“You are Don Giovanni Sforza's nephew.” Brian calmly spoke. “The words you used...not all who are in the Mafia are that way. At least I'm not; I'll never hurt an innocent.” He inhaled sharply. “I'm proud of my status because I can use it to rescue and help children and other innocents.”
“Who is this Don Giovanni fellow?” Lazzaro frowned in confusion. “I remember my father mentioning a few times thathe had a cousin in Italy. He planned to take me and mom there one day, so I could meet my cousins Ottavio and Martino. Dad told me once that the Sforzas in Italy were very rich, influential people.”
“I didn't know Don Giovanni in life, only death.” Brian’s voice, barely above a whisper, was tinged with sadness. “He is a great man, so I have no doubts he was an amazing man in life. Martino is here, at The Base, but sadly Ottavio is gone from this world. And yes, the Sforzas are still rich and powerful.”
Lazzaro was happy to hear that, but he also wanted to know who killed his uncle and cousin and why. He asked Brian if it was the doing of a Mafia rival, to which the librarian sighed and, after a long moment of silence, answered affirmatively, but added that the matter was very complicated, especially for someone from the outside.
Brian started to tell Lazzaro about the origins of The Old-World Mafia, the Laws its members obeyed, and why The Council of The Ten was so important for the members of the organization. The young man listened carefully and in silence; he suspected the librarian had a good reason to tell him all those things, especially the part about the Laws and his comment that some of them needed to be changed, at least partially.
Suddenly, Brian fell silent, and stayed like that for a few seconds, then revealed the name of Don Giovanni’s killer, none other than his firstborn, Ottavio. Lazzaro stared in shock and disbelief at the man behind the counter, unable to understand why a son would want to kill his father. After all, as the oldest son, he would have inherited the biggest chunk from the familyfortune, and would have followed in his father's footsteps as The Council’s next War.
“Love,” Brian answered with a sigh, “can make someone act unpredictably, and it can change them forever, sometimes for the worst. Ottavio was in love with a young man full of qualities, and the feeling was so strong, he wanted to change the Laws for his lover. However, the other one only saw him as a good friend.”
Besides, Brian continued the story, for some reason, Don Giovanni was disappointed in Ottavio and preferred his second son, Martino, who he named the main beneficiary of his will. The mafioso’s decision to marry him off to the young man his firstborn had feelings for made Ottavio see red and sealed Don Giovanni’s fate.
At that point, Brian tightened his jaw and clenched his hands into fists under the counter. It wouldn’t have gone that far, were it not for a sinister creature known as Il Burattinaio, the Puppeteer. He speculated the tense relationship between the two Sforzas, father and son, the jealousy and envy Ottavio felt for his brother Martino and the love bordering obsession he had for that young man.
That monster took all those emotions and twisted them into a rope he used for tying Ottavio to him. Alternating between flattering and praising to mockery and belittling, Il Burattinaio brought to the surface all the young Sforza’s hidden ambitions, fed them, and made them the central point of the younger man’s existence.
Soon, Ottavio saw Il Burattinaio as his best friend, the only one who listened to and understood him, trusting the greedy, perverted beast with his best-kept secrets and dreams. The pervert reciprocated, confessing that he lusted after Martino, only sixteen at that time, and promising to help Ottavio change the Laws if he got the boy as a reward.
At that point, Brian stopped, not sure if he wanted to continue; after all, Ottavio was Lazzaro’s cousin, too. It was bad enough that the young man would remember him as the one who killed his own father; there was no point telling him about all the horrible things he did and the pain he caused to so many people, including the librarian himself.
Brian used the story of Ottavio’s dramatic transformation to show Lazzaro that, in the wrong circumstances, even the most noble intentions can be twisted into something evil, and the purest of emotions can be used to trap one and turn them into a monster. The librarian thought the young cage fighter got the moral of the story, so he decided to stop.
He is hiding something from me, I can feel it, Lazzaro thought, as he examined Brian’s expression, in an attempt to decipher it.I wonder what it is, he continued his internal monologue, trying to figure out the answer. Most likely, Ottavio did even worse things than killing his own father.
Lazzaro shrugged; no matter what crimes his cousin committed, he paid for them, and was now laying in the same ground he put his victims in. The young cage fighter decided he wasn’t going to ask the librarian what happened next. There was,however, a question that was bothering him, and he wanted an answer to it.
CHAPTER 6
“What became of my other cousin, Martino?” Lazzaro broke the leaden silence which overtook the library. “From what you said, he’s still alive.”
Brian nodded, smiling. “Would you like to meet him?” He checked his wristwatch.“Today, he has classes in the afternoon, so it won’t be long before he shows up here. Morning walk.” The librarian’s smile became even more radiant.
“Yes, of course!” Lazzaro exclaimed with a mix of enthusiasm and excitement.
“Let’s give him a call, then, for good measure.” Brian speed-dialed a number on his phone. “Hey boys, where are you hiding today? I have someone here I'd like you to meet.”
“Hey yourself, we’re heading to the library.” Martino answered in a lighthearted voice. “Gianluca decided he wants to visit his Zio Brian today, and who am I to say no?”
“That sweet, little boy must have sensed his Zio was thinking of how much he loves him.” Brian smiled against the phone. “I can't wait to see you both
A few minutes later, the librarian saw Martino pushing the stroller down the street, so he left his seat and held the door wide open. “Thank you and hello.” The young redhead offered him a warm smile. “Here we are, all giggles and a small tooth. Did you see it?”
“Hello once again.” Brian gave the redhead a warm hug, then went next to the stroller. “My sweet Gianluca, is that a tooth I see?” He picked the small child up, then gestured with his head to the other side of the counter. “Martino, this is your cousin Lazzaro.”
“I…I know you, I saw a lot of photos with you and your parents, papa often told me about his American cousin.” Martino hugged Lazzaro.” I’m so happy to meet you at last! Papa wanted to bring you to Italy to live with us, after Zio and Zia died, but the US Social Services denied his request. This is Gianluca, my precious son.” His green eyes were shining with tenderness and paternal love when he pointed to the baby boy.
“Here you go.” Brian gently handed Gianluca to Lazzaro to hold. “Another Zio for the cutie to add to his collection.” He joked.
“What a big boy you are! And very beautiful, too!” Lazzaro cooed, an unfamiliar feeling warming his heart. “A Sforza from head to toe. Well, you must have inherited something from your mammina, too.” He continued, kissing Gianluca on the nose and cheeks, and making him giggle.
Martino cleared his throat. “Actually, I was the one who carried and gave birth to him,” his voice was thick and shaky. “I followed a male pregnancy treatment and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I love Luca, Gianluca’s papa, with all my heart and soul, and I wanted to offer him living proof of my feelings.”
“Oh-wow!” Lazzaro slowly shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against male pregnancy, but how did you…how did the baby come out? Which way? And wasn’t it dangerous for you? To carry a child, that is.”
Smiling, Martino was ready to offer his cousins all the answers, when the library’s door opened and Stephanie stepped inside. She waved to the adults and said hello, then turned to Lazzaro who was holding Gianluca. She cooed at him and asked him about his Nonna and papa.
