Page 118 of DATE
The next moment, the black-and-white keys began to press down and play, with the paper roll behind it continuously unrolling.
The guests finally showed expressions of astonishment.
Some were surprised because they had never heard such a piece of music, while others were amazed that such a machine could play music without a performer.
This wasn’t the work of a ghost, nor was there a witch casting a spell before the crowd.
The long paper roll continuously fed through, and mechanical fingers struck the strings, the melody so beautiful that the entire hall fell silent, occasionally interrupted by the awed exclamations of a few young people.
Lorenzo, who had just recovered from yet another gout attack, still felt slight pain in his knee and toes.
When he heard the flowing melody, like a winding stream, he looked up at the young woman in the greenish-blue gown.
Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders, her brows like two crescent moons, and her light blue eyes held a smile, making her look almost unreal in her beauty.
The song he had vaguely heard in his sleep that day seemed to stir once again in his mind.
Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler.
Lorenzo looked away and reached for the glass of wine besidehim.
In that moment, he really wanted to ask her some questions.
With such a thoughtful gift, what kind of reward were you hoping for?
Why had you said before that you wanted to leave Florence?
It seemed like he recalled some advice, and his hand suddenly faltered, then stopped, retracting.
Perhaps it was better not to drink.
This public performance had certainly created quite a buzz.
On one hand, the piece was truly magnificent. Not only had the Florentine nobility never heard such a melody, but even the foreign guests who had come to celebrate looked on in fresh surprise.
On the other hand, the entire mechanical set-up was astonishing.
Before the piece was even finished, some guests were already eager to arrange an appointment with Leonardo, asking him to custom-make one of these for their own pianos, with the price being negotiable.
Because of this, Leonardo was surrounded during the latter half of the banquet, unable to move freely.
Hedy, on the other hand, danced several dances with friends, smiling quite happily.
Botticelli looked much better, and it seemed he had let go of many things and started looking ahead.
Mr. Alejo also came by to say his goodbyes, reportedly to take up a new job in the outskirts.
They danced with her and, without thinking, complimented her on her appearance that evening.
Such a young and stunning face was truly a gift from heaven.
The lord had truly started to cut back on alcohol.
He consciously reduced his intake, occasionally replacing wine with orange juice.
Beer had disappeared from his office, and there was much less red meat on the dining table.
He began to regulate his intake of shellfish, and he mostly avoided anchovies.
