“Not recent ones, but plenty of older ones.” Juliet leaned forward on dimpled elbows. “That’s how we got the floor plans. I learned which of the locals hereabout had worked in the palazzi over the years. Got ’em to talking about what it was like inside. Even got a few of them arguing over the details.”
“But has our observation given us a sense of patrol rosters? Duty stations?” Thomas tried to keep the worry out of his voice.
“Well, in a manner of speaking, yes, we do have information on that. And it’s some of the best news of all.”
“Oh?”
Harry smiled. “I think the Borja’s troops have bitten off a little more than they can chew. Our small army of casual, underage watchers agree with our older hands: the Spanish are playing the single-file repeating Indian trick all throughout the insula Mattei.”
“They’re playing what?” asked John O’Neill.
“It’s an old story from up-time,” Sherrilyn explained. “In order to make themselves look more numerous, one war-band of North American natives marched just beyond the edge of a ridge, all in one big circle, each one passing by the crest again and again. To the folks in the fort they had surrounded, it looked like there were thousands of Indians out in the hills, when in fact there were only a few hundred, at most.”
John nodded, understanding, but evidently not too pleased that the explanation had come from Sherrilyn. North couldn’t tell if the earl was disappointed because the story had not come from Golden Harry, or because O’Neill hated-hated-anything that reminded him that some members of the Wrecking Crew were female. Whatever the reason behind it, Sherrilyn saw John’s reaction, and clearly didn’t like it very much. She sat back, arms folded, and eyes hard.
“So,” the earl mused, “they’re short of men, given the size of the area they have to defend.”
“It sure looks like it,” drawled Harry. “We see the same guys too often, standing triple watches, moving from post to post. If you were just watching casually, it looks like there’s a fair amount of activity in the complex, but when you start following the faces, it turns out to be a sham. All of which is in line with what our informers close to Borja and his officers have told the lefferti.”
Juliet raised her chins. “Which also matches what my little darlings have reported in terms of food deliveries: far less than the apparent garrison would eat. Only about one third as much.”
“And from what I’ve seen through my binoculars,” added George, “most of them are not the top-notch Spanish troops.”
“How do you know?” asked Owen.
“Well, in part, their weapons. Philip’s best have genuine flintlock muskets, now. A lot have snaplocks; the rest have wheel locks or the better matchlocks. But most of the lads in this complex are still carrying arquebuses and matchlocks that came back from the New World with Columbus.
“And if they had enough troops, I’m pretty sure they’d use that big belvedere on top of the main palazzo as more than a sometimes-lookout.”
“What else should they use it for?” asked Sean Connal, genuinely perplexed.
“A strongpoint from which to defend all the roofs,” George responded.
Most of the Irish stared, more confused than before.
Harry stood. “See, it’s like this. All of these buildings are roofed, yeah? And some of them here on the north, and here on the west are pretty close to buildings on the opposite side of the street. Close enough that a group of attackers on these roofs over here”-he pointed to the roofs to the north of the complex-“could lay a ladder over the gap and cross to the roofs of the Palazzo Mattei. Now maybe I’m just paranoid, but I wouldn’t want to give my opponent free access to my roof. Particularly not if my opponent was as smart as, say-” Harry smiled “-Harry Lefferts.”
“Why am I beginning to suspect that we’re going to pull another roof job?” asked Matija sourly.
“Now, would I plan anything as crazy as that?”
“Of course you would, Harry. You’re you.”
“Well, so I am-but we’ll get to that later. For now, here’s the other lucky break we’re catching: Frank and Giovanna are being kept here, in this small palazzo just below the insula’s northwest corner. It’s called the Palazzo Giacomo. They’re in a room overlooking this combo entrance and courtyard, which does not communicate directly with any of the courtyards of the big palace. And we can see the windows of their rooms just fine from the roof of a three-story building near the gate into the Ghetto. Which means that we’ll have eyes, and a scoped weapon, on the primary area of operations at all times.”
John O’Neill was nodding like he actually understood all of what Harry had explained. In reality, North conjectured, the earl understood that a bold plan had been conceived and that they were within days of executing it. And that seemed to excite him quite a bit.
Harry hunkered close to the map. “Okay, so here’s the mission plan. Most of our assault forces will begin hidden in this boarding house to the north of the insula Mattei and in these sheds. Two of the Hibernians-who will be the long-range support-will be secreted here, just inside the Ghetto walls.”
“The Ghetto walls?” Donald Ohde sounded dubious. “But the guards there-”
Juliet smiled. “You know, I never cease to be amazed how very bribable guards are when you suggest that you want them to wander away from the Ghetto Gate so you can sneak in and torment a few Jews.” Her smiled broadened. “So I don’t think we’ll have to worry about moving in and around the Ghetto. And if one of the guards has a twinge of conscience, well…we’ll have people there who can take of that, too.” She stared meaningfully at all the readied pistols and swords in the room.
“Okay,” resumed Harry, “once we’re in position, Juliet will start the party with a diversion. We’ll be creating an incident at the well in the next few days, an incident which will lead to some peaceful, but loud and large, rioting outside the doors of the main Palazzo Mattei.
“Once that diversion has drawn in the attention and spare troops of the palazzo, our team in the north will go into action. They’ll already be up on the roofs across from the smallest and northern-most of the three palaces, the Palazzo Paganica. They’ll push ladders across the gap, scoot over, and from there, will have the run of all the roofs of the insula Mattei.”
“And if they have a guard watching from the main palace’s roof-top belvedere?” asked Sean Connal.
“Well, then I’ll just have to use my scoped rifle to close his eyes. Permanently.”
“Ah,” the doctor responded. “You are another great long-range marksman, like your famous Julie Sims?”
“Doc, at these ranges I could shoot like Elmer Fudd and still bag all the pesky Spanish wabbits that I spy with my little eye.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’ll fill you in later, Doc. Back to the action. So the Wrecking Crew is the roof team. Gerd will make his way to the southeast corner of the main palazzo, find the driest beams under the roof-tiles there, and give them the gift of fire. Nothing that will burn the whole joint down, but enough to get a little attention pulled over that way.
“By that time, the rest of the Crew should have identified and staked out the sections of the roof next to where they’re holding Frank and Giovanna.”
Gerd smiled. “And then I blow it in.”
Harry smiled back. “Yeah. Gerd has been working on tamping and directional demolitions. You can’t control these micro-petards too much, but you can manage them enough for our purposes. Once the hole is in the roof, the Wrecking Crew goes in, led by Sherrilyn. They will secure the room next to Frank and Giovanna’s.”
“And that’s when we join the party, right?” John O’Neill’s eyes were bright, eager.
“Yep. By this time, the rioters will be making a storm of noise outside the gate leading into the courtyard of the main Palazzo Giove Mattei. Under the cover of that ruckus, you’ll emerge from the buildings we’ve rented around the fountain’s piazza, charge and take the gate into the Palazzo Giacomo’s courtyard, using those nice new revolvers of yours.”