Date: Tue, 07 Jun 2005 02:04:33 -0400
From: SSch191950@aol.com
Subject: The Lizard, part 3, chapter 5

THE LIZARD, part 3: Autunno
by Stefan

comments are welcome

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5
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Luca sat with heavy eyes at the kitchen table and breathed in the scent of
the hot wafers his mother cooked. Niccolo slurped his chicory-coffee and
seemed to be lost in his own dreams. Dante and Marcello were silent as
well. Clarissa looked from one to the other. "I thought you'd be happy to
be at work again", she said, but just earned questioning looks.

"Indeed so", Niccolo said, rising. "My fingers are pins and needles. About
time I felt the stone between them. All right, ragazzi, time to leave", he
said, clapping his hands.

"Go on, pappa", Dante said. "We'll take the piccolino."

Niccolo raised his eyebrows but said nothing. He gave Clarissa a brief kiss
and was gone.

Later on the streets Luca wondered why his brothers hadn't taken their
bicycles but had gone on foot. They had put him between them and
occasionally looked at him. Luca carried a heavy bag because he had packed
his Lapis Lazuli to show it Coppo. It was about time he did something with
it.

"The faggot has finally thought twice", Dante began.

"To fuck with a girl is the best a man can do, don't you think?" He winked
at Marcello who grinned. "Admittedly the girl looks pretty starved. Not
even tits or anything. She looks rather like a boy." He looked warily at
Luca. "How did it feel when you realized that even the little slut
Alessandro Gondi got it that faggots are perverted swines and that you have
to follow the rules of the normal people? If there's no other way you have
to bash it into their brains. I bet it hasn't been the last attack. So,
piccolino, you'd better keep away from the abnormal fags in the future."

Luca flinched.

"That blond guy is always with them recently", Marcello said. "What's his
name? Tristano? If your name's Tristano you can only be gay." Marcello
laughed nastily.  Luca said nothing but he dearly wished that they would
arrive at their destination soon, within the next second.

"Why don't you say anything? He has dumped you, right?" Dante started
again, nudging his youngest brother. "He has left you to fuck the brains
out of the little girl? I've heard she's pregnant." Dante stood his heavy
body in front of Luca. "And you?" He lifted Luca's chin.

Luca snapped it away. For a moment a red veil clouded his eye-sight and he
started to yell. "Shut up, Dante. What does it concern you? It's not your
business at all."

People on their way to work turned their heads to the group on the
pavement, close to the Accademia.

"It's not my business?" Dante repeated loud and menacing. "It's not my
business? It sure is." He breathed slowly in and out. Then he said more
calmly "It's all right when you went astray, but now you must stop it. We
can't have a brother being friends with scum. This is not the right way to
live a decent life. We must stick together." He wanted to hug him, but Luca
lifted his fists.

"Don't talk to me like that! You don't have eaten wisdom spoon-wise. Mamma
and Pappa are on my side. It's my life and you have nothing to say about
it."

Dante and Marcello broke out into an unhappy, shrill laughter. "Forget the
parents, piccolino. They just try to understand but they never do. It's
nothing that can be understood. You belong to us and not to the tainted
society squandering our hard-earned money."

With beet red face Luca went to pass them but Dante held his arm. "You
heard me. You'll never go to those gay-hangouts, or do you want to end up
dying miserably? The faggot-disease has never stopped and it contaminates
decent people too."

"Decent people? Like you are?" Luca spat. "Leave me alone."

He freed himself and hurried along into the security of the
workshop. Tristano caught up with him at the entrance. He looked into his
red face. "What's happened to you?" he asked.

Luca shook his head. His brothers entered the hall, furious like Luca. They
saw Tristano standing beside him. Dante stepped to him and hissed. "Go
away, fag, leave my brother alone."

Tristano's face was washed over with a surge of blood. They were pushed by
workers and apprentices. Then he turned, dragging Luca upstairs.

In the classroom they put their stuff under the table, seated and looked at
each other, hands shaking. "I didn't know...", Tristano started.

Luca said nothing until Coppo entered the room. He started the class and
for a few hours Luca could forget the incident. It came back with all its
power when Coppo released them for their break.

"Go alone, I'm not hungry", Luca said to Tristano, but he wouldn't go
either. "I've got a lunch package", he said. But Luca had other plans. "I
need to speak to Coppo." When he saw Tristano's disappointed eyes he gave
in. "All right, come with me."

They approached their teacher. "Professore, can I have a minute?"

Coppo turned. "Sure, Luca. What's up?"

Luca lifted the bag and produced the wrapped stone. "I have a stone and
don't know what to do with it. I thought I could work it into something,
later, you know." He lifted the cloth and revealed the Lapis Lazuli. Coppo
drew in a sharp breath. "A Lapis Lazuli", he said solemnly. "The stone of
Laz, the Babylonian goddess of love..." Coppo's eyes were
clouded. "Amazing, Luca. Where did you get it from?"

"It was a gift", Luca said haltingly, looking at his friend.

Coppo looked alternatively into the faces of both lads. "A gift." Then he
took the stone and weighed it in his hands.

"There's a crack", Luca continued. "It fell to the ground. Is it bad?"

Coppo followed the crack in the blue stone, tracing the white lines. "The
Lapis Lazuli encourages intuition and it was used as aphrodisiac", he
started slowly. "encourages fantasy and scares away depression." He looked
up. "It fell to the ground, you say?"

"Yes." Luca darted a look at Tristano. "Somebody dropped it by accident. I
mean, in a quarrel so to speak."

Coppo nodded. "It is told that a Lapis Lazuli is broken by danger."

"By danger?"

"Yes. It gives a warning to be careful and causes reactions."

Luca didn't know what to think and Tristano didn't understand a word of
it. He sensed Luca's unease and decided to leave. Luca probably wanted to
have a private word with their teacher.

Teacher and pupil watched him going. "You quarreled with your boyfriend,
Luca?"

"Well, yes."

Coppo nodded again. "I can imagine about what." Coppo eyed the young man in
front of him. He appeared more mature. He'd grown up during the
summer. Tanned from the sun, and a bit marked by sorrow. "The Gondi-lad,
right? It was a shock for us when he got married. I thought he wouldn't
play on the other team - as you young guys call it, right?" He winked, then
he became serious again. "Do you want to talk about it?" He pulled up a
chair for Luca and made him sit next to him. Then he pulled out a thermal
pot of tea and a package of tramezzini. "Help yourself."

Luca hesitated, then he took one of the breads. He had no one to talk
to. At least no one of this age. Grown up. Gay like he himself. Luca
started with low voice, not knowing how much he could tell his
teacher. "You know, it's not about him playing on which team. He has
decided on which one he belongs. The gay team. There were circumstances
that made him decide to marry." Greed, he thought and a false sense of
honour. Or sentimentality. Or family-liability. No, he couldn't tell
Coppo. It was a secret of the Gondi-family that was nobody's business. Luca
lifted his head and looked directly into Coppo's grey eyes. "Well, he had
to marry and I agreed."

"Really?" Coppo's eyes pierced Luca's. "You agreed? If my partner married a
woman all of a sudden I would feel very insulted and hurt. It would be a
breach of trust to me. Didn't you feel the same?"

Luca looked away. Of course he'd felt the same. But still the bond between
him and Alessandro hadn't been that strong to feel THAT hurt. They hadn't
promised each other anything and they weren't partners. And in some way
Luca understood the liability Alessandro felt concerning his family.

"Sort of", he said evasively. "Well, what can I do with the stone?"

Coppo sensed that Luca didn't want to talk about Alessandro Gondi and
dropped the subject. "I'm afraid we'll have to break the stone in two,
Luca. But it is too big anyway. Have you any ideas what to carve from it?"

"A lizard", Luca said instantly. "With a winding tail and green eyes."

"Ah, a lizard", Coppo smirked. And with that he realized that Luca
Montori's affection for Alessandro Gondi was stronger than the lad knew.

"All right. Let's see what we can do. We'll have it cut here, you see?"
Coppo showed him the line. "Then you'll have to make a clay model of the
figure you want to carve. You think you can do it?"

Luca nodded.

"It will need to be the right size. About that." Coppo took a sheet of
paper and put the stone upon it, with a pencil he draw a line around
it. Then he took half of it away. "That's the area you'll have. The clay
model of the lizard must fit exactly. Then you draw a natural copy and take
the measurement by a divisor and transfer it point by point onto the
stone. If you like we can do it together, here, after school. You want to?"

Luca nodded vehemently. "That would be great", he said. 'And it will keep
me busy and out of the house.'


                  * * * * *

Tristano visited Sergio and Alfredo almost every day whenever they had time
for him. Somehow he didn't care that both, had hardly finished with their
customers, as they gave him their whole attention - as long as they didn't
make him feel they had just now satisfied another guy, no matter if it was
both together or alone. Tristano wouldn't have known otherwise what to do
with his woken and pent-up libido. Luca wanted him; he had sensed it well,
but he wouldn't cheat on Alessandro. And to pick up somebody strange at the
hangouts Tristano didn't want that at all. So, again he unlocked the door
to the flat - Sergio had given him a key - and heard the water rushing in
the bathroom. At least someone was at home.

He sauntered through the flat - living room, bedrooms, two separate rooms,
occupied by Sergio and Alfredo, because despite all their common interests,
they weren't a couple. Tristano examined the large, framed poster on the
walls, showing half-naked men with great bodies. A bum peered out here, and
there biceps and a six-pack. And somewhere in the darkness an erect penis.

"Ah, Tris. I didn't hear you". Alfredo had only wrapped a bath towel around
his hips and peered with wet hair around the corner. "Can you give me a
hand? My balls need a shave urgently." He pulled him into the bathroom and
pressed a wet shaver into his hand. Until now Tristano had only been
witness to the act. "Here, take this." Alfredo sprayed shaving foam into
his palm and smeared his balls.

Tristano crouched down and started cautiously to scratch away the
foam. "Careful, amore", With spread legs Alfredo sat upon the rim of the
bathtub and looked down. "You've had a good day?" he asked. Tristano
wondered how he could talk about daily matters when someone was busy with
his balls... not to mention how he was able not to get hard at all. He
pushed aside Alfredo's massive member and wiped off foam and shaven hairs
with a towel.

"You don't want to hear about the daily grind, do you?" Tristano said,
looking up, winking. "Or about my useless tries to get Luca into bed. Turn
around."

Alfredo did and supported himself with his arms upon the tub's rim, pushing
out his arse cheeks. Tristano spread them and wet the razor. Very
cautiously he slid into the crack. "What actually am I doing here?" he
asked. "There's no sign of hair in your crack." Alfredo wriggled his ass,
and Tristano couldn't help it. He had to bite into the melons and then he
slid his tongue into the cleft, washing Alfredo's hole, until it jerked and
fluttered with excitement. Alfredo turned and held his member under
Tristano's nose. "You tried to get this Luca-whoever into your bed? Is he
pretty?" His palm embraced his cock and rubbed it up and down.

Tristano rose and stripped naked. "Do I need a shave too?" Alfredo examined
him, from the smooth-shaven armpits over the hairless chest and belly to
the trimmed pubic hair. "Well done, amore." He beckoned Tristano to follow,
which he all too willingly did, sat upon the freshly made bed, tore open
the plastic of a condom and gave it Tristano. "Now to our daily exercises",
Alfredo said, his grey eyes sparkling from lust and wantonness. Tristano
playfully rolled his eyes, but he took the rim of the condom and blew into
it until the slightly bulging end appeared, then he put it into his mouth,
bent over and tried to roll it over Alfredo's cock with his mouth and
tongue. This time he was better than before.

Alfredo had stretched out upon the bed, arms spread eagled, enjoying the
action with little lustful moans while Tris was sucking his fresh shaven
balls, rolling them upon his tongue. "You're much too fat to do it with my
mouth alone", Tristano complained a minute later, and finished the job with
his hand, rolling the condom completely over Alfredo's cock. He wished it
wasn't there because he loved nothing more than to snail his tongue around
the rim, the head and into the small slit, tasting the precum. "Don't
complain, amore", Alfredo had risen, pulling Tristano into his lap and
started to kiss him. He fondled Tristano's erection, firmly stroked his
inner thighs, spread his legs and caressed his testicles and the path
behind, stretching his hole with two fingers. "You didn't tell me if he's
pretty", he murmured.

Tristano sensed the greasy fingers and he opened his legs wide, then let
himself being pulled higher until he sat upon Alfredo's thighs, his cock
lined up with his anus. He let himself sink over the erect spear, dipped
the head, let it out and dipped again and with it each time taking a bit
more of the shaft until he was stretched without feeling pain. Alfredo
pinched his nipples, roamed around his chest and bit gently into Tristano's
neck. Tristano shuddered and goose bumps covered his skin. "He sure is
pretty", he whispered, leaning back against Alfredo's shoulder.

"And you still fancy him?" Alfredo said, moving his hips forward in a
steady, slow-motion rhythm that drove Tristano wild because he had
instantly found the right spot and his large, massive tool permanently
stroked his prostrate. Tristano's cock jerked without being touched. Both
had missed the door opening, but when a wet, pliable tongue started to lick
at Tristano's member, he tore open his eyes to see Sergio, crouched on the
carpet, his head buried into Tristano's abdomen, swallowing his tool,
deep-throating until he released it and sucked only the crown. Tristano
squirted instantly into Sergio's mouth and gave a long moan, muffled by
Sergio's lips, sharing the taste and fluid. Sergio's mouth wandered along
his cheek to his ear, down his neck, leaving a wet trail on his pecs,
gnawing at his nipples and back up to meet Alfredo's mouth, who fondled
Tristano's spent penis, making it rise again.

Luca was fading from Tristano's mind, at least for the next half of an hour
- exactly the time he needed to wake up from his sexual frenzy. He found
himself still speared from behind by Alfredo's cock, who now spooned with
him and Sergio, spooning Alfredo, and probably fucking him to get his
share. At least Tristano sensed Alfredo's body shaking rhythmically, to
make sure that he hadn't lost his erection and fucked Tristano as well -
involuntary - his hands roaming Tristano's chest and groped his half-hard
cock to caress it lazily. Rocked by this gentle, steady movement Tristano
almost fell asleep, until the craziness returned.



"Will you join us at the gym?", Sergio asked later, when their heartbeats
had become normal and they had untangled their limbs though they were still
laying close together on the bed. Sergio traced Tristano's features with
his fingertips. "Not that you'd need it, amore. But here and there a bit of
muscle can't do any harm." He grinned cheekily into Tristano's face,
revealing stark white, regular teeth. His dark-tanned face was without any
flaws or wrinkles, like the rest of his skin. He was much too beautiful to
be human, Tristano thought. He was just for fun. Still Luca hung in a
shaded corner of his heart and didn't want to go away. All the sex he
received from the call-boys he would gladly exchange for the bonds of love
with Luca.

"All right", he said. Why should he go home alone?


                  * * * * *

"Wisdom subdues unchastity and lust? You think that's true?" Luca had bent
over Alessandro's book with the picture of Botticelli's "Minerva and the
Centaur".

"It's not my opinion but Botticelli's. You know the saying 'stupid people
fuck well'."

"Then you must be VERY stupid", Luca smirked.



Alessandro had done everything for Luca. Saturday belonged to Luca
exclusively, as well as the whole of Sunday. Alessandro had packed him into
his Ferrari and drove with him to the sea. It was too cool to go swimming
though warm enough to sit on the sand at the deserted beach.

"Have you heard from Leoni?" Luca asked, playing with the little, white sea
shells they had gathered.

"Every day. Every fucking day", Alessandro said slowly and without
emotion. "She complains about her sickness, about her swollen legs, about
how fat she's become and that Anastasia hides her cigarettes and the
alcohol. She wants to see me every weekend and screams at me when I don't
want to go visit her." Indifferently Alessandro stared at the line of the
horizon and let sand trickle from one hand into the other.

Luca looked at him from aside. All this he had to thank himself for. Wasn't
it so? "Where did you hide your ring?" he asked, completely out of place.

Alessandro locked eyes with him. "You still can't forgive me, right?"

"Not really. She's carrying your ring, your name, and perhaps..."

"... my baby?"

They measured each other with looks. Luca wanted to believe him
desperately. And yet the doubts remained.

"Why can't you simply believe me? I really did everything to explain it and
you don't really have any proof that Leoni and I... that's old
chestnuts. Just because we crept together into bed in earlier times, it
doesn't mean we still do. Or again. Why would I anyway? I have you."
Alessandro dropped the sand and pulled Luca tightly to his body. Luca
struggled. "It's not about that. I... I don't know what's wrong with me. I
want to believe you. I do. Somehow. But then I think it would had spared us
a lot of trouble if you hadn't done it." He took a deep breath and guided
his view to the sea again. "Why do you have to be rich at any price? One
can live without having millions."

"You don't want to understand me. I've always been rich. And I don't see
why the money should go up in smoke just because I've been too stubborn, or
too noble. It hasn't changed things much for us."

"You should have done it for me", Luca said quietly.

"For you? Damn it, I married for you!" Alessandro jumped up in a sudden
outburst. "For you I accepted everything. All the stares and whispering
behind my back. Even the disdain of Emilio Pucci! What's your problem
exactly? You small people always disdained us because we're rich and do
what we want. We can buy what we want and don't give a fart about the
opinions of others. And because you people can't be like us, we hear every
day how bad we are, how arrogant and condescending!"  Luca had jumped up
too, his face red. "You don't give a fart about my opinion? Right, that's
what my brothers warned me about. You and your noble, old-fashioned, snotty
opinion about the working class. The popolo minuto! Good enough to be a
dogsbody to make your life bright and safe and above all: rich!" He turned
his back and started to walk away. He stumbled over roots and banks of
seaweed and his foot sank into a waterhole near the shore. Nonetheless he
walked on, his eyes brimming with tears.

Then he felt himself being harshly turned around. Alessandro stared
sinisterly. "Don't you dare run away, Luca Montori. Nobody turns his back
on me and leaves me standing", he hissed. Luca pushed him away. "Oh, your
nobility won't take it, eh? But there are other people who have a mind of
their own. Like me for instance." He took a step forward. The wind was
tugging at his hair. "Did you never have the idea that I could feel hurt or
betrayed? How would you feel if your boyfriend married a woman? Can't you
even see the absurdity? Surely everybody's laughing at you, the poor, gay
ass condemned to fuck with a girl because his family tradition wants it
that way. Because he has sold his soul and life for gold!"

Alessandro gripped Luca's shoulders and shook him. "What are you saying
here? That's the way I am. The guy you've fallen in love with, remember? I
was always this way right from the start. Why do you start to complain now?
It's too late for complaints. You agreed. You never said, don't do it,
Alessandro! No, you were as unsure as I was. Perhaps I waited for a clear
comment. For a plea. But it was too convenient for you not to open your
mouth because you thought where there's money there's money enough for
two. You never cared about my soul, so stop doing so now."

"Jesus Christ." Luca shook his head and looked away from the fiery,
blue-sparkling eyes. Alessandro was right. And Luca was right. Pointless to
quarrel about it now.

They said nothing for a while. Exposed to the ocean's endless roar and the
sinking sun, glittering upon the endless rolling waves, there was one thing
that remained: breathing. This was the first, serious test. The blue stone
hadn't cracked in vain - just as Coppo Travisero had pronounced it. But
they both hadn't understood the warning.

"When this horror is over we'll go away", Alessandro said.

"Go away? Where to? I thought you wanted to study. Or don't you want it
anymore because then you'll be rich?"

Alessandro's face was closed again. "Stop that irony, Luca. Either you want
me or you don't want me. But if you decide in my favour you'll have to go
my way."

Roar. Waves, licking at Luca's shoes. He thought the world ended beyond the
horizon. That there was nothing. But there was something. Beyond the
horizon. You only have to dare and see. Give it a chance. Like Columbus'
Santa Maria sailing to unknown destinations.

Luca turned and a thin smile played on the corner of his lips. "All
right. I'll go your way with one condition: we meet halfway. Me on my way
and you on yours. Deal?"

Alessandro broke into laughter. "Deal."


                * * * * *

A couple of days later Luca smoothed the red clay model of his lizard. It
had the right length to match the stone, at least he hoped so. Tomorrow he
would take it and show it to Coppo. The small animal's tail was nicely
wound. Luca only had difficulties with the feet and claws, but his teacher
would surely help. He supported his chin with his palm and looked out of
the loggia's open windows. Luca had brought his utensils to Palazzo Gondi
because he didn't want his brothers to know what he was doing.

He was startled when his mobile played its melody.

"Why did you do it?" Alessandro asked as soon as Luca had taken the
call. Confused he wrinkled his forehead. "Do what?"

"Show Masolino's diary to another person. I told you, you mustn't!"

Luca's stomach cramped painfully. What had Rosso's uncle done with it? And
how did Sandro have knowledge about it?

"Luca? You still there? I can't believe you did something like that to
me. You knew how much the book meant to me. It was our secret and you've
given it away. What did you hope to achieve by it? Please explain to me."

Alessandro's voice sounded cool through the loudspeaker and Luca's thoughts
somersaulted. Where to begin? "How do you know about it? And I don't
understand what's happened anyway." He paused and listened, but Alessandro
said nothing. He heard him breathing. Luca started a walk through the large
room, from one corner to the other. "Well, it started with an accident. I
spilled coffee over the book."

Silence.

"Sandro?"

"When?"

"Two weeks ago. Before your marriage; while you was sleeping, plastered."

"And you didn't tell me right away? What happened to the book? Was it
destroyed?"

"Of course not. It's just a little damaged. How do you know about it
anyway?"

"It's all over the place in "La Nazione". I do read the Florentine
newspaper. "Extraordinarily finding -- full stop -- Gothic painter Masolino
da Panicale's secret diary discovered -- full stop -- Sensational
revelations -- full stop." Shall I continue?"

Luca's head swirled. He couldn't imagine Rosso's uncle being so underhand
that he hadn't informed Luca about his intentions. He wanted to show the
book to his brother or so Luca thought who was a paper-specialist. And what
happened then for God's sake? Luca was shaking. He sensed, Alessandro was
pissed off. "I'm so sorry, Sandro. I don't know how this could have
happened. Listen, Rosso's uncle has this leather factory and I took it to
him because the leather binding was torn and falling from the wooden
cover. The paper had it bad too. So..." He breathed in and out. "I never
told Signore Celli that the book was yours. He promised to do what he
could. But whenever I asked him he said it was still being worked on."

"Now the museum wants to have it, right? It will never be our secret again,
thanks to you."

Luca was getting angry. "Listen Sandro. I didn't do it on
purpose. Something startled me and I spilled the coffee. I just wanted to
repair the damage without you knowing. You would have been angry. Well,
it's all the same now."

Alessandro sighed at the other side of the line. "That's not what's it
about. You should have told me what happened! Did you think I would have
cut off your head, eh? Thanks for your trust in me", he said
ironically. "And what now?"

"I'll call Signore Celli instantly and ask what happened. I promise. I
trusted him too, you know."

"Tomorrow I'm taking the job over. Celli hasn't seen anything yet."

There was a long pause on the phone and Luca feared Sandro would end the
call. He didn't. "How's work otherwise?" he asked finally.

"Fine. I've cut my first stone."

"Great. Um, I must go now. Take care. Kisses."

Luca sat dumbfounded and almost squashed his clay model of the lizard. He
had prepared a sketch book and pencil to draw the model on paper but he
couldn't do it right now. Too much was going on in his head. He stood up
and restlessly crossed the room. Then he grabbed his mobile and called
Rosso.

--------------------
to be continued