Even though it was the tail end of summer, morning for Alessandro came with all the joys of spring. He woke at dawn, as was his custom. He looked inside the pantry and gazed longingly at a rich-smelling peppered salami. Dragging himself away, he opened the door that led into the main workshop. Noticing Leonardo’s self-propelled cart, he marvelled at the intricate coils and spring and wondered what manner of man the maestro was that he could invent such a strange instrument. He leaned over to take a closer look at the layer of coils that wound their way back and forth and stretched out a hand only to quickly withdrew it lest he be the cause of some mishap. He walked over to a long workbench where propped up on top was a painting. Between its chubby fingers a plump baby Jesus sat on the Mado
