Murder at Midnight (13 page)

T
AKING ONE OF THE CANDLES TO LIGHT THEIR WAY,
Fabrizio guided Mangus and Sophia back through the tunnel.

“Fabrizio,” whispered Mistress Sophia, “that person in the coffin. Who was it?”

“My friend Maria. You need to meet her.”

“And I need to thank her for her help and bravery,” said Mangus.

Maria was waiting by the outer door, wiping the white powder from her face. “Did I do it right?” she asked, grinning.

“Perfect!” Fabrizio cried. “Master, Mistress, with permission, my good friend Maria, the printer’s devil.”

Both Mangus and Sophia bowed. “We thank you,” they said together.

When they stepped outside, Scarazoni’s carriage was waiting. Mangus and Sophia sat on one side, Fabrizio and Maria on the other.

As they moved down the hill toward the city, Mangus leaned forward and grasped Fabrizio’s hand.

“Fabrizio,” he said, his voice soft. “Do you … do you recall when I was in the prison cell and I, unthankful sinner, released you from my service?”

“Master …”

“I beg you to forgive me,” said Mangus. “I fear I’ve been too harsh. You have served me well. More than well. Be assured, Fabrizio, I want you to stay. And you will stay, won’t you?”

“With permission, Master, yes. And yes again.”

The cathedral bells began to toll. It was midnight.

Next morning, Fabrizio went to say his good-byes to Maria. The Zeanzis’ printing press had been taken apart and loaded into a cart with their possessions. She and her family were about to leave for Naples.

“I have a farewell gift for you,” said Maria, and into the palm of his right hand, she dropped a small pile of metal type. “It’s the letters of your name,” she explained.

“If you ever write a book, you’ll have to start with the printing. And I promise to supply the other letters.”

“I think,” said Fabrizio, “before I write a book, I first need to learn to read.”

“Hold out your other hand,” said Maria.

When Fabrizio did, Maria took the pieces of type and set them in proper order.

Fabrizio studied them intently. “F–A–B–R–I–Z–I–O,” he said, calling out one letter at a time. Then with a grin, he said, “Fabrizio!”

AVI’S
work spans nearly every genre and has received nearly every major prize, including the 2003 Newbery Medal for
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
, two Newbery Honors, two Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, and the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical fiction. He lives in Denver, Colorado. You can visit him online at www.avi-writer.com.

Copyright © 2009 by Avi
Cover art copyright © 2009 by Craig Phillips
Cover design by Marijka Kostiw

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This book was originally published in hardcover by scholastic Press in 2009.

First paperback printing, September 2009

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e-ISBN 978-0-545-38843-6