Chapter 21

“Here,” said Sandro, grabbing two pairs of high boots, “put these on. Any resident of Venice has one or two pair of these. Let’s venture out and see how the city is doing. I don’t have much food in the house, so at the very least we’re going to have to find a place to get some breakfast or some groceries. If we’re lucky, maybe the waters have receded enough to get back to your place and bring your stuff over here.”

They descended to street level and found that here, at least, it was still dry. “There’s a bakery not far from here that should still be operating,” said Sandro. “Have you ever had a crème horn?”

“No, nothing by that name, anyway,” said Dominic. “What’s it like?”

“Flaky pastry filled with the most delicious sweet crème you have ever had.” Sandro smiled. “C’mon, it’s just another couple of blocks.”

They found the bakery was indeed open and was very busy. While they waited in line, they overheard numerous animated conversations about the future of the city.