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for the last three years.
    Christofo smiled at last. “I know, my boy; I know.”
    Text of a letter from Jaans Marijens in Antwerp to Grav Ragoczy in Venezia, written in German, carried by messenger, and delivered thirty-six days after it was written.
    To his Excellency, the Grav Ragoczy of Sant-Germain, currently residing in Venezia at the Campo San Luca, the greetings of Jaans Marijens, scholar of Antwerp and author of the book Traditions and Legends among the Danes and Swedes.
    Most well-reputed publisher and master of the Eclipse Press in Bruges and the Eclipse Press for Ancient Studies in Amsterdam, my most sincere good wishes to you, and my hope for the success of your publishing endeavors. It is in that capacity of publisher that I write to you, for I was very much surprised to discover that you are the master of not one but two significant presses, and therefore have far wider opportunities to offer your publications in terms of distribution throughout Europe. I have been informed that copies of your books have been found as far away as Novgorod in the east and the New World in the west, which has emboldened me to write to you.
    My first work, cited above, was published in Frankfurt three years ago. With the recent upheaval in that city, many of the presses there were damaged or destroyed during the riots that have been the result of religious turmoil. I suppose you have heard about the damage done in Frankfurt and other cities, so I will not dwell upon it except to offer this as an explanation as to why I should seek another publisher for my next work which is nearly complete: Gods and Goddesses of Early Europe in which I identify and assess the various ancient monuments found throughout Europe, particularly the avenues and circles of standing stones, and the burial barrows of ancient Kings in all parts of Europe. I have visited many regions for myself and made extensive notes on the ancient sites as well as local tales regarding them. With the current protests being lodged against established religion, I believe there is much to learn from the faiths that prevailed before Salvation was secured for Mankind.
    If you will permit me to send you the manuscript I have been preparing for consideration as a work to be included in your publication program, I would be most willing to bring it to you either in Bruges or in Amsterdam, or to receive you or your representative here in Antwerp. At this time we are still fairly safe from the Church here, and the Emperor has not acted against the printers in the region because of the Protestant presence in the cities. Yet I am reluctant to send such material into stringently Catholic territory, for, as you are doubtless aware, many books of a speculative nature, or which deal with matters not supportive to the Church, are often confiscated and added to the embers. So long as I do not expose my manuscript to such ruination, I will consider it an honor to have your consideration, and I will accord your response the highest respect, no matter what your decision may be.

    Jaans Marijens
scholar
     

    By my own hand at Antwerp on this, the 2 nd day of April, 1530

3
     
    Looking up from the keyboard of her virginals, Pier-Ariana Salier smiled as her patron came through the door of her music room that occupied half of the floor between the street level and the top floor of her narrow house; it was twilight, the last of sunset fading from the sky in long, glowing streamers, just visible out the narrow windows in the west wall. The gathering darkness softened her features and robbed her red-blond hair of fire, sinking her turquoise eyes in shadows and smudging the arch of her mouth. Even the blue-green of her French square-necked and puffed-sleeved robe d’Italienne was muted, and the fine linen guimpe all but invisible; only her necklace of pearls-and-aquamarines shone, and it gleamed, seizing on the last of the light and giving it form.
    Di Santo-Germano returned her smile as he strolled