Play@YSDC

If there was a secret door, Jacques couldn't find it.

Jacques:

Jacques polishes off his eggs, collects the pear he'd chosen to finish with, and heads back to the mysteriously noisy rear wall. Between bites, he listens carefully at the wall, straining to hear anything.

Just in case...

1d%L25%

OOC:   And nope.

There were footsteps just behind the wall.

I'll still count your earlier Listen success.

Jacques:

Curious, Jacques listens carefully, staying very still himself and just taking note of whatever he hears. And quietly munching pear.

The footsteps moved onward to the left.

Jacques:

Jacques shrugs to himself, none the wiser.

Tidying up, he makes sure he is presentable then heads out of his room. Jacques decides he should be present as soon as the Duc is available. He goes searching for a servant who can take him to wherever audience with the Duc will be this morning

Jacques found a servant walking through the hall, and he escorted him downstairs to the audience hall, a vast high-ceilinged room filled with artwork and decorations that put his lavish guest quarters to shame. It was still early for court to start, so not many people had gathered yet.

Jacques:

Happy to stretch his legs, Jacques roams the great hall. Out of professional interest, he occupies his time looking through windows and doors to see what the palace's defences are like, how many men-at-arm are visible and such-like questions.

He also discreetly keeps a look out for any other notable people he might identify.

Jacques crossed paths with Leonardo da Vinci. "Good morning, Chevalier," he said. "I see you are also an early riser."

Jacques:

"Master Da Vinci," Jacques answers with a smile. "I trust you had a quieter night after we rogues all left. Yes, you are correct though, too many years of rising early. I think it's a habit I cannot break now."

"But is all well with you, Master? Were you able to rest? And your devices are undamaged?"

"Thank you, I slept well," said Leonardo. "I have also mastered the art of sleeping for short amounts of time, perhaps half an hour, as needed. I find doing so occasionally throughout the day can refresh me as much as a good night's sleep. All of my devices are in working order. The crystal still does not glow. I do not know if the thief did something to it to cause it to lose its luminescence, or if it merely faded over time while it was secured in my puzzle box. It had been a while since I had last examined it."

Jacques:

"Most amazing. It reminds me of how fireflies glow."

"Am I right, Master, in saying you have in the past been contracted by various cities to invent devices to better assist with their defences? Machines of war?"

"I have indeed," said Leonardo. "Why do you ask? Are you considering a contract yourself, perhaps on behalf of the Knights Hospitaller?"

Jacques:

"Sadly no, although professionally speaking, I would be very interested to see some such devices of yours one day."

"In fact, I was thinking more about your suit of armour that killed the thief last night. I wondered if that was such a device?"

"No, that one I made not for military use," said Leonardo. "I built it over twenty years ago, and I demonstrated it at a celebration much like this one in Milan, hosted by Ludovico Sforza. It can be made to imitate human movements, but it cannot actually fight. I can see there would be a high demand for an automaton that could fight on its own. I can foresee a day when there would be no more need to risk fighting men on the battlefield. Machines could fight each other, and war would be far less bloody. However, I have thus far been unable to devise an automaton that can act on its own or be controlled from a distance."

Jacques:

"Good heavens." Jacques looks stunned at this thought. "An army of just suits of armour, with no men inside to bleed and die. What an image."

"Well, St John would approve of the reduction in blood on the battlefield. Although you would be doing me out of a job. I suspect I am safely employed for now though."

"I'm sure it will be quite some time before such things are possible," said Leonardo. "I would not be able to devise something like that in the time I have left, and I doubt anyone will complete it within your lifetime either."

Jacques:

Jacques laughs quietly. "I can rest safe in the knowledge that I am in no danger of being safe but without a job."

"But what of this lady who commissioned a thief to steal your crystal? Have you had any further thoughts on who she might be? I wonder who would even know you possess such a jewel?"

"Well, the letter was written in Italian," said Leonardo. "That narrows it down somewhat, but not as much as you might think. There are several prominent wealthy and influential families that could afford to hire the thief: the Sforzas, which I mentioned, the Borgias, the de Medicis, and others. Any one of them could have done it, and some female members of those families are in attendance here. They could also be married and have different surnames now. My purchase of the crystal was not a secret, and while I did not put it on public display, I'm sure it was common knowledge."

Jacques:

Jacques' eyes widen. "St John protect us." He kisses a ring on his hand that bears the St John's Cross. "I recognise those three names. They are as famous as any families in all Christendom, I should think. None would be good families to make an enemy of either, I imagine."

"Well, be on your guard, Master, in case another thief is dispatched to steal your gem. I shall keep my own eyes open as well, although I fear my feeble wits are a poor addition to your own."