‘What of this goddess - Minerva?’ Claudia asked. ‘Did she appear … like us?’

‘Her appearance was human, and also superhuman,’ Ezio said. ‘Her words proved that she belonged to a race far older and greater than ours. The rest of her kind died many centuries ago. She had been waiting for that moment for a long time. I wish I had the words to describe the magic she performed.’

‘What are these temples she spoke of?’ put in Mario.

‘I know not.’

‘Did she say we should search for them? How do we know what to look for?’

‘Perhaps we should … perhaps the quest will show us the way.’

‘The quest must be undertaken,’ said Machiavelli crisply. ‘But we must clear the path for it first. Tell us of the Pope. He did not die, you say?’

‘When I returned to the vault, his cope lay on the chapel floor. He himself had disappeared.’

‘Had he made any promises? Had he shown repentance?’

‘Neither. He was bent on gaining the Power. When he saw he was not going to get it, he collapsed.’

‘And you left him to die.’

‘I would not be the one to kill him.’

‘You should have done so.’

‘I am not here to debate the past. I stand by my decision. Now, we should discuss the future. What we are to do.’

‘What we are to do is made all the more urgent by your failure to finish off the Templar leader when you had the chance.’ Machiavelli breathed hard, but then relaxed a little. ‘All right, Ezio. You know in what high esteem we all hold you. We would not have got anything like this far without the twenty years’ devotion you have shown to the Assassin Brotherhood and our Creed. And a part of me applauds you for not having killed when you deemed it unnecessary to do so. That is also in keeping with our code of honour. But you misjudged, my friend, and that means we have an immediate and dangerous task ahead of us.’ He paused, scanning the assembled company with eagle eyes. ‘Our spies in Rome report that Rodrigo is indeed a reduced threat.