“That will change when you go to Italy,” the professor assured him, then added, “But to first things first.Your desire to know the language.”

At this Rosa sat back, rubbed his chin, and eyed Carter thoughtfully. Up to that point, Carter had been rather enjoying the exposition on the virtues of Italian culture. It had put him at ease. This sudden silence, however, unsettled him, and he felt the butterflies flocking in the pit of his stomach once more.

“Tell me,” Rosa finally said. “Have you ever studied another language?”

“In high school,” said Carter. “I took a few years of Spanish.”

“I see. And how did you fare?”

“Not all that great,” admitted Carter, sensing that candor in this matter would work more in his favor.

“I’m not surprised,” said Rosa. “I suppose you learned by memorizing lists of vocabulary words and studying over and over again the conjugation of verbs.”

“How else is there to do it?” Carter asked.

“Ah, a good question,” said the professor, holding up a finger. “Do you remember that clean slate I mentioned before? For starters, that is what you need more than anything else. Think about it. If you wish to study a language, you must forget everything you have learned. You must become a child again, with a child’s clear mind, no preconceived notions of anything.” Rosa leaned forward and tapped the cover of a book on the table. “And so, when I point to this and say libro, I need for you to think libro, nothing more or less, just as a child would. You must take it to heart, believe it with all your might. I don’t want you to sit there thinking, Ah yes, libro—that must mean ‘book.’” He pointed to the chair. “Sedia.” To the table. “Tavolo.” To the window. “Finestra. You must forget that you know the names of these things, and relearn them all over again.You must let me guide you through the language, step by step, piece by piece, just like a parent guides a child. This is essential, for if you cannot be led, I cannot teach you. Do you understand?”

Carter swallowed hard. It was beginning to dawn on him that his foray into the Italian language might be a more rigorous undertaking than he had first envisioned. For a fleeting moment he questioned whether he would be equal to the task. Just as quickly, he thought of Elena, and all doubts flew away, for he knew that he had to try. And so, taking a deep breath, he nodded yes.

“Va bene,” said the professor, nodding solemnly in return. “In that case, let us begin, Carter Quinn, and see just how much you can be taught.”

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7

“So, what do you think?” said a hopeful Carter.