leonardo woke up.
he went to the door and looked out.
the sun was shining.
no birds were singing.
leonardo had never seen a bird or heard a bird sing but he knew that they were not singing, because he had read about birds.
he went back inside and picked up the book he had been reading.
the book was "ecstasy and quietude" by pope urban viii
in the book selim, crown prince of the kingdom of a____, had been painting a picture when he was interrupted by his chamberlain, valentine.
not bad, eh,? selim nodded to the picture he had been painting when valentine entered the studio.
the studio was located in the turret of the prince's castle and was flooded with bright northern light.
valentine bowed. your highness, i have a message from your father the king. you are to take immediate command of the royal army and conduct the defense of the capital against the oncoming barbarians.
i? selim put his brush down. but it has always been understood that my brother should command the army, while i devote myself to preparing to ascend the throne.
be that as it may, your highness, his majesty was most explicit in his desire.
how odd. i am afraid i don't know anything about military matters. do you? the prince studied his painting and picked up his brush and added a few strokes to it. perhaps you can help me out.
i am afraid not, your highness i have always been in the household service. the chamberlain paused. perhaps general barbar could offer you some advice,
an excellent idea. thank you, valentine, you have been very helpful as always. please have the general notified that i would like to confer with him.
very good, sir. valentine bowed and departed.
the prince resumed work on his picture.
what is the use of a book without pictures?
the picture the prince was painting was deficient in execution but ambitious in concept. the left side of the wide canvas depicted the wreck of the argonaut, the right the fall of troy and the center mixed the two stories by showing the survivors of the shipwreck landing on the shores of troy and hastening toward it, while the inhabitants of troy fled past them to the shore.
concept, said the prince aloud. that is my favorite word. for where should we be without concept?
he added a touch of red to pythagoras's's nose in the lower left portion of the picture. the philosopher was clinging to a floating table from the dining room of the doomed ship. a book lay open on the table, pinned to it by the carcass of a persian cat.
the left page of the open book was legible and the title above the text read "the case of the empty room".
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