The Hideout (An original short story)
Saturday morning, I opened a letter that came from the city of Los Angeles. It stated that I owed 160 bucks worth of parking ticket for Acura Integra, the car I used to drive two years ago.
"Wait a second. Didn’t I sell it by then? Where is the damn bill of sale?"
I looked inside my filing cabinets for about fifteen minutes and felt nauseous. "Oh man, is this how I suppose to spend my weekend?" I asked Francis the 1st who was mysteriously half smiling at me from the reproduction that hung on the wall of my office. I slammed the cabinet drawer, fell back into the chair and closed my eyes. Francis, Francis, I’d much rather wonder in your time then deal with the nasty parking tickets. I could just see it.
***
Foggy morning: November 1505 Turin France. A group of equestrians is approaching the City Hall building. All men are armed and dressed fancy. In the middle of the group is a young man without a helmet. His red tunic is flapping in the wind.
‘Wait a minute…It couldn't have been 1505. Francois was born in 1494. In 1505 he was only eleven. Think. Think, man think! Okay. Hold your horses Francois …’
***
Bright morning: August 1516, Amboise, France. A young man wakes up with a smile, gets up and rings the bell. The lackey immediately walks into the large room and bows.
"Your majesty?"
"Fertiet, did he come?"
"Yes, your majesty."
"When?"
"Yesterday late in the evening."
"Why didn’t you wake me up?"
"Your majesty was asleep. I did not dare."
"How silly Fertiet. Didn’t I tell you to inform me as soon as he would arrive?"
"Yes, your majesty. I am sorry Sire."
"So where is he? Did he sleep well?"
"Yes, your majesty. He was given an apartment in the left wing of the palace."
"So where is he now? I can’t wait to meet him."
"Master from Vinci is in the main hall with all the other courtiers. He is seeking to be admitted to your sight."
"Quick Fertiet, quick. Hold the doublet straight." Francois Valois, the king of France, has left his bedroom and quickly went through the corridors of the palace towards the main hall. His lackey Fertier, adjutant - count d’Alene and ten soldiers who were guarding the entrance to his bedroom at night followed him. The young king walked so fast that his followers had to run at times to catch up with him. Their steps left a loud dull trace in the tranquility of the castle corridors.
***
Hm… I wonder about that. What if corridors were carpeted? I should look it up in the "History of Arts" or something.
***
"I am very honored, your majesty," Leonardo said. "You won’t be sorry that you’ve invited me. I am old, but I am still strong. I can be very helpful as a military engineer and architect as well as painter."
Francois raised his right hand up in the stopping gesture.
"Master Leonardo," said he distinctly. "We have been following your life. None of your previous patrons gave you the justice. You see we don’t want you to do anything!" He turned around towards the crowd lifting his hands and smiling.
Everybody smiled in return praising his generosity. He was charming in spite of long nose characteristic to Valois family and small eyes.
"We just want you to rest and be happy with us." he turned back to Leonardo. "That doesn’t mean you cannot do something if you want to. We have very big plans. We just don’t want you to worry about stupid survival."
Leonardo Da Vinci stood in front of the young king with tears in his eyes.
"Your majesty I brought you a present." Leonardo made a sign to his apprentice who stood in the corridor behind the door of the main hall. The apprentice brought what seemed to be a painting covered so observers could only see the reverse side of its canvas. Francois stood impatiently and his impatience transferred to all the people in the hall. Leonardo removed the draping. The crowd sighed deeply. Several ladies screamed. Francois pierced his eyes inside the canvas.
"My god!" He exclaimed. "What is it?"
"It’s a portrait of a young lady, your majesty. Her name is Mona Lisa."
She was looking at people with a strange half smile as if knowing everything about them and much much more.
***
I wondered if their real meeting had in any way reminded the one I constructed in my imagination. I thought it was smart of this Renaissance politician to invite Leonardo and give him a sense of stability in his old age. In return, he got one of the most precious pieces of art ever created on Earth and his place in history. He did what he had to do for the glory of France. I opened my eyes and winked at Francis portrait.
"You do what you have to do," Francis told me winking back. I smiled and went back to look for that damn bill of sale.
***
Leonardo da Vinci in Amboise
Leonardo da Vinci accepted an invitation from French King Francis I (1494-1547,crowned
1515) to live and work in France. From 1516 to 1519, Da Vinci lived in Château du Cloux
(now Clos Lucé) close to the royal castle of Amboise in the Loire Valley.
