Accompany Da Vinci's Super God Day

"Lord! grant them eternal rest and shine on them with eternal light—"

On the second day of Genoa's occupation, the lord ordered to organize a funeral of sufficient solemnity.

The dead soldiers were collected and buried, and thousands of crosses like birch forests were erected on the cemetery in the south of the city.

Some people prayed and cried nearby, while other soldiers kept coming in and out carrying the coffin.

The continuous rain heralds the arrival of early autumn, and even the smell of burning tree branches in the air is a bit sad.

The lord wore a black robe and brought the clergy from Florence to salute and mourn.

"May the love of the Father, the grace of Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you." The priest in Florence said loudly.

"——is also with your soul." Everyone murmured.

The native Genoa cardinals stood beside them with gloomy faces. While feeling awkward, they were unable to protest and warn.

Now even the pope's extreme punishment of the kings is like scratching an itch. As the people of the defeated country, they may die at any time.

"—May the Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive our sins, and grant us eternal life."

Heidi raised her head, stared at the cross and said softly, "Amen."

A lot of things have faded from her eyes, and they are more firm and deep.

The new lord appears to be a contradictory and complex being.

After the war ended, she immediately began to arrange post-war recovery and compensation, took in the beggars and orphans on the street, and even sent people to give some basic sympathy to the lonely old people who lost their sons.

Not only that, the relevant decrees and notices were also announced soon, strictly investigating the theft and robbery of mercenaries, and at the same time giving enough comfort.

The people are not buying it, but they are constantly learning about things related to this war——

I heard that it is related to the Holy Roman Empire, and these southerners are trying to get back the territory that originally belonged to them.

It seems to be related to the Pope?What the hell is going on here?

Before they whispered to make more comments on the female lord, another piece of news caused public opinion to boil again like a boulder hitting water——

The cardinals of Genoa were escorted to the square and publicly excommunicated, while the priest accompanying the army from Florence was publicly elected by the lord as the new bishop!

What an absurd thing this is!

For thousands of years, the religious power has recognized the imperial power. When did it turn upside down? !

"The Holy See of Holy Rome has long been defiled and violated, and has fallen into the darkest realm," the ceremonial officer next to him said loudly: "My lord will restore the orthodoxy and bring prosperity to the world once again—"

The lord in a dark purple robe turned around on the high platform to look at the crowd boiling like waves, and the guards in steel armor on both sides made a vigilant posture.

"—From this day, tithes are abolished!"

At the moment when these words were roared, the whole square was like a flock of crows who were silent.

What? !how can that be? !

Will the notorious tithe be abolished one day?They are not dreaming, are they? ! !

Leonardo stood beside the flagpole, raised his hand and raised the golden-red flag.

Luris roared, causing the loud and powerful voice to penetrate the entire square.

"Where the flag of the phoenix flies, it will never be at the mercy of the Holy See—"

"From Lucca to Genoa, from today's starting point to every city in the future, countless tax types like blood-sucking leeches will be reduced and annihilated, and merchants and farmers will have equal protection before God!"

"Abolish tithes! From now on all beings are equal before Protestants!"

The crowd screamed and shouted, completely unable to believe what they heard——

"—nooredulgence!" Leonardo roared.

"——nooredulgence!!" Countless people raised their arms and shouted, like the howling of wolves in the valley echoing repeatedly.

There are no more indulgences in the world!

From now on, they don't have to endure hunger and cold to hand over their food and cold to the Holy See, and the thugs will be justly judged and punished after killing people, instead of completely atoning for their sins after the sound of the cash drawer!

"—thena of the lord!" roared Machiavelli.

"—thenaofthelord!!" The response was overwhelming, as if it could penetrate the entire city!

In the name of my lord! !

From now on, their Lord is a merciful and merciful Lord, and no longer only hear the begging and prayers of the rich, even lowly farmers and businessmen can ascend to heaven after death!

From then on, commerce and transactions can be opened up enough, and there will no longer be heavy restrictions and commissions on trade between cities!

"—fortherotestant!" The cardinal raised his cane high.

"——fortherotestant!" The crowd followed him and raised their hands, roaring and responding with all their strength.

Protestantism born for Nirvana!

The phoenix's flag rolled and fluttered in the long wind, its wings soared above the nine-edged diamond, dazzling like the flames of a god's fingertips in the golden sunlight!

In just a few days, the wind direction of the entire city was directly reversed, and even the streets began to return to prosperity.

The clergy of the churches and churches were liquidated and adjusted, and the boxes of indulgences were collected and burned in public—some excited citizens even rushed over to mend their feet.

In the past, whether it was rape, murder, or looting, as long as a sum of money was given to the bishop, the soul could be restored to innocence.

Under these absurd settings, the law is crumbling like a hollow fence, but now this lord, she has done things that countless people can't imagine!

The epoch-making artillery has completely subverted the cold weapon war that has lasted for thousands of years, and even the intimidation and threats from the priesthood have become powerless.

Even though there are a lot of vested interests who want to resist fiercely, they are all silent in front of the gun, as if they never intend to defend the doctrine.

Wisdom, military power, believers, interests, teachings...

Many things were brought together to produce fantastic and convincing results.

Heidi looked at the golden and red banners on many houses outside the castle, and heard some noise.

The man put a woolen waistcoat on her and stood on her shoulder.

"Leo, what's the sound outside?"

"It's a parade and a celebration," Leonardo said looking at the fireworks in the distance, "They are cheering and celebrating the new policy."

Genoa is a typical trading city. The high taxes of the Holy See have made people dare not speak out for a long time, and various harsh dogmas are also forcing them to hand over all their money in exchange for peace after death.

And these measures of Heidi are tantamount to following the trend of the Renaissance, encouraging people to pursue happiness and enjoyment in this world with the Protestantism that was born out of nowhere.

——It's very Medici, but also very Florentine.

News from Florence soon came back.

Although the lord had reservations about Protestantism, he agreed to the reduction and relaxation of tariffs.

From now on, from there all the way to Genoa, people trade only to pay two taxes, and the commission is much easier than before.

So much has happened lately——

The successive annexation of the territory, new political and economic measures, and the reformation of Protestantism...

Milan and France began to send letters one after another for consultation and testing, but there was still no response from the Holy See.

But no matter what, these three cities are now undergoing earth-shaking changes under her management.

Heidi never thought that she would make practical attempts in so many fields.

Her previous life was almost exactly the same as Da Vinci in history.

No matter how much ingenuity there is, it will be constantly interfered and hindered.

And because of her identity as a woman and the limitations of that era, she couldn't even choose other careers at that point in time.

Whether it is a suggestion to improve the aircraft or participate in the design of torpedo communication, there are too many prejudices and discriminations to overwhelm people.

But in this day and age, Heidi can try almost anything——

Order and laws are constantly breaking and breaking, and she can even become the rule maker.

The identity of the Medici family, the support of Leonardo and the mercenary group, as well as the concept of modern legal system and all the memories related to history, are like the help given by God——

She can analyze the conquests and reforms of Napoleon and Martin Luther, and can make a wise enough choice at this time point based on the historical situation of later generations.

The facts are the same as what Leo said——

"Heidi, you can do good enough."

They talked softly about something to do with the business decree, and Dejo knocked again.

"My lord," she said with a slight smile in her voice, "your old friends are here."

Heidi turned her head and heard the footsteps of several people.

"Heidi—" Atalanti rushed over quickly, and her neck was itchy when her thick beard rubbed against her.

Heidi hugged him tightly in surprise, and when she looked up, she saw Michelangelo standing at the door again.

The boy obviously didn't expect that she would become another lord today, and he didn't even dare to come over, only looking at Leonardo for help.

"You actually have a big round beard," Heidi let go of Atalanti and said, "How is the situation in Milan? Who will help manage the business after you leave?"

"You would never have guessed who I hired to be my new manager—" Atalanti said mysteriously, "Arecio!"

"How did you know him?!" Heidi couldn't help laughing: "He is indeed a very successful profiteer."

"Mr. Medici sent his men to hire him to go there," Atalanti waved his hand and said, "I have some trustworthy guys to help me take care of it. I go there twice a year to check the accounts and everything will be fine."

"I think," he turned his head to look at the brand-new city and the phoenix flag hanging by the window, and grinned: "You definitely need an old guy who is smart enough to help you take care of things here."

"It's really like this..." Heidi breathed a long sigh of relief, took a sip of wine and said, "Who wrote you to come here?"

"It's me. I wrote it on the way here two months ago." Machiavelli, who was sitting in the corner flipping through the book, waved his hand: "You're welcome."

Heidi raised her eyebrows and smiled helplessly.

"Actually, I asked these two gentlemen to come here for the same purpose." The consultant sat up a little more straight, and looked at the man beside her: "Mr. Da Vinci, you and Mr. Jino should leave here. "

"Before other countries send people over, taking down the few small principalities nearby will be as simple as picking something out of a bag."

-2-

Heidi's first reaction was to look at the map spread out on the table.

There is no problem with what Machiavelli said, there are many small city-states nearby.

Genoa is separated from Milan by a natural barrier, the long and undulating Ligurian Apennines.

And their army can also capture Fira, the Principality of Asti, and the large and small seaport cities west of the coastline.

If there is any hesitation in acting, Milan and France may intervene one after another.

——It is always worthwhile to seize the opportunity.

"It's obviously the first time you've taken this position," Machiavelli said, standing among the crowd, staring into her eyes, "and you're used to commanding and transferring with the army."

Heidi turned to look at Leonardo, her fingers clenched the edge of the table.

"But the matter of war should be left to the sergeants." Leonardo also stared at her, with a bit of firmness in his voice: "Now there are more important things that need to be handed over to you."

The establishment of national order, the communication and exchange of multiple territories, politics, economy, religion, science...

"That's why I and several other people's common suggestion is to let Mr. Leonardo and the other two Zinos go out together," Machiavelli said in a more emphatic voice: "Leave enough defenders and explosive devices in the city." That's it."

"I can defend this country well." Luris wiped her long sword and said, "France has lost tens of thousands of people in this year's war, and if they act rashly, they will hand over their throats to Britain and Spain."

"Milan won't offend you rashly," Atalanti said without thinking, "I heard that Sforza and the lords of Naples have gone to Florence to hold a new round of joint defense alliance meetings."

This is a gold enough node.

A few of them leave here temporarily with the army, and there will be no impact.

The army has several generals for guarding and training, and the design of machinery and ammunition can be handed over to Mr. Fabio, and Michelangelo can help modify the drawings and perform complex parabolic calculations.

Heidi took a deep breath and nodded.

"Go to Fira City in the north first."

That night, a grand ball was held in the castle, and the sounds of the flute and the piano were intertwined, hovering over the dance floor like a lark.

Heidi, who didn't join the frenzy, made a quick start and then headed out to the patio alone as everyone danced wildly.

Compared with the warm atmosphere in the arena, it is quiet and the night wind is cold, like the other end of the two poles.

She took a sip of the wine and suddenly remembered the original agreement with Botticelli.

A long time ago, she made wine in oak barrels in the old palace, and she promised to meet again in five years and have a good drink together.

That should have been...how many years ago?

She lowered her head and shook the wine glass, letting the faint fragrance rippling.

"Leonardo?"

The man behind sighed, "I've kept my steps as light as possible."

Heidi turned around, looked at him and said, "Just now, I suddenly thought of our days in the old palace."

"Very happy, isn't it?" Leonardo couldn't help laughing: "At that time, you were still the alchemist who helped me move the corpse."

Heidi smiled and waved her hand: "I don't want to touch that kind of ghost thing again."

"But next time, what if I ask you again?"

"I will still agree." She stared at him and said, "You are obviously very cunning."

Leonardo poured another half a glass of wine for her, and leaned against the railing with her to enjoy the night breeze.

The slightly curly black hair blows into the distance with the long wind, reminiscent of a mermaid with fluttering hair in the deep sea.

"Remember that barrel of wine? Leo?" Heidi looked at the city in the night, her voice a little hoarse: "I don't know if Botticelli drank it secretly."

"No, I sealed several times before I left." The man turned his head to look at her: "The first barrel of wine you brewed has been aged for seven years, and the other barrels of wine have also been aged for six years."

"Has it been so long?" She was stunned for a moment, and sighed: "When we return to Florence, that bad-tempered guy... still doesn't know if he will share a glass with us."

Leonardo took off his robe, and gently put it on her body.

"Yes." He said slowly, "After all, you are also a Medici."

At this time, Heidi sneezed belatedly, wrapped her coat tightly and whispered, "I'm a little worried that you're leaving the day after tomorrow."

They hardly have time for each other.

Even after confirming each other's intentions, they will not be free to go for a walk or date like those ordinary lovers, holding each other's hands and whispering.

The world is full of wars, and they all shoulder too many responsibilities and missions.

This road has come with a heavy burden, even if you can take a short rest at this moment, it has just left the starting point.

There is still a long... a long way to go.

"Anyway, now Mr. Leonardo, no, it's General Leonardo." She looked at him and said, "It's also a more dazzling and reliable existence——I believe you."

"But no matter what, being alive is more important than anything else."

"Even if the territory and those principalities are not defeated, there will still be countless opportunities in the future." Those light blue eyes carried a warning: "General, when you come back, please make sure you don't lose any limbs and five senses. Bio won't put a wooden nose on you."

Leonardo gave a low laugh and looked at the ground.

He was silent for a long time before opening his mouth in a low voice: "I thought about it before, what should I give you as a bride price."

She froze for a moment, and her cheeks turned red.

"You will be the most beautiful bride in the world... But before proposing, you should always prepare a good enough gift." He looked up at her with some embarrassment, still like a teenager who was anxious to court: "Gold, silver, satin Neither is enough."

He wanted to take down this entire coastline like a pearl necklace, as the best gift for the wedding ring day.

Heidi raised her hand to cover her face, and after a while she murmured, "Do you want..."

No...she's not ready yet...

"I'll do it when I come back." Leonardo leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, smiling a bit slyly: "But we've already been engaged, haven't we?"

She laughed dumbfounded, and said casually: "This line is not a good sign in the movie."

He obviously didn't understand too much, and said blankly: "What?"

"It's nothing." Heidi patted him on the shoulder: "I'll wait for your good news here, General."

As for the wedding or something... Maybe now is not the right time.

The three teams set off to the north in the early morning of September [-]th, and the restoration of the city wall and the post-war processing work also began one after another.

Michelangelo has transformed into a completely different child.

Although he is still quite young and about the same age as Machiavelli, the two people's areas of expertise complement each other.

Facts have proved that the wording of the letter written by the military adviser to the stranger is strong enough, and the effect is also impressive enough.

Niccolo Machiavelli is better at adjusting policies, as well as researching and guiding public opinion.

Heidi gave him enough range of activities to observe and study how people in this city live and think.

He is like a cunning and sharp fox, constantly sniffing out the weaknesses that can be exploited, so that the government orders can be accepted by people in the most favorable and easy way.

And Michelangelo has obviously learned a lot at the Florence Academy over the years, and his situation has also improved quite well——

The Medici family has always given him generous sponsorship. Although Botticelli has always traveled around these years, even if he only stays with him for a month or two, he can still give him profound and effective advice.

He has made continuous progress in painting, sculpture, mathematics, physics and many other aspects, and has also read through the last ten volumes of manuscripts left by Leonardo da Vinci.

Now that the two of them have one article and one theory, they can not only help adjust urban planning and defense facilities, but also give her reliable policy suggestions.

So much so that the people of Genoa muttered in the tavern, saying that there were really two young wild wolves beside the female lord.

The only pity is that little angel Raphael is still enjoying his childhood in Plato Academy.

It is said that when Michelangelo was about to leave, the little guy was aggrieved and wanted to go with him, but Botticelli took him back.

"—Kids stay away from politics!"

Now roads are being built between the four cities, and information networks are also being built up.

Heidi handed over part of the work to her subordinates so that her mind could rest for a while.

I heard that Da Vinci's siege went quite smoothly, and one principality even raised the white flag when it saw the Phoenix flag.

Isabella of the Principality of Ferrara wrote to inquire about her recent situation. This young girl does not seem to want to marry and be a woman for a lifetime, and she is trying to come to the west to see her territory.

And France once again issued warnings and condemnations, but did not have much strength to lead another expedition—I heard that the young Charles VIII was now in a period of rebellion, but he tossed the Duke of Bourbon quite a lot.

Sometimes when Heidi read the letter, she felt vaguely amused.

Her current body is not yet 27 years old. If you put it in modern times, it would be a little immature to be a female politician. Fortunately, the combined experience is almost a hundred years old.

But England's Henry VII is only 29 years old, France's Charles VIII is only 26 years old, and that little devil Caesar Borgia is only 13 years old...

In the future, the heads of state of the three countries who will have endless games with her in Europe are all so young.

In order to restore the vitality of the city and establish more frequent contacts, she spent a lot of money to establish an official caravan and a powerful enough escort fleet.

Although Leonardo was not here, Michelangelo was also able to help Fabio place rows of cannon on the ship.

They are apparently obsessed with modifying huge ships, constantly trying to increase the capacity and stability of the ship's navigation.

Heidi occasionally went to check around, sometimes thinking of other things.

She kind of wants to drink tea.

When she couldn't sleep at night because of anxiety, Leonardo accompanied her and read the ancient "Marco Polo's Travels" to her.

In the far east, there are silk, porcelain, tea, and even more amazing and brilliant civilizations.

——Drinking tea is better than drinking early in the morning.

And if the fleet can find the right location and go to Africa for business and trade, it may not be a luxury to have a cup of black coffee while reading the newspaper.

Heidi froze for a moment, realizing the problem of black slaves.

She may not be able to prevent such a tragedy led by huge commercial interests.

If Britain and the Netherlands find Africa one after another, the trade of black slaves will gradually overflow...

"Lord?" Niccolo called her, shook his finger and said, "Mickey is still waiting for your reply."

Heidi came back to her senses and repeated: "Mickey? Is the relationship between you two already so good?"

Michelangelo showed an embarrassed expression, and quickly denied: "No!"

"That's not what you said when you asked me to borrow a book yesterday." Niccolo glanced at him and said, "You hypocrite."

"Niccollo—" the boy said angrily, "We don't know each other at all!"

Heidi rubbed the space between her brows, and took two steps forward to look at the huge skyscraper-like ship.

She saw that there were regular cannon muzzles on both sides of the cabin, a huge phoenix was drawn on the canvas blown by the sea breeze, and the lines of nine-edged diamonds had a strange geometric beauty.

"Now there is a problem," Niccolo stretched his waist and said slowly: "How can the ships communicate with each other quickly."

Heidi subconsciously said, "Isn't there a semaphore?"

"seahore? Is this a French word?" Niccolo frowned, "I haven't read enough books recently?"

"No—" She raised her chin at De Qiao, and the latter handed over the pen and paper knowingly.

The fastest speed in the world is light, followed by sound.

If it is daytime, they can convey information by changing the color of the flag, just like a waving of Morse code.

Although she still retains enthusiasm and nostalgia for things like radio, the premise of radio's existence is that people can understand the storage and communication of electricity - all of which will not come until the war is completely over.

And if she really wanted to clarify the concept of electricity, it would be hard for her not to talk to him about many things in the next few hundred years... This is why she hesitated about his proposal.

Hopefully all these concerns can be resolved smoothly.

"During the day, we can use striking colors to convey information." Heidi showed them her sketches: "Black, bright yellow, red..."

"Flag—" Niccolo showed a blank expression: "I didn't think of the flag!"

"Yes, and..."

"The color of the flag can be bound to the command, and we can compose different combined effects!" The young man jumped up, took her sketchbook and began to squat beside her and write quickly, muttering words like he was doing mass.

It seems that he can do all the design by himself.

"We have to find a Persian merchant to buy more mummies." Michelangelo frowned and said, "This is a big project."

Heidi wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.

The semaphore and the different display methods of day and night entered into the rapid design. When the secretaries passed the meeting room, they could see various generals and painters blushing and thick necks.

The weather is getting cooler and Christmas is finally coming.

Genoa doesn't celebrate festivals much like Florence does, but it's equally as enthusiastic about floats and theatre.

People in costumes performed miracles and myths, and many foreign businessmen came in and out of the port.

The whole city is in an orderly and bustling environment, and the winter here is as warm as spring, with very little rain.

In the early spring of 1487, their army finally returned in triumph.

In just five months, the entire army not only took all the nearby duchies and knight territories as their own, but also absorbed and invited over ten mercenary regiments of different sizes along the way.

They had only about 4000 people when they went out, but they increased to 7000 when they returned.

Not only Fira and the Principality of Attis surrendered their allegiance one after another, from the west of Genoa to the Coastal Mountains, they really beat down the entire coastline.

The power of artillery and flintlock guns is enough to frighten the whole of Europe, and bloodthirsty mercenaries are crazy about it. It is said that some people would not hesitate to introduce all their sisters and sisters to the brown-haired and brown-eyed general in order to get a gun that belongs to His own spear—and he was thrown straight out of the office.

The neutral small towns were completely powerless to resist such a conquest, and the white flags were prepared early even after hearing the news.

And the other cities that resisted in the corner obviously did not reap the benefits.

The mercenaries of the Jino family were cold-blooded and vicious enough. They were scattered like a pack of warlike wolves, and they almost crossed the mountains and fought towards France in one breath.

Now the territory owned by the Genoese lord is like a crescent moon on the Ligurian Sea, and the total area is completely different from the current Florence.

——And the prestige of that female lord also began to spread among the various royal families in Europe.

Heidi led all the ministers to wait outside the west city gate, watching the dragon-like army return triumphantly.

Her general was sitting on the black horse with a gentle and bright smile.

Leonardo has become more handsome and mature now, and his whole body exudes a calm and sharp feeling.

He stopped the horse, got off the horse and walked in front of her.

The whole body is unharmed, but has become thinner.

The handsome knight knelt down on one knee, lowered his head and kissed the back of the lord's hand.

"I'm back." He raised his head with a pious and focused expression: "As I promised, I brought you back a necklace that is bright enough, my lord."

This necklace spans the entire western coast, and the sparkling light for thousands of miles is the countless pearls he dedicated to her.

She took a deep breath and leaned over to kiss his lips.

The crowd cheered, whistles and cheers seemed to see another scene of human comedy.

Although the lord is still a little hesitant and apprehensive, relatives and friends all think that this is just a routine anxiety before getting married.

Her wedding dress was covered with gold and silver threads like gorse, large irises were embroidered on the skirt, and pearls and precious stones were arranged from top to bottom like the most expensive paintings in the world.

There is no pure white wedding dress yet, but the groom has prepared gorgeous and soft brocade for her, as well as colorful gifts that can be lined up from the south of the city to the north of the city, which is enough to make unmarried girls all over Europe jealous.

According to an ancient custom, the bride and groom should not meet each other on the day before their wedding, otherwise it will bring bad luck.

Heidi sat beside the gorgeous wedding dress, lowering her head and touching those smooth pearls with her fingertips.

She is still thinking about things related to her previous life.

Should I... tell him clearly about the things related to the previous life?

Should I tell him all the secrets about myself?

Before falling in love, this question is very easy to make a choice.

When you fall in love with someone, you can't help but want to share everything about yourself with him—as if you want to engrave each other's souls.

Heidi took a sip of her wine and let out a long sigh.

Although Leonardo himself was actually a shocking existence in this era, if he heard that he was a strange existence from 500 years later, he might not be able to believe it at all, only as if she was frightened by the marriage. up.

The drowsiness began to rise slowly, she simply lay down to rest for a while, and fell into a dream in a blink of an eye.

"My lord," Dejo knocked on the door and walked in with the documents: "Mr. Machiavelli would like to ask you—"

She froze in place, and subconsciously called again: "My lord?!"

In the bedroom, there was only one wedding dress left on the bed.

The person who was sitting there half an hour ago was nowhere to be seen.

On the eve of their wedding, their lord disappeared directly from the world.

General Da Vinci led people to search the entire city of Genoa, but did not find her.

——This is by no means an escape from marriage.

When Heidi woke up again, she only felt that she was sitting in a bumpy and stuffy narrow place.

She barely opened her eyes, feeling that her vision was not clear.

……what happened?

Was she... kidnapped by someone?

At the other end, Palazzo Pitti in Florence.

"Mr. Borgia, I don't think there is any need to repeat it again." Lorenzo put down his glass and said in a cold voice, "We will not give any support to the old grievances between the Holy See and Naples, and the interference of the church in Genoa. .”

"Is that so?" Caesar raised a faint smile.

Compared with the meeting two years ago, his appearance is closer to a teenager.

The child's breath is fading away, and the slightly thin figure before is also becoming tall and straight.

"What a pity..." He said unhurriedly, "Then I'll ask her what she means."

"What are you talking about?" Lorenzo frowned. "You're going to Genoa? Negotiating across the entire island?"

"No, she is already on her way back to the Holy See."

The young man leaned forward slightly, looked straight into his eyes, and smiled mockingly: "Maybe the young man knows how to strike better, Mr. Medici."