Venetian Masks
Authors: Kim Fielding
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
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.