Chapter 5

We went down to the baths and spent some time in the calidarium; then while our guests took advantage of the massage services, we moved to the tepidariumfor a while. We timed things so that when we went to the showers we met Tom and Noah there.

“Feel better?” I said.

“You know we do,” Tom said. “A hot soak and a massage should be offered after every transatlantic flight.”

“Yeah,” Noah said. “By the way, is it just me or are the baths a lot more crowded than they were last time we were here?”

“They’re more crowded,” I said. “Both the castle and the city are full of guests from all over the world, and many of them are distant cousins.” Actually, given that I was the son of il Ducaand many of the visitors were his sons and grandsons many times removed, the relationship was somewhat different

“No kidding?” Noah said.