Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Master by Ann Hood Page B

from?”
    Startled, Maisie yanked away from his grip.
    â€œI will find out,” he said coldly.
    Clarice laughed. “He’s full of doom and gloom,” she said, tugging Maisie along again. “He’s an astrologer, and he’s always saying dire or ridiculous things. He told me I would have
ten
children! And he told my poor brother-in-law that he would be murdered right in the piazza!”
    â€œThat is pretty gloomy,” Maisie agreed.
    But Clarice was already smiling—and changing the subject happily.
    â€œI just love
berlingaccio
, don’t you?” she said, letting a servant pull back one of the heavy chairs, and sitting with a bounce.
    Maisie nodded and smiled back at Clarice, but she couldn’t help but notice Signor Ficino watching her.

    â€œI don’t understand,” Leonardo said sadly to Felix. “Explain more clearly why I can’t come with you to the future.”
    The sky above Florence had turned from blue to lilac to lavender, now an inky blue studded with stars.
    â€œThere are rules,” Felix said, struggling to explain. “For one, you have to be a Pickworth.”
    â€œWhat is this Pickworth?”
    â€œIt’s our name. Like yours is da Vinci,” Felix said.
    Leonardo frowned. “So you are from Pickworth?”
    â€œWell, no. I mean, kind of,” Felix said. “Pickworth was our great-great-grandfather’s name. And probably his father’s name, and so on.”
    â€œBut da Vinci simply means that I am from the village of Vinci. You are not from the village of Pickworth?”
    â€œHonestly,” Felix sighed, “I have no idea. In the future, we don’t do it that way.”
    â€œWell, suppose I become a Pickworth—”
    â€œNo, no,” Felix protested, “it doesn’t work that way. And even if it did, you have to be a twin to time travel.”
    â€œWhy?”
    Felix shrugged. “I have no idea.”
    He remembered how he’d gone to The Treasure Chest and tried to take Lily Goldberg with him, and how it had failed. Even the thought of Lily Goldberg sent a sharp pain of embarrassment through him. Had she received that letter? Did she find him pathetic?
    â€œWhat else?” Leonardo was asking.
    â€œWe go into this room called The Treasure Chest,” Felix said, happy to
not
think about Lily Goldberg, “and we take an object—”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    â€œThe Treasure Chest is full of . . . of stuff. Scrolls and coins and precious jewels and feathers and crowns and maps and test tubes and compasses and . . . seals . . .”
    He looked at Leonardo’s expectant face. If Felix had that seal, he would give it to him right now. But Maisie had it.
    â€œThat’s how we got here,” Felix said. “With a seal of the city of Florence. And we need to give it to you.”
    â€œFine, then,” Leonardo said. “Give it to me. Maybe then I can come back to the future with you.”
    â€œNo,” Felix said, shaking his head. “Once we give it to you, we’ll go back. Just Maisie and me.”
    â€œImpossible!” Leonardo said vehemently. “There must be a way!”
    â€œActually, that’s not exactly right,” Felix said. “We give you the seal, and you give us advice.”
    â€œWhat kind of advice?” Leonardo said. “I have no advice for you. Or for anyone.”
    â€œNot so much advice,” Felix said, “but like a lesson. Something that will help us when we go back.”
    A slow grin spread over Leonardo’s face.
    â€œExcellent,” he said. “Then I will be sure
not
to give you any lessons. Until I figure out how to return with you.”
    â€œNo!” Felix said adamantly. “We need to go home. We have a family and school and . . .”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œIt’s complicated,” Felix said.
    Leonardo