Percy had found some pictures of the golden boat while thumbing through an old Italian tome. Here we are in the most beautiful city in all of Europe and he has been sitting in his room reading books. The book told of how Buffoni Ladroncello built a business recovering the sunken ships for the local merchants who had lost all their goods. The Ladroncellos were much celebrated and the Ladroncellos claim they were given a giant golden ring by the populace as thanks— the ring which is that stunning centerpiece of the ballroom!
At that time the Mayor stood at the top of the dais and gathered the attention of the dancers assembled.
" I am pleased, beyond all proportion," he said, " to now introduce you to our guest of honor, and the man who saved my life on many occasions during my trip, our hero, the Duc de Longueville."
I began to clap with the rest of the audience, wondering who the man could be who saved the Mayor’ s life. He had surely never mentioned him on the trip. But then Percy stood up and joined the Mayor, and I admit I was quite confused, but I stood with him.
The Mayor indicated Percy and continued, " Perseus Longueville."
It was the French pronunciation of his name! The indignity! But did my ears hear correctly? Did he say Duke?
" Thank you," said Percy. " There was really something else I wanted to do tonight, and I was reading a romantic novel earlier wherein it stated that any girl would be incredibly lucky to be loved and proposed to at such a highly public event as a ball!"
Percy then knelt on one knee before me. The guests gasped. I was stunned! " Missus Philomena Dashwood," he began, getting my address of title quite wrong in front of all of the assembled guests. But I was preoccupied with the Mayor calling him Duke. Had Percy
been a Duke this whole time? This is what comes of not having a proper introduction! I knew it would be a problem from the moment we met!
" It has been my pleasure to know you for the past few months," Percy continued. " I did not know that I would ever meet anyone who could bring me out of my shell, who could make me see the importance of being an active part of the world around me, someone who showed me love when I was at my lowest, and was happy to see me whenever reunited. I love you. I love you more than I thought was possible. Philomena Dashwood, will you be my Missus, and my wife, forever?” Percy produced a ring. And it was right at that moment that the world began to shake. I thought at first it was an earthquake, but not a single Italian guest was stepping out place. I wondered if they did not realize that the palace could be shaken down around our ears?
I took a quick few steps away from the dais. It was a fortunate thing that I did so; not a moment after I moved away, a tentacle fully as thick around as a stallion ' s torso broke through the gilded ceiling, smashing downward right where I had been standing. It coiled around the dais, suckers pulling at the floor. The tip twisted as though tasting the air like a serpent ' s tongue.
Someone shouted, and instantly a mass of Italian men in Ladroncello livery threw themselves at the dais. My Italian was not up to a translation, but I quickly gathered by their actions that they were attempting to rescue the giant golden ring from its display. As, indeed, they managed to do, carrying it away in joyful jubilation. The tentacle itself, having felt about the empty dais, withdrew, and the world ceased to shake.
I managed to catch the attention of The Mayor, who had begun assisting fallen dancers. " Mi scusi," I said, spending nearly all of my Italian, and then was at a complete loss for the Italian word for ' kraken.'
" Does this ' grand calamari ' attack Venice often?"