Higher up, the rock face levelled out and they came to some wooden scaffolding that had been built against the outer wall of the palazzo. Stefano didn’t wait; he pulled himself up the scaffolding like a monkey, with James hot on his heels.

At the top of the scaffolding they stepped off on to a rough concrete roof. They were in an unfinished part of the palazzo that stood on top of the outcrop of rock. Builders’ tools lay everywhere among untidy sacks of lime and sand, mattocks, sledgehammers, pickaxes and trowels.

Now what?

This didn’t look to James like a way out.

Stefano took him to the opposite edge of the roof and they looked over.

There was a wall below them with two windows in it, one above the other, and past them was a long, giddy drop down into darkness.

‘I don’t understand,’ said James. ‘What do you want me to do? Why have you brought me here?’

‘You listen,’ said Stefano.

‘I’m listening,’ said James.

‘Something is happen,’ said Stefano. ‘Something bad.’

‘What?’ said James, trying to imagine where this was leading.

‘I work here,’ said Stefano. ‘Ugo pays me. I say nothing about what I know. I need money. But today I hear men talking. They think we don’t listen because we are only servants, but we know everything.’

‘I still don’t understand,’ said James. ‘What’s happened?’

‘Mauro is dead,’ said Stefano, simply.

‘What?’ Stefano’s words hit James like a physical blow. He was stunned. ‘How did it happen?’

‘One of Ugo’s men,’ said Stefano miserably. ‘Ugo could not forgive Mauro for spitting on his floor. But also because of what Mauro say to Ugo.’

‘What do you mean?’ said James. ‘Are you telling me that Ugo had him killed?’

‘Sì. They kill him. Mauro told me you are his friend. You must avenge his death. I cannot. I not strong. I am afraid. But you are strong. You fight the boy today. Mauro tell me you are brave. I see you come up here to the palazzo –’

‘This is stupid.’ James interrupted, his mind spinning. ‘I can’t fight Ugo.’

‘No. You cannot fight him. But you can hurt him. There is a girl.’ As he spoke, Stefano grabbed a length of discarded rope and tied one end around a half-built stone column.

‘What do you mean?’ said James. ‘What girl?’

‘The man called Zoltan bring her here,’ Stefano said, and he began to tie the other end of the rope around James’s waist. ‘Ugo has her. English girl.’

He took James back to the edge of the roof. ‘You go down,’ he said. ‘You go to second window. Here you will find the girl. I wait.’

‘This doesn’t make any sense,’ said James. ‘Who is this girl?’

‘She is prisoner,’ said Stefano. ‘You talk to her. You tell someone.’

‘Please,’ said James. ‘This is crazy –’