Spira Mirabilis
Authors: Aidan Harte
First published in Great Britain in 2014 by
Jo Fletcher Books
An imprint of Quercus Editions Ltd
55 Baker Street
7th Floor, South Block
London
W1U 8EW
Copyright © 2014 Aidan Harte
The moral right of Aidan Harte to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 78087 153 0 (HB)
ISBN 978 1 78087 152 3 (TPB)
ISBN 978 1 78087 154 7 (EBOOK)
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
You can find this and many other great books at:
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Also by Aidan Harte
Irenicon
The Warring States
To my hero, Bronagh
CONCORDIANS
| Torbidda | The Last Apprentice |
| Girolamo Bernoulli | Long dead tyrant of Concord |
| Leto Spinther | Concordian General |
| Lord Geta | Disgruntled swordsman |
| Fra Norcino | Blind preacher; leader of the fanciulli |
| Madame Filangeiri | Brothel keeper |
| Scaevola | Leto’s quartermaster |
| Collegio dei Consoli | Council of previous candidates for apprenticeship |
| Consul Numitor Fuscus | Influential consul |
| Consul Malapert Omodeo | Noble-born but self-made plutocrat |
| Horatius | Malapert Omodeo’s nephew |
RASENNEISI
| Sofia Scaligeri | Former Contessa of Rasenna |
| Iscanno Scaligeri | Her son |
| Pedro Vanzetti | Chief Engineer |
| Salvatore Bombelli | Eldest son of Fabbro the murdered ruler of Rasenna |
| Guido and Gasparo Bombelli | Middle twins |
| Costanzo Bombelli | Youngest of Fabbro’s sons |
| Maddalena Bombelli | Fabbro’s only daughter; Lord Geta’s wife |
| Sister Isabella Vaccarelli | Young Reverend Mother of the Sisterhood |
| Sister Carmella | Novice |
| Uggeri Galati | Bandieratoro; young capo of Bardini Workshop |
| Polo Sorrento, the farmer | Wool Merchant and father of Rosa & Pablo |
| Pablo Sorrento | Rosa’s brother; a bandieratoro |
| Rosa Sorrento | Young mother; daughter of Polo; Pablo’s brother |
| Bocea, a.k.a the Brewer | Owner of Lion’s Fountain; Prior of Vintners’ Guild |
| Jacques Bonhomme | Frankish Blacksmith |
| Donna Soderini | Wife of a poor wool carder |
OTHER ETRURIANS
| Levi Azzarà | Podesta of Rasenna; General of Hawk’s Company |
| Duke Grimani | Dictator of Veii |
| Poggio Marsuppini | Town elder of Veii; succeeds Duke Grimani |
| Doctor Ferruccio | Ambassador from Salerno; old Scaligeri ally |
| Sergio | A Salernitan buttero |
| Matron Trotula | A Salernitan doctor |
| No Man | Sybaritic youth |
| Hellebore | Top Man of Sybaris |
| Femus | Hellebore’s son |
| Whisperer | Councillor of Sybaris |
| Befana | Prophetess |
OLTREMARINES
| Queen Catrina Guiscard | Queen of Oltremare |
| Fulk Guiscard | Queen’s son; Grandmaster of the Lazar Knights |
| Basilius | Seneschal of Lazars |
| Gustav | Elderly Lazar |
| Patriarch Chryrsoberges | Queen’s councillor |
| Baron Masoir | Rich Akkan noble |
| Melisende Ibelin | Baroness; wife of Baron Masoir |
| Prince Jorge | New ruler of Byzant |
| Captain Khoril | Captain of Oltremarine flagship, the Tancred |
| Abdel | Moorish slave |
EBIONITES
| Ezra | Old Ebionite sailor |
| Azizi, a.k.a The Moor | Usurping ruler of Ariminum; former pirate |
| Mik la Nan | Infamous chief of Napthtali tribe |
| Arik ben Uriah | Ebionite of Issachar tribe; Scout for Oltremarines |
| Yūsuf ben Uriah | Leader of Sicarii; brother of Arik |
| Bakhbukh | Yūsuf’s unhappy advisor |
| Zayid | Heavy; Ally of Yūsuf |
| Jabari | Sicarii boy |
| Roe de Nail | Chief of Benjaminite tribe |
