Chapter 36
A Dewy MorningIt was early, and only the shopkeepers were out. They swept off the walkways in front of their stores, traded stories about last evening's commerce, and argued about soccer scores. The dew was slowly dissipating and the cool air of the morning was being warmed by the rising sun. It was a scene repeated in every great city built upon centuries of age. Towering cathedrals shouldered next to huddled newsstands and aromatic cafés. The cobblestones of ancient roads contributed their peculiar clack-clack as wagons and wheelbarrows rolled by, and early-rising pedestrians yawned and took in the sight, sounds, and smells of a venerable city.
Alfonso walked down the Via Bosio with purpose early that morning. He was not one to rise from bed so early, but today he found a sp
