastries and an assortment of other desserts. If they weren’t partaking in their surroundings, they contently wandered about and avidly observed all of the excitement around them.