In a moment, Sofia was by his side.
“You should have stayed at home.”
He smiled at her. “I am home.”
“Sit down, here.” She indicated a nearby bench. “Wait for us. We’ll be right over there. Only take a minute or two.”
He nodded, watching her rejoin the children and wander off a little farther down the street. He made himself comfortable, letting the pain subside.
He watched the people walking to and fro, going about their daily business. He felt pleased and enjoyed watching them. He breathed in the smells of the market as it broke up around him. He listened to the sound the traders made.
“I love it here,” he said to himself. Home. Home at last.
His reverie was interrupted by the peevish voice of a young Italian who plumped himself down on the bench near him. The young man was talking, apparently, to himself. He didn’t look at Ezio.
“Al diavolo! I hate this damn city. I wish I were in Rome! I hear the women there are . . . mmm . . . like ripe Sangiovese on the vine, you know? Not like here. Firenze!” He spat on the ground.
Ezio looked at him. “I don’t think Florence is your problem,” he remarked, pained at what the young man had said.
“I beg your pardon?”
Ezio was about to reply, but the pain seized him again, and he winced, and started to gasp. The young man turned to him. “Steady, old man.”
He grabbed Ezio’s wrist as Ezio caught his breath. Looking down at the hand that held him, Ezio thought the grip was uncommonly strong, and there was something strange, almost familiar, about the man’s expression. But he was probably imagining it all. He shook his head to clear it.
The young man looked at Ezio closely, and smiled. Ezio returned the look.
“Get some rest, eh?” the young man said.
He rose to his feet and walked away. Ezio nodded in belated agreement, watching him go. Then he leaned back, seeking Sofia in the thinning crowd. And saw her at a stall, buying vegetables. And there beside her were Flavia and Marcello, baiting each other, playing together.
He closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. His breathing calmed. The young man was right. He should get some rest . . .
Sofia was packing the vegetables she’d bought into a basket when something cold crept into her heart. She looked up, then around, back to where Ezio sat. There was something about the way he was sitting.
Confused, not wanting to admit what she feared to herself, she put a hand to her mouth and hurried across to him, leaving the children playing where they were.
As she got closer, she slowed her pace, looking at him. She sat down by his side, taking his hand. And then she leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his hair.
One or two people looked in their direction, then one or two more, with concern; but otherwise, life in the street went on.
NINETY-TWO
Much later that day, back home, and having sent Machiavelli away, Sofia took herself into the den. The children were in bed. She didn’t think what had happened had sunk in for them, yet.
In the den, the fire had gone out. She lit a candle. She walked to the desk and picked up the neatly stacked sheaf of papers, tied with a ribbon, that lay on it. And she began to read:
When I was a young man, I had liberty, but I did not see it; I had time, but I did not know it; and I had love, but I did not feel it. Many decades would pass before I understood the meaning of all three. And now, in the twilight of my life, this understanding has passed into contentment. Love, liberty, and time . . . once so much at my disposal, are the fuels that drive me forward; and love, most especially, my dearest, for you, our children, our brothers and sisters . . . and for the vast and wonderful world that gave us life and keeps us guessing. With endless affection, my Sofia, I am forever yours.
Ezio Auditore
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LIST OF CHARACTERS
Adad: stonemason
Al Mualim: Mentor of the Brotherhood
Al-Sayf, Malik: Assassin comrade of Altaïr
Al-Sayf, Tazim: Assassin and Malik’s son
Al-Scarab: pirate captain
Auditore, Claudia: Ezio’s sister
Auditore, Ezio: Master Assassin
Auditore, Federico: Ezio’s elder brother
Auditore, Giovanni: Ezio’s father
Auditore, Mario: Ezio’s uncle
Auditore, Petruccio: Ezio’s younger brother
Azize: Assassin in Constantinople
Baglioni, Pantasilea: Bartolomeo d’Alviano’s wife
Barleti, Tarik: Janissary captain
Bekir: Larnaka shipping agent
Borgia, Cesare: Rodrigo’s son, 1480–1519
Borgia, Rodrigo: Pope Alexander VI, 1451–1503
Buonarroti, Michelangelo: artist, sculptor, etc., 1475–1564
Cemal: Assassin in Altaïr’s time
d’Alviano, Bartolomeo: Italian captain and Assassin, aka Barto, 1455–1515
da Vinci, Leonardo: artist, scientist, sculptor, etc., 1452–1519
de Sable, Robert: Templar Grand Master
Dilara: Ottoman spy, Tarik’s agent
Dogan: Assassin in Constantinople
Dovizi, Duccio: Claudia’s ex-boyfriend
Dürer, Meister Albrecht: painter, 1471–1528
Erasmus, Desiderius: leader of the Northern European Assassins
Evraniki: Assassin in Constantinople
Ferdinand II, King: king of Spain, 1479–1516
Francis I, King: king of France, 1494–1547
Haras: Assassin adept in Altaïr’s time
Heyreddin: Assassin in Constantinople
Hulagu, Khan: grandson of Genghis Khan, 1217–65
Ibn-La’Ahad, Altaïr: Master Assassin
Ibn-La’Ahad, Darim: Altaïr’s eldest son
Ibn-La’Ahad, Sef: Altaïr’s youngest son
Ibn-La’Ahad, Umar: Altaïr’s father
Il Volpe: member of the Assassin Council
Irini: Assassin in Constantinople
Janos: Ottoman prisoner
Julius II, Pope: Pope and friend to the Assassins, 1443–1513
Jupiter: god, one of Those Who Came Before
Kasim: Assassin in Constantinople
Kemal Reis: Piri Reis’s uncle
Luther: aka Martin Luther, priest, 1483–1546
Machiavelli, Niccolò di Bernardo dei: philosopher and writer, 1469–1527
Ma’Mun: shipping agent
Mehmed II, Sultan: previous sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 1432–81
Minerva: goddess, one of Those Who Came Before
Nazar: Janissary soldier
Nikolos: guard
Osman, Ahmet: Suleiman’s uncle and Bayezid II’s eldest son, 1465–1513
Osman, Cem: Bayezid II’s brother and pretender to the throne, 1459–95
Osman, Selim I: Suleiman’s father and Bayezid II’s youngest son, ca. 1465–1520
Osman, Suleiman: the prince and governor of Kefe, 1494–1566
Osman, Sultan Bayezid II: the current sultan, Suleiman’s grandfather, 1447–1512
Osman, Tomas: Bayezid II’s brother
Palaiologos, Constantine: last Byzantine emperor
Palaiologos, Manuel: heir of the Palaiologos family
Paola: Assassin madame, member of the Assassin Council
Petros: soldier
Piri Reis: admiral, cartographer, bomb maker
Polo, Maffeo: Niccolò Polo’s brother, 1252–1309
Polo, Niccolò: journal writer, Marco’s father, 1252–94
Rosa: member of the Assassin Council
Salai: Leonardo’s assistant
Sartor, Sofia: lady in green
Sforza, Caterina: Countess of Forlì
Shahkulu: Manuel’s bodyguard
Shao Jun: Chinese Assassin
Sofian, Abbas: Altaïr’s former comrade and Master Assassin
Sofian
, Ahmad: Abbas’s father
Tazim, Yusuf: leader of the Assassins in Constantinople
Teragani: Assassin in Altaïr’s time
Thorpe, Maria: Altaïr’s wife
Vespucci, Amerigo: explorer and navigator, 1454–1512
Vespucci, Cristina : Ezio’s former girlfriend
Villiers de L’Isle-Adam, Philippe: member of the Knights Hospitalier at Rhodes, 1464–1534
Zhu Huocong: the Jiajing Emperor
GLOSSARY OF FOREIGN TERMS
ARABIC
barakallah feek God bless you
hajj pilgrimage
masa’il kher good evening
CHINESE (Mandarin)
dao knife
dashi, xièxiè nin thank you, Mentor
duìbùqĭ I’m sorry
ling chi death by a thousand cuts
qián Chinese currency
FRENCH
vendange vintage
veraison ripening
GREEK
apistefto unbelievable
edáxi okay
fíye apó brostá mou! get out of my way!
Hristé mou my God
kouráyo courage
poi kalà very good
ti distihìa what misery
ITALIAN
al diavolo to hell
amore love
a presto see you soon
arrocco castling (chess move)
bastardo bastard
bene good, well
bistecca alla fiorentina Florentine steak
brutti ma buoni Italian cookies
buffone jester
buona donna good woman
buona sera good evening
buon giorno good day
canaglia scoundrel
carciofini sott’olio artichokes in oil
castagnaccio chestnut flour cake
cazzo prick, shit
che succede? what’s happening?
Dio mio my God
duomo dome
è incredibile it’s incredible
fettunta garlic bread
finito finished
fratello mio my brother
fuori out
grazie thank you
il diavolo the devil
kogge ship
levatrice midwife
maccaroin in broddo pasta soup
magnetismo magnetism
meister master
merda shit
messer/e sir
mia cara my dear
mio my
mio bel menestrello my handsome minstrel
moleche soft-shell crab
molto curioso very curious
navigatore navigator
nessun problema no problem
non mi sorprende I’m not surprised
pandiramerino rosemary bread
panzanella Florentine bread
pecorino cheese
perdonate, buon signore pardon me, good sir
perfetto perfect
piena di vita full of life
prego please
presuntuoso presumptuous
principe prince
raccolto harvest
ragazzo boy
requiescat in pace rest in peace
rixoto de gò rice with fish
salame toscano Tuscan salami
salsicce di cinghiale wild boar sausages
salute a voi, Assassini health to you, Assassins
salve hello
se solo if only
sì yes
sì, da molto tempo yes, a long time
sieur sire
soldi money
spaghetti allo scoglio reef spaghetti
tesoro treasure
tonno al cartoccio tuna in foil
una tortura! torture
va bene fine
TURKISH
adi herif bastard, pig
affedersiniz, efendim excuse me, sir
akçe Turkish coin
allaha ismarladik goodbye
Allah ashkina in God’s name
aman Allahim oh my God
aynen oyle exactly
bey lord
beyefendi gentleman
bir sey degil you’re welcome
çok tesekkür ederim thank you very much
çok üzüldüm I am so sorry
efendim sir
effendi master
Ekselânslari His Excellency
evet yes
gerzek idiot
ghazi holy warriors
güle güle goodbye
güzel beautiful
haydi rastgele good luck
inanilmaz incredible
kanun law
kardeslerim brothers and sisters
karesi square
kargasa turmoil
kesinlikle certainly
kofta meatball
merhaba hello
pekala well
pek güzel very beautiful
prens prince
sagliginiza to your health
saray palace
Sayin Mr.
sehzadem prince
serefe cheers
sharbat Middle Eastern drink
sinav icin iyi sanslar good luck on the test
sövalye knight
tesekkür ederim thank you
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to
Yves Guillemot
Jean Guesdon
Corey May
Darby McDevitt
And also
Alain Corre
Laurent Detoc
Sébastien Puel
Geoffroy Sardin
Xavier Guilbert
Tommy François
Cecile Russeil
Christele Jalady
The Ubisoft Legal Department
Chris Marcus
Etienne Allonier
Maria Loreto
Alex Clarke
Alice Shepherd
Anton Gill
Guillaume Carmona
Clémence Deleuze
Ace titles by Oliver Bowden
ASSASSIN’S CREED: RENAISSANCE
ASSASSIN’S CREED: BROTHERHOOD
ASSASSIN’S CREED: THE SECRET CRUSADE
ASSASSIN’S CREED: REVELATIONS