We’re back again with the next chapter of the Black Night.
Pietro had been one of the unlucky people who had fallen into the canal in the chaos. Or, rather, he had been pushed aside in the panic of the darkness. Julietta had been worried when she could not find her husband but began laughing when she realised what had happened to him, helping him back up onto the street.
“Silly man, now we should probably get you home and out of these soggy clothes.”
“Yes, I’m getting cold,” Pietro protested, “though if you’re going to keep laughing you can see what it was like yourself.”
“Now now my love, no need to be like that, I only said it in jest,” Julietta chuckled, “I can’t believe what happened, tonight was supposed to be a nice evening. Do you think it’s gone for good now? Will things go back to how they were?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t understand any of this. No one does, all I know is that this is all beyond mortal men.” Pietro replied, lost to his own thoughts.
“No matter what tomorrow might bring, we should go home and get you out of these wet clothes dear. We’ll get you in front of a fire and some warm food,” Julietta said, reassuring a shivering Pietro.
Together they hurried back past the theatre as fast as the press of the crowd allowed, following the mob as they pushed through the Dorsuduro district and finally reaching San Polo. Here the crowd had dissipated somewhat and the pair were able to move off freely. Already people had lit torches and so they were able to find their way back to their home with relative ease.
Throwing his sodden clothes away and putting on a fresh set of garments, Pietro sat next to the fire and had a bowl of warm stew prepared by Julietta. Settling down for the night, he slouched himself on a chair as his wife put a mug of warm tea on the table next to him and lay beside him. As Pietro began to drift off to sleep, he could feel a faint vibration. Sitting up he noticed his tea was shaking slightly. An earthquake? Venice had been known to suffer earthquakes, nut not for many years. The tea shook more violently as the vibrations became stronger.