The panic of the battle scene seemed to spreadthrough the big room. Leonardo's apprentices lookedaround wildly, as if they didn't know what to do.
"Water from the fountain!" Leonardo roared.
"Hurry!" He ran out of the room. His apprenticesrushed after him.
"We have to help, too!" Jack said to Annie. Theytook off after the others, following them down thestairs to the courtyard.
The apprentices were filling buckets with60water from the fountain. "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"Leonardo shouted.
Jack and Annie grabbed two of the full buckets andclumsily followed the others back up the61stairs. "This is like -- like Edo!" Jack said to Annie,remembering their recent trip to old Japan.
62"Yeah," said Annie, "except that was acityon fire. This is just paint melting."True, thought Jack. But Leonardo was acting like it wasa matter of life and death.
Inside the hall, Leonardo and the apprenticescarried the buckets up the ladder. They splashedwater over the flames in the two iron pots. But it wastoo late. The helmets and faces and swords of thefighting men had become a messy blur of streaks andblotches. The painting was ruined.
Leonardo stared for a long moment at the wall.
Then he climbed down the ladder and walked away.
When he got to the door, Zorro shouted, "Master,wait!" But Leonardo kept walking.
"We have to follow him," Annie said to Jack. "Heseems really upset," said Jack.
"I know," said Annie. "But we have to do what therhyme says-`Help the genius all day long.'""But what if he doesn't want our help anymore?"said Jack.
63"Look! He forgot his basket, with all his stuff in it,"said Annie. "We can take it to him.""Okay. Good," said Jack.
Annie picked up Leonardo's basket filled withfeathers, flowers, cheese, and a loaf of bread. Jackgrabbed his own bag and they hurried out of thecouncil hall. When they got to the entrance of thepalace, they saw Leonardo striding across the square.
"Leonardo!" Annie yelled.
Leonardo didn't look back. He disappeared down anarrow lane.
"Quick!" said Jack.
Jack and Annie took off across the square. Whenthey got to the lane, they saw Leonardo at the farend.
"Leonardo, wait!" Annie shouted.
But Leonardo didn't wait. He kept going androunded a corner.
Annie and Jack ran faster. When they turned thecorner, they looked right and left. Kids were playingin the street. Two women were leaning64out of windows talking to each other. But there wasno sign of Leonardo.
"Excuse me," Annie called to the women. "Haveyou seen Leonardo da Vinci?""Oh, yes, he just got home!" one woman said. "Helives just over there!" said her neighbor. She pointedto a narrow building across the street.
"Thank you!" said Annie. She and Jack walkedquickly to the building. A stone arch opened onto awide pathway. They walked under the arch and downthe pathway to a sunny cobblestone courtyard. A bigwhite horse was tied to a cart. Chickens pecked thedirt between the warm stones.
"Hi, guys," Annie said to the horse and chickens.
Jack pointed to an open doorway across the yard.
"He's in there. I hear him," he said.
Annie and Jack moved quietly across the courtyard.
They stopped outside a window.
65Leonardo was pacing up and down inside. His capand cloak were on the floor. His hair was wild.
"I'll leave Florence-that's what I'll do," Leonardosaid to himself. "I shall go to Rome! Orback to Milan!"Jack turned to Annie. "We shouldn't bother him," hewhispered. "Iffelt that bad, I wouldn't want people to bother me.""Notbother," said Annie. "Help. If I felt that bad, I'd want people tohelpme. Come on, at least we can give him his stuff."Before Jack could stop her, Annie stepped intoLeonardo's room. "Knock, knock," she said loudly.
Leonardo whirled around. His face was red. He wasscowling. "What areyoudoing here?" he said.
"We brought your things," said Annie. "You forgotthem." She held up the basket.
"Oh." Leonardo's face softened. "Thank you. Leaveit all by the door, please," he said.
Annie put the basket down. Then she looked up atLeonardo.
"We'd better go," Jack said softly to her.
"Wait." Annie stepped farther into Leonardo's room.
"We'd like to help you," she said.
Leonardo scowled again. "You cannot help me," hesaid. "Do as your brother says, little girl. Go now."But Annie didn't move. "Excuse me, but we'resupposed to help you all day," she said. "You made usyour apprentices for the day, remember?""Can you not see that I am miserable?" saidLeonardo.
"Butwhyare you miserable?" said Annie. "You said that famewas the secret of happiness. And you're still famous.""But what good is fame in the face of failure?"shouted Leonardo. "This fresco was to be mymasterpiece! What good is fame when everyone willnow laugh at me and mock my failure? Go! Please!""Oh, okay. I'm sorry," said Annie in a small67voice. "We just wanted to help." She and Jackturned to go.
"Wait, wait, wait," said Leonardo. "Forgive me."Jack and Annie looked back at Leonardo. The greatgenius rubbed his face and sighed. Then he waved hishand. "Please, forgive me. Come in, come in," he said.
"Thanks," said Annie. And she and Jack steppedinside Leonardo da Vinci's studio. |