“I’m not saying that his intentions are dishonorable, nor the lady vulnerable to his oily Florentine charm, but it is better to know, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be? If I may suggest, watch your wife. Look for evidence that her attention is wandering. I have had to do so with my own wife—what soldier, in the field for months at a time, has not felt suspicion? But do not crush that gentle trust with accusation. Watch her, I say.”

“You give me good counsel, Iago. That I will do. Let us finish the work and I will go to her, look for signs.”

“O, beware of jealousy, my lord. It is a green-eyed monster which mocks the meat it feeds on. But better to know than suspect.”

“Monster? Ha! Your infernal spinning of words gives power to enemies that are but specters of imagination, Iago. Let us finish our inspection and I will go slay your green-eyed monster with a single kiss from my sweet Desdemona.” The Moor climbed to the highest wall and did not look back to see if his lieutenant followed.

“Not enemies,” whispered Iago. What was Emilia doing laughing at the Florentine’s jokes? And why was he joking, did he not know he was ruined? If not now, soon.

I contemplated a bold prison break, with many disguises, much bloodshed, and buckling of swashes, but as I am small, and had neither my puppet nor my monkey at hand but instead a cracking big bag of gold, I decided to approach freeing Drool’s cellmate by means of ransom.

About the bit of paying the ransom: As it turns out, there is a good reason most kingdoms never turn the key to the treasury over to the king’s fool. The reason is, of course, we are, by nature and training, foolish, and consequently cannot be trusted with money. A lesson Jessica would not have had to learn were it not for the besotted git who guarded the side gate at Fortress Genoa, and the blistering toss-toad who was his commanding officer.

The guard appeared to have sobered up some, since we’d ransomed Drool, but he was no less miserable.

“Can’t do it,” said the guard, holding his spear as if he was hiding behind it while he looked about. Drool was hiding just around the corner of the great fortress, as I could not convince him to stay in the boat, due to his fear of Viv and water in general. “Even at twice the price. This one’s a real prisoner, a merchant and a gentleman, and a ransom demand’s already been made to the family. The big one was just his servant. You want this one, you got to talk to the captain.”