Venetian Masks

Copyright

Published by

Dreamspinner Press

5032 Capital Circle SW
Ste 2, PMB# 279
Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886

USA

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Venetian Masks

Copyright © 2013 by Kim Fielding

Cover Art by Shobana Appavu 

[email protected]

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Ste 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

ISBN: 978-1-62380-347-6

Digital ISBN: 978-1-62380-348-3

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

February 2013

Glossary and Pronunciation Guide

attenzione
(ah-TEN-tzee-oh-neh)
: watch out; be careful

Bellini
(bell-LEE-nee)
: a champagne cocktail flavored with peach juice

benvenuto
(ben-veh-NOO-toh)
: welcome

Bogovićeva
(boh-goh-VEE-cheh-vah)
: a street in central Zagreb

bollito misto
(boh-lee-toh MEE-stoh)
: boiled dinner (in Venice, this means an assortment of boiled or steamed fish)

buon appetito
(bwohn ahp-eh-TEE-toh)
: enjoy your meal (literally, good appetite)

buon giorno
(
bwohn JOHR-noh
): hello, good day, good morning

buon viaggio
(bwohn vee-AH-joh)
: good journey

buona fortuna
(bwoh-nah for-TOO-nah)
: good luck

buona notte
(bwoh-nah NO-teh)
: good night

buona sera
(
bwoh-nah SEH-rah
): good evening

burek
(BOOR-ek)
: a puff pastry filled with meat or cheese

Ca’ Luna
(kah LOO-nah)
: Moon House

campo
(CAHM-po)
: public square

Cannaregio
(kah-nah-REY-joh)
: one of the districts in Venice

capisce?
(kah-PEE-sheh)
: do you understand?

Carnevale
(kar-neh-VAHL-eh)
: Carnival, the Italian pre-Lenten festival

certo
(
CHEHR-toh)
: sure

Cvjetni trg
(SVYET-nee turg)
: Flower Square, a café-filled square in central Zagreb

dobar dan
(doh-bahr DAHN)
: hello, good day, good morning

dobra večer
(doh-brah VECH-her)
: good evening

Dubrovnik
(doo-BROHV-neek)
: a city on the southern Croatian coast

e’ un peccato
(eh oon peck-AH-toh)
: it’s a shame

farmacia
(fahr-mah-CHEE-ah)
: pharmacy

favoloso
(fah-vah-LOH-soh)
: fabulous; wonderful

Fondamente Nove
(fohn-dah-men-teh NOH-veh)
: a
vaporetto
stop in the northern part of Venice

frutti di mare
(FROOH-tee dee MAH-reh)
: seafood

funghi
(FOON-ghee)
: mushroom

gelateria
(jell-ah-teh-REE-ah)
: ice cream shop

Glavni Kolodvor
(GLAHV-nee KOH-lohd-vohr)
: the main train station in Zagreb

grazie
(
GRAHT-tsyeh
): thank you

grazie mille
(GRAHT-tsyeh MEEL-eh)
: thank you very much (literally, a thousand thanks)

guardo gli alberi crescere
(GWAHR-doh lee AHL-beh-ree KREH-sheher-eh)
: I watch the trees grow

Ilica
(EE-lee-tsah)
: a long, store-lined street in Zagreb

Isola di San Michele
(EE-soh-lah dee sahn mee-KEHL-eh)
: island in Venice where the main cemetery is located

Jelena
(YELL-eh-nah)
: a female Croatian name

kuna
(KOO-nah)
: Croatia’s currency

la polizia
(LAH poh-LEE-tsyah)
: the police

Lido
(LEE-doh)
: city on an island southeast of Venice

Ljubljana
(lyoob-LYAH-nah)
: the capital of Slovenia

malaga
(mah-LAH-gah)
:
rum raisin

medico della peste
(MEH-dee-choh dehl-lah PEHST-eh)
: plague doctor

Miragoj
(MEER-ah-goy)
: large cemetery in Zagreb

Mita
(MEE-tah)
: Italian female name

molto bello
(mohl-toh BEHL-loh)
: very handsome

molto bene
(mohl-toh BEHN-eh)
: very good

molto pericolo
(mohl-toh pehr-EE-koh-loh)
: very dangerous

Museo Correr
(moo-SEHY-oh COHR-rer)
: a museum in Venice

na zdravje
(nah ZDRAHV-yeh)
: to life (a traditional Croatian toast)

nonno
(NAH-noh)
: grandfather

osteria
(oh-steh-REE-ah)
: a type of restaurant or wine bar

Pala d’Oro
(PAH-lah DOH-roh)
: the high altarpiece at St. Mark’s Basilica

Piazza San Marco
(pee-AH-tzah sahn MAR-koh)
: St. Mark’s Square, the main public square in Venice

pivo
(PEE-voh)
: beer

Plitvice
(PLEET-veeh-tseh)
: a Croatian national park

Ponte dell’Accademia
(POHN-te del ah-kah-DEH-mee-ah)
: a bridge in Venice

pošta
(POH-shtah)
: post office

prosecco
(proh-SEH-koh)
: a sparkling wine produced in northern Italy

ragazzo
(rah-GAH-tzoh)
: boyfriend

salmone
(sahl-MOH-neh)
: salmon

Santa Lucia
(sahn-tah loo-CHEE-ah)
: the main train station in Venice

sarde in saor
(SAHR-deh een sour)
: sardines in sweet and sour sauce

schie
(SKEE-eh)
: small shrimp

signore
(
see-NYOH-reh
): mister; sir

šlivovica
(SHLEE-voh-veetz-ah)
: plum brandy

spaghetti con seppie in nero
(spah-GET-tee kohn SEP-pee-eh een NAIR-oh)
: spaghetti with squid ink

stracciatella
(strah-chah-TEL-ah)
: gelato flavor involving a vanilla base with bits of chocolate mixed in

Tkalčićeva
(Tuh-kahl-chee-CHEY-vah)
:
a café-lined street in Zagreb

Trg bana Jelačića
(turg bahn-ah YELL-ah-chee-chah)
: the main square in Zagreb

Trieste
(tree-EH-ste)
: a port city near Italy’s northeastern border

vaporetto
(vah-poh-REH-to)
: water bus

Venezia
(veh-NEH-tsee-ah)
: a city in northeastern Italy; usually called Venice in English

Zagreb
(ZAH-grehb)
: capital of Croatia

The sculpture referred to in the text (of a guy really happy to be riding a horse) is
The Angel of the City (L’angelo della citta)
by Marino Marini.

Chapter 1

J
EFF
double-checked the emergency procedures card against the flight attendant’s previous instructions as the jet lifted into the air. He crooked his neck to see past another passenger and watched as the land and water dropped away.
Like zooming out on Google Maps
, he thought. But then the plane passed through the nothingness of heavy gray clouds and into the bright sunshine above, and he settled his head back and closed his eyes.

The seat beside him was empty. He should probably be grateful for that, because it gave him a little more room to stretch out and meant he didn’t have to worry about jabbing someone with his elbow. But still, Jeff couldn’t help the sad little twinge in his heart.

Despite being thirty years old, he had never gone farther from Sacramento than Vancouver. And this flight would be a long one. It was Jeff’s first journey to Europe—a trip that was supposed to be a romantic getaway with Kyle. Instead, Jeff felt very alone. He tried to sleep but couldn’t even doze, tried to read but couldn’t concentrate. He flicked through the in-flight movies and TV shows, but nothing held his attention.

He caught himself imagining what the flight would be like if Kyle were there. Kyle would play cards with him and start a conversation with the lady in the window seat. He would flirt with the flight attendants and cadge free drinks out of them, and then he’d fall asleep with his head on Jeff’s shoulder, probably snoring softly.

But Kyle was back in Sacramento, likely helping redecorate his new condo, picking out an expensive leather sofa with his rich new boyfriend. He’d left Jeff to deal with the hassle of emptying out the house they had shared, getting rid of unwanted junk, and getting the place ready to sell.

Thirty-five thousand feet aloft, with the engines rumbling and a nearby toddler screaming his lungs out, Jeff closed his eyes again and drifted back to the previous day.

H
E
HATED
it when the house was a mess. Less than twenty-four hours before his flight, and he was surrounded by half-filled cardboard boxes and big plastic bags full of stuff Kyle hadn’t bothered to take with him. No doubt he had fancier things now that he’d moved in with his new boyfriend. Partners in law firms made a lot more money than guys who worked IT for a time-share company.