CHAPTER 10 #9
He designed a sophisticated and advanced spiral gear mechanism and, through over thirty sketches, drew the gears, worm screws, triggers, and other components.
"A stone weighing over a hundred pounds hit that warship like a meteor!" one witness exaggerated, gesturing with his hands as he described the scale to Hedy. "Before the ship could even turn around, it sank with a few splashes!"
Da Vinci, leaning nearby, raised his wine glass and grinned, "I calculated the relationship between the launching force and the stretching angle. The results proved it was exactly as I expected."
Hedy smiled as she listened to their conversation and took the paper drafts to look at Da Vinci’s diagrams.
She knew he could do this.
The giant crossbow not only destroyed ships but also scared away many soldiers, causing the enemy to scatter in panic, with several even drowning.
"We also had something even more amusing," Da Vinci picked up the conversation. "In Taranto, a military stronghold had built an escape tunnel, which our scouts actually found."
"Couldn’t we just sneak in?" Hedy asked.
"Sneak in? More than that!" he laughed loudly. "The designer had connected the escape tunnel all the way to the depths of the stronghold. Our men captured several prisoners right there!"
These past few months of warfare had gone smoothly and successfully, giving the lords a sigh of relief.
They confirmed their forces and strength, exchanging pleasantries as old friends do.
Da Vinci’s talent for war had begun to be praised and spread by many.
He truly was a genius in this regard—everything from transport devices to lifting mechanisms, from troop formations to weapon modifications; it seemed there was nothing he couldn’t do!
Not only did the soldiers see it, but even the people of Florence began proudly discussing his name, boasting to outsiders about how he had sunk ships with his marvelous powers, as if they had witnessed it themselves.
Hedy secretly sighed in relief.
She had finally made a small step forward in her original plan.
With Da Vinci around, the future seemed much easier.
Although the lord maintained his calm and composed demeanor, he had begun to summon Da Vinci frequently to discuss various matters and granted him numerous privileges—such as unrestricted access to the library or the ability to freely commission scholars in Florence for research.
Da Vinci began improving the city’s defense systems and started working on new designs for siege ladders.
During this period, the third Christmas was finally approaching.
In fact, Christmas originally had nothing to do with Christianity. It had its roots in the ancient Roman festival of the god of agriculture, marking the arrival of the new year.
After the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as its official religion, the meaning of this festival gradually changed to celebrate the birth of Jesus in a manger.
Starting from the countdown on December 8th, decorations began to appear in the squares and palaces. The cathedral routinely set up scenes depicting the nativity of Jesus.
Mary, with her virginity, bore Jesus, and the angel Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a dream, advising him to treat the mother and child kindly.
Not only was the nativity scene lit with eternal lights, but many lights were also lit in front of the church and the palaces.
Small vendors began flowing in from nearby villages, selling various handmade crafts and small furniture. Some even brought livestock to sell, and even though it was drizzling, the flow of merchants and people never ceased.
Hedy had grown accustomed to attending the Midnight Mass with them and the Cardinal on Christmas Eve, followed by another round of vigil prayers at midnight.
By January 6th, the Epiphany, there would be a grand parade, with the theme, as usual, being the Adoration of the Magi.
Having seen Botticelli’s two paintings of the Adoration of the Magi and witnessing Da Vinci’s work firsthand, Hedy could no longer view these ordinary ones the same way. They now seemed rather dull in comparison.
It had to be said that once the characters in a painter's work were imbued with soul and emotion, they were often more vivid than actors in costumes.
They stood near the lord's viewing platform, watching the bustling crowd below, occasionally chatting about other matters.
Da Vinci was still immersed in his studies of Archimedes' works. Recently, he had borrowed many books from the academy, and according to Dechio, he often read until late into the night.
Botticelli was surrounded by a group of women and girls, all trying to engage with him, though he responded naturally, perhaps with a hint of teasing in his tone.
Hedy glanced around, her eyes falling on the lord, who stood nearby with a detached expression. She yawned, deciding to head back to the palace for some rest.
At that moment, a few unfamiliar men quickly approached them.
The carnival was in full swing, the air filled with the noise of the crowd, and even the melodies of the instruments were drowned out by the cheers and singing.
When Hedy came to her senses, one of the men was already standing right in front of them, drawing a dagger.
"Duck!" Da Vinci instinctively threw his book at the man's face, raising his arm to push Hedy backward, just in time to avoid the thrust of the knife aimed at her.
Screams echoed from the distance as the crowd began to panic, pressing together and scattering. Several more assassins surged toward the Medici direction, nearly breaking through the guards' perimeter.
"Hedy—run!!"