#░▒▓ valentinois.

[rowiewritesstuff]

UH WHAT

Idk this is something I noticed (Doing some writing soon btw)

but does fizzbot feel pain or sadness? They frowned when Valentino threw his cup at them.

[unabashedqueenfury]

Reign/The Borgias

François Arnaud• Toby Finn Regbo | Cesare Borgia • Francis de Valois-Angoulême

[prideandprejudice]

“Cesare Borgia was a Spanish-Italian cardinal who resigned his church office to became a military commander, powerful lord, and a leading figure in the politics of his era. The acknowledged but illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, Borgia was the sibling of Lucrezia, Juan and Gioffre Borgia.   Cesare was a brilliant general who lived during the period when the papacy was a both a spiritual and military power. Cesare Borgia’s actions greatly advanced the domain of the Papal States after his father became pope. Simultaneously, Cesare became a powerful political figure in his own right. His amassed titles included Duke of Valentinois and Romagna; Prince of Andria and Venafro; Count of Dyois; Lord of Piombino, Camerino, and Urbino. 

Cesare was also a brilliant military commander and a skillful statesman. He was greatly admired by Niccolò Machiavelli, who was at Borgia’s court from October 7, 1502 through January 18, 1503. During this time, Machiavelli wrote regular dispatches to his superiors in Florence, many of which have survived and are published in Machiavelli’s collected works. Machiavelli also used many of Borgia’s exploits and tactics as examples in The Prince, and advised politicians to imitate Cesare. Two episodes were particularly impressive to Machiavelli: The method by which Borgia pacified the Romagna, and his tactics leading up to the execution of his rebellious captains in Senigallia. A man of scientific rather than artistic interests.

Cesare also married Charlotte d'Albret, a sister of the king of Navarre. The couple had a daughter: Louise Borgia.

Cesare died at the siege of the Spanish town of Viana in 1507, at the age of 31.”

[borgialucrezia]

it still sends me that cesare not only got to wear juan's armor and take command of his army without getting clocked for purposely trying to dishonorably sabotage it to humiliate him, but was also forgiven for killing him and then inheriting his father's legacy, secured the support of the french army and held the titles of duke of valentinois and the gonfaloniere of the papal army...the type of greed they talked about in the bible etc

[isadomna]

Anne de Pisseleu & Diane de Poitiers

The rivalry, and mutual animosity, which took place between the two royal favourites and their parties, embittered and disgraced the last years of Francis I‘s reign. Anne de Pisseleu, the King's mistress, sympathized with protestant doctrines and Diane de Poitiers, Dauphin Henry's mistress, was an ardent Catholic. The rivalry between Diane and Anne not only attests to their great influence at court but also reveals in dramatic fashion the ways mistresses could complicate political issues and family relations. Anne’s pronounced influence with Francis led Henry increasingly to turn against his father and to oppose his policies. Father and son were frequently and more sharply at odds during the last ten years of Francis’s reign.

The court, divided into two hostile camps, became a hotbed of intrigue, with Diane and Anne engaged in a war of calumnies and slanderous epigrams. To discredit her emerging rival, Anne launched a campaign of personal invective against Diane de Poitiers in which she emphasized her rival’s age, claiming inaccurately that Anne was born the day Diane wed. Anne was only nine years younger than Diane. Anne disparaged Diane’s looks and commissioned the poet Jean Voulté, whose verses described Diane: “her face painted with wrinkles, her false teeth, and her ruined complexion.” In retaliation, Diane attacked Anne de Pisseleu’s fidelity because it was widely known that she and Francis I had lived in an open relationship. Anne took lovers, well over a dozen, according to Diane. Henry not only vociferously defended his mistress but also became her agent in the campaign against Anne, spreading the rumor that Anne had slept with her brother-in-law Guy Chabot, the chevalier of Jarnac.

Francis I’s death laid Anne de Pisseleu open to the machinations of her enemies. She was so unpopular that the imperial ambassador Saint-Mauris believed she would have been stoned to death if she appeared in the streets of Paris alone. She was evicted from her luxurious royal apartments in a matter of days after the old King’s death, forced to return the jewels she received from Francis and despoiled of part of her lands. These were now given to Diane de Poitiers, who received the title of Duchess of Valentinois and became the most important woman at court after the new Queen, prompting a cry: “The King is dead, long live the new mistress” in recognition of Diane displacing Anne de Pisseleu in the office of the titular royal mistress. Anne was allowed to retire in obscurity to one of her châteaux, where she spent her last years in contemplation and occasional acts of charity.

Sources:

Sylvia Barbara Soberton, Golden Age Ladies: Women Who Shaped the Courts of Henry VIII and Francis I

Kathleen Wellman, Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France

[crazycatsiren]

Infodump:

I have a never ending fascination with official royal mistresses of French kings.

Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly, duchess of Étampes

Diane de Poitiers, duchess of Valentinois

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, marquise de Pompadour

Marie-Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry

[lucreziaces]

as if lucrezia and i both having april birthdays and cesare and my mom sharing a birthday wasn't enough, just found out that diane de poitiers was named duchess of valentinois (aka the feminine version of the title bestowed upon cesare borgia by king louis xii) by king henry ii & i had an obsession with reign for YEARS so yeah i guess what i'm trying to say is that like all my other obsessions (btw diane's death date is my birthday so there's another tie to me!!), my obsession with the borgias was written in the stars lol

[thethirdromana]

The many, many references of chapter XI of Dorian Gray

This chapter can come across as a bit of a long, boring list of stuff. That's partly because it is a long, boring list of stuff, as we see how shallow Dorian's life of collecting trinkets and misdeeds is, compared with his lofty ambitions to be some kind of thought-leader of his age.

But it's Wilde, so a lot of this chapter has references and connotations that might not be obvious.

the sordid room of the little ill-famed tavern near the docks OK, this isn't particularly subtle given Wilde already tells us it's sordid and ill-famed. But it's probably not just a dodgy pub. Being near the docks implies that Dorian is hanging out with people in the lower classes, almost certainly including sex workers. I think there might also be a nudge-nudge wink-wink implication of homosexuality here - docks mean sailors, and the navy already had a reputation for homosexuality in Wilde's time.

Like Gautier, he was one for whom “the visible world existed.” Théophile Gautier, a French writer, critic and defender of Romanticism. He was flamboyant, unconventional and had lots of affairs.

he might really become to the London of his own day what to imperial Neronian Rome the author of the Satyricon once had been The author of the Satyricon is Petronius, a Roman courtier in the reign of Nero. He was dedicated to a life of pleasure and indulgence, and was an authority on questions of fashion and taste.

the materialistic doctrines of the Darwinismus movement in Germany Darwinismus means proto-eugenics, essentially. You know, in case you needed any more reasons to dislike Dorian.

the one that Bernal Diaz saw when he went with Cortes into the Mexican temple, and of whose doleful sound he has left us so vivid a description "They had an exceedingly large drum there, and when they beat it the sound of it was so dismal and like, so to say, an instrument of the infernal regions, that one could hear it a distance of two leagues, and they said that the skins it was covered with were of those great snakes." Wouldn't say it was that vivid a description, to be honest.

appeared at a costume ball as Anne de Joyeuse, Admiral of France, in a dress covered with five hundred and sixty pearls Despite how this sounds, Anne de Joyeuse was a man, and Dorian didn't go to the ball in drag. Anne de Joyeuse was probably one of Henry III's lovers. (This is the start of a theme developing).

Alexander, the Conqueror of Emathia This is Alexander the Great. (The theme continues).

Lodge’s strange romance ‘A Margarite of America’ A 16th century romance about the love affair between a Peruvian prince and a Russian princess. With a lot of gory bits.

the Duke de Valentinois, son of Alexander VI Otherwise known as Cesare Borgia, who inspired Machiavelli to write The Prince. There are all sorts of rumours about Cesare Borgia, ranging from having lots of mistresses (true) to gay relationships and incest with his sister (probably not true).

Charles of England had ridden in stirrups hung with four hundred and twenty-one diamonds This is presumably Charles I rather than Charles II (who was also Charles of England). Historic Royal Palaces - the people who run the Tower of London, among others - have him on their list of LGBT+ monarchs. They highlight this painting, where he's gazing at George Villiers, who also shagged his dad:

Richard II had a coat, valued at thirty thousand marks, which was covered with balas rubies Richard II, who was rumoured to have had an affair with Richard de Vere, Earl of Oxford.

Henry VIII Who only had relationships with women, as far as history is aware.

The favourites of James I wore ear-rings of emeralds set in gold filigrane Back on the theme again. James I was Charles I's dad, who had a secret passage built between his bedchamber and that of his favourite, George Villiers - the one in the picture up there ^. While most of the people on this list were only rumoured to have had gay relationships, no one really disputes it for James I.

Edward II gave to Piers Gaveston a suit of red-gold armour That would be his lover, Piers Gaveston.

Henry II. wore jewelled gloves reaching to the elbow Henry II, who was known to have shared a bed with William Marshal, the Earl of Pembroke. Which doesn't necessarily mean anything, but... you know. There's a theme.

Charles the Rash, the last Duke of Burgundy of his race At this point I can't tell if Wilde is deliberately throwing in some misdirection, like the mention of Henry VIII, or if my Google-powers have failed me.

the mortuary cloth of King Chilperic Oh hang on a tick. King Chilperic was a 6th century monarch who is known, among other things, for having strangled his wife. Just as Henry VIII had two of his wives executed. So the theme here is either queer relationships - or murdered women.

(We then of course get a series of notable historical figures who, so far as I can tell, don't have any connections to either of these things. Also this bit goes on for ages and this post is already very long, so I'm going to skip past them).

dreadful places near Blue Gate Fields A slum area just north of the docks in East London. Known for opium dens, brothels and murders. Some people have suggested this is an allusion to Jack the Ripper, even a suggestion that Oscar Wilde knew who Jack the Ripper was, which I'm reasonably confident is nonsense.

brawling with foreign sailors in a low den in the distant parts of Whitechapel So what I'm finding quite funny here is that all the dodgy and dissolute places that Wilde has Dorian go are literally just the same place.

Near the docks = East London, probably in the area of Whitechapel Blue Gate Fields = Whitechapel the distant parts of Whitechapel = that would be Whitechapel, then?

The very odd Jack the Ripper website I just read interprets Wilde's descriptions as meaning that he had some kind of hidden knowledge of London's underworld... just as the Ripper would have!! But to me this reads a lot more like Wilde was aware of one (1) suitably shady-sounding location and ran with it.

Here was Philip Herbert That would be James I's lover, Philip Herbert. (What, you thought we were done with these?)

Sir Anthony Sherard Is fictional, but...

the lover of Giovanna of Naples Giovanna of Naples was a real person, who probably murdered her husband. (Nice to get some variety among the murdered spouses).

Lady Elizabeth Devereux A Tudor noblewoman, known for a quite public affair.

George Willoughby... had been a macaroni of the eighteenth century, and the friend, in his youth, of Lord Ferrars I can't find much on George Willoughby, but Lord Ferrers shot his steward, and is known as the last peer to have been hanged in England.

the second Lord Beckenham... he had led the orgies at Carlton House Lord Beckenham is (I think) fictional; George IV, who held wild and extravagant parties at Carlton House, is not.

Tiberius, in a garden at Capri Googling this brings up articles titled things like "The Scandalous Private Life of Tiberius Caesar". That makes it sound like the fun activities of consenting adults, but that's grossly misleading. The people involved were rumoured to be often neither consenting nor adults.

reading the shameful books of Elephantis Elephantis was a Greek poet and physician who wrote a sex manual.

Caligula... Domitian... Elagabalus Caligula was known for sex and murder. Domitian was known for censorship and control of public morals. Elagabalus was known for sexual promiscuity with men and women.

And that's the lot! For the last few paragraphs of the chapter, Wilde actually spells out the various misdeeds of the people he discusses (sex and murder, unsurprisingly), thus sparing me from Googling them.

Congratulations if you made it this far.

[porciaenjoyer]

[id: The marriage was consummated that afternoon, and again in the evening, with the usual lack of privacy enjoyed by important couples of the time. Charlotte's ladies spied on them through the keyhole, and reported that Cesare, victim of an embarrassing practical joke, spent an unusually disturbed night. Robert de la Marck, seigneur de Fleurange, wrote: "To tell you of the Duke of Valentinois' wedding night, he asked the apothecary for some pills to pleasure his lady, from whom he received a bad turn, for, instead of giving him what he asked for, he gave him laxative pills, to such an effect that he never ceased going to the privy the whole night, as the ladies reported in the morning.' Nonetheless, between dashes to the privy, Cesare did his duty valiantly, as he hastened to inform his father the next day. end id]

😭😭😭????

[bachassclub]

Piochée ces derniers jours chez Éric Ciotti, cette image légendée comme suit : '…nous allons faire décoller notre ville '. Nice, bien sûr. Les chabeuillois connaissent bien ce mode de recours propagandaire et néanmoins tintinophile, l'emploi de la même fusée, support de la même métaphore du 'décollage'. Devenue donc un topique LR, quand les sondages, eux, refusent précisément de 'décoller' et que la situation politique de ce parti est justement celle-là : l'apesanteur.

LE COUP DE MOU D'ALBAN PANO. Mardi 23 janvier, le Conseil municipal de Chabeuil présentait ses voeux à la population. Du monde au centre culturel, et on semblait enfin revenu aux jauges d’avant Covid, quatre cent personnes aux premiers décomptes. L’an dernier, seule l’équipe majoritaire avait été invitée sur scène par le maire de Chabeuil et cette entorse à la démocratie représentative locale, une faute de débutant, avait été sévèrement jugée en son temps : correction donc en 2024 où l’ensemble du Conseil Municipal des chabeuillois avait été plus justement et décorativement disposé sur l’estrade. Seule absente sur scène, Cécile Trempil, représentante et singleton du Groupe Le Chemin des possibles, qui, en matière de voeux, avait préféré assister à ceux du valentinois Jimmy Levacher (LFI, qui lançait à Valence sa campagne municipale pour 2026), qui venaient d’avoir lieu. Autre absence notable, celle des services techniques, dont on ne repérait que peu de représentants, d’autant plus isolés que l’élu qui s’occupe d’eux dans sa délégation, Stéphane Planta, était absent lui aussi. Stéphane Planta a pris du champ avec l’action municipale, on en reparle plus bas… Pour le reste, le public habituel : corps constitués, sous-préfet, mirlitaires zà lavalières, associations chabeuilloises, fiers notables et pompiers divers et variés. Et Nicolas Daragon, bien sûr, qui a très sûrement son rond de serviette féodal (LR) à Chabeuil. Sans oublier Nathalie Iliozer, binôme d’Alban Pano au Conseil Départemental, qui y a ses pantoufles (LR) et sa tenue complète de chaperon. Bref de l’ordinaire, assez pauvrement ritualisé cette année, sans tambours ni trompettes, comme on dit.

Non, la surprise est plutôt venue du discours d’Alban Pano, terne, morne, et marqué tout du long par de nombreux bafouillages et glissements. Un discours ‘savonné’, qui suivait ensuite sa pente de clichés et d’images convenues, pour un maire pas en forme, ça se voyait et s’entendait, fatigué, loin de la pop’politique enjouée à quoi les chabeuillois commençaient à s’habituer, loin de cet habituel (souvent incongru, mais parfois emballant, voire charmant) optimisme insouciant qui faisait jusqu’alors la ‘marque’ Pano.

Chabeuil a affaire d'ordinaire à un jeune maire fluide et à l'aise, énergique mais ce soir-là la ville découvrait son Pano sans allant et sans joie de vivre, au discours qui ne décollait pas de cette tristesse empesée et des lourdeurs de style qui vont avec, prononcé gorge sèche et voix éteinte.

Intermezzo : un court film de réclame au montage rapide, bien rythmé, où crépitaient les images archibattues de fusées, de feu d’artifice, de biquettes environnementales, photogéniques, et brouteuses, de Tintin, de Tintin et encore un peu de Tintin, obstinément imposé comme signature visuelle de Chabeuil, sur fond d’infantilisation de la ville, encore et toujours.Alban Pano était fatigué, voilà tout.

Après que son petit clip touristico-tintinophile ait échoué à relancer la cérémonie, à lui redonner un peu d’élan politique et de ressort programmatique, il devait poursuivre sur le même ton. C’était censé évoquer des projets et mettre l’année 2024 en perspective, bref, donner de l’allant à l’année qui vient, mais rien, ou si peu n’attachait plus au fond de la gamelle :

-Projet Cuminal (une salle audiovisuelle dans l’enceinte de l’ancienne école de Chabeuil), mais sans les images montrées au dernier Conseil Municipal. Dommage. Et sans le montant global annoncé (Dans son compte rendu, le Dauphiné Libéré comblera cette information déficiente : 1,4 M€) : un peu court pour une première présentation publique d'un projet pourtant séduisant par bien des aspects.

-Une politique environnementale faiblarde, qui, les années passant, s’efface sûrement du bilan Pano et de son adjoint. Rien, hormis une nième (et très brève) mention du ‘relamping’ de l’éclairage.

-Mieux, au même chapitre, Alban Pano réalise le tour de force de passer sous silence les Points d’Apport Volontaires (PAV), pourtant la plus grosse affaire communale (entreprise par l’agglo…) de 2023, qui a d’abord pris du retard et qui, depuis l’installation des PAV en question, pétouille notoirement, exigeant des services des efforts répétés de nettoyages des alentours. Et ça tombe mal, parce ces fameux PAV sont du ressort du même évanescent adjoint à l’environnement, dont la délégation s’avère toujours plus faible : rien non plus sur le moustique tigre, rien sur le Canal des Moulins… Et rien de rien pour le traitement des déchets organiques pourtant obligatoire depuis le 1er janvier.

-Des ‘études’ pour l’école Cavalli, à Parlanges, sans plus de précision d’échéances (‘la fin de mandat’…) Rénovation de la salle des fêtes des Faucons, toujours sans beaucoup de précision.

-Ah si…la voirie, voilà la grande affaire, au moins budgétaire. Comme tous les ans. Le Dauphiné Libéré fait les comptes : 700 000 € en 2022 et 2023 et 900 000 € jusqu’en 2026.

-Ah si…on ne pouvait pas s’en sortir comme ça, sans Tintouin à Chabeuil, forcément Tintouin qui, en 2024 proposera de s’agiter autour des Cigares du Pharaon. Cette gaudriolante perspective [triompher à coup sûr (enfin!) de méchants trafiquants d’opium] rend un peu de sourire au maire de Chabeuil, qui annonce un programme de mobilisation citoyenne : ‘préparez vos babouches et vos cigares’. Un demi-clin d’oeil d’Alban Pano, avant qu’il replonge son discours dans la morosité d’une plainte très politique contre la loi Solidarité et Renouvellement Urbain (SRU) traitée sur le ton très facile de la démagogie antiparisianiste, contre une loi qui serait imposée d'en haut, à quoi on oppose un imparable slogan ‘ici, ce n’est pas Paris’. Mais sans bien sûr aborder le sujet au fond : le logement social, bien sûr, ni apporter les chiffres qu’il faudrait fournir sur les perspectives de l’équipe Pano en la matière. Une autre paire de manches.

Bref, on se traînait : Alban Pano avait besoin d’un dopant, d’une relance. Ça tombe bien, IL est là, assis au premier rang du banc de touche. IL se lève et se dirige vers le micro et annonce dans un demi sourire : ‘…je vais refaire le discours d’Alban’. Une vanne (on est entre amis, n’est-il pas ?), qu’IL veut sans doute sympathique, mais qui annonce trop lourdement la redite littérale qui allait suivre. Parce que redite il y eut, Nicolas Daragon (il s’agit bien de LUI,) ne faisant en somme que répéter le discours d’Alban Pano, sans trop de vergogne. Sous couvert de présidence de l’agglomération de Communes, le maire de Valence repassait ni plus ni moins, les plats du discours du maire de Chabeuil, et déroulait son menu d’actualités locales, à l’aise, chez lui, tout sourire…IL poussait même l'imitation jusqu'à escamoter LUI aussi des PAV qui sont pourtant de la compétence de l'Agglo, se privant d'une bonne défense et illustration, concrète, de son institution, à quoi ça sert, et combien ça ‘rapporte’ à la Commune. Raté.

Nicolas Daragon devait ensuite reprendre pesamment la marotte LR, cette très fameuse ligne argumentaire d'un ruissellement bénéfique Wauquiez-Mouton-Daragon-Pano (LR inc.). Soit une continuité de financement Région-Département-Agglo-Commune théorisée ce soir-là comme suit : '…notre vision commune (LR) permet de développer nos territoires…'

Nicolas Daragon ne se lasse pas non plus de répéter ‘mon ami Alban par-ci et cher Alban par-là, appuyant sans aucune pudeur sur le tutoiement, répétant et flagornant : ‘Alban est un maire comme on (LR) les aime…’

Marie-Pierre Mouton présidente du Conseil Départemental (LR) l’an dernier, Nicolas Dragon cette année, les parrains et marraines politiques et partisanes viennent meubler les voeux d’Alban Pano et étoffer ses prestations, masquer ses difficultés, comme s’ils prenaient leur tour de baby sitting dans la petite classe de Chabeuil. Dans quelle autre ville du quartier est-ce que ça se passe comme ça ? Nulle part. Partout ailleurs les maires sont seuls maîtres de l'annonce de leurs projets, et de l'exposé de leur bilan, bien assez grands pour rester maîtres du rapport démocratique avec leurs administrés. Parce que c’est vexant, à la fin, cette infantilisation (encore !) de Chabeuil. Quand Les Républicains du coin vont-ils enlever les roulettes du petit vélo du maire de Chabeuil, pour qu’il fasse enfin seul le tour de la piste de ses voeux et de son bilan ?

Cérémonie dans la cérémonie, Alban Pano remettait ensuite une médaille de ‘citoyen’ ou ‘citoyenne’ d’honneur à six personnalités chabeuilloises, bien connu.es en ville, chenu.es et blanchi.es sous le harnais de l’action locale. Pour l’’énergie nouvelle’ dont aime à se vanter Alban Pano, on repassera, mais ça mettait un peu de chaleur humaine dans la soirée. Notabiliser des notables, c’est pas vraiment une performance et ça a le défaut surtout de distinguer (en les flattant) quelques chabeuillois, laissant dans l’ombre les associations qui les portent. Alban Pano décorait ainsi la trésorière de l’association des amis du Canal des Moulins de Chabeuil, sans même mentionner le nom de son association. Oubli, négligence ou mesquinerie, on ne sait trop...

BRÈVES COMPLÉMENTAIRES, qui expliquent le passage à vide du maire de Chabeuil, tel que mis en évidence ci-dessus :

-Le poste de Directeur Général des Services (DGS) de Chabeuil est à nouveau vacant. Poste à pourvoir, roulez jeunesse, tournez manège, le 1er mars, pour cette pièce centrale de la machinerie communale. Le titulaire était en place depuis juillet seulement, après la foirade de l’embauche de Vincent Campens, premier DGS de l’ère Pano, indûment recruté ‘hors classe’. La préfète de l’époque avait toussé et posé un recours au tribunal administratif de Grenoble : Campens avait piteusement quitté la place. Son remplaçant n’a donc pas tenu longtemps à Chabeuil et le recrutement du remplaçant du remplaçant est en cours, annonce publique publiée le 25 janvier, et aussitôt signalée par le groupe d’opposition Le chemin des possibles dans sa publication (Facebook) dominicale.

-La Chambre régionale des comptes a procédé à un ‘contrôle simple’ de la Commune de Chabeuil, et doit rendre bientôt son rapport ordinaire, qui concerne la période 2018-2023. Ce qui devrait en ressortir, rapidement : les subventions aux associations posent un problème, et l’absence de critères d’attribution surtout.///La location de salles à ces mêmes associations et la mise à disposition de salles soulèvent quelques questions. Sur le même sujet, on note que Groupe le Chemin des possibles a posé un recours au tribunal administratif contre une ‘délibération fixant les tarifs pour l’utilisation des salles municipales’. Rapport, recours : il y a donc bien un sujet sérieux.///Plus largement, le rapport relève une absence de politique de recrutement dans les services, pas de Ressource Humaines à proprement parler.///Toujours dans les services : une prime importante devra être intégrée dans les salaires, la situation actuelle étant irrégulière. S’attendre à des secousses sur ce sujet, internes et budgétaires. De même facture : les heures supplémentaires sont trop nombreuses et devront être régularisées.///Trop de commandes publiques passent ‘en interne’. A revoir.///Pour le reste, et dans la mesure ou ce contrôle est dit ‘simple’ : la Commune est déclarée ‘bien gérée’.

-Les services techniques, encore eux : ils ont de fait boycotté les voeux du maire (aux services) début janvier. Ce qui n’est pas rien, et traduit un climat tendu entre les élus de la majorité et les services. Les causes d’après plusieurs témoignages, recueillis à des sources multiples : 1-L’élu en charge, Stéphane Planta, délégué aux services techniques est aux abonnés absents, occupé par une carrière professionnelle nouvelle et prenante. Les services se plaignent à qui veut les entendre de ce manque d’interlocuteur. La délégation ‘services techniques’ est maintenant vide : problème. 2-Les DGS passent et veulent laisser leurs marques dans les services de la Commune. On enchaîne les nominations, on esquisse des recrutements, on réforme les organigrammes et…on s’en va. 3-Le népotisme qui avait présidé aux recrutements opérés par Vincent Campens dans les premiers temps de l’ère Pano passe toujours aussi mal. Il avait mis en place des proches, notamment au service accueil de la mairie, et une telle disparité de traitement provoque de multiples difficultés.

-Changement de poste au périscolaire : une titulaire très expérimentée part à la MJC. D’après quelques témoignages, ça tangue, au moment où, devant les besoins manifestes, la Commune ouvre des places supplémentaires à Gustave André, quand les listes d'attente s'allongent, et où les coûts pour les familles vont semble-t-il augmenter.

-L'actualité nationale vient d'imposer à Alban Pano une présence soutenue en appui à son parti, au moment où celui-ci tentait de récupérer à toute force la colère des agriculteurs : très présent dans un soutien appuyé à 'nos' agriculteurs, comme il dit, comme dit LR. Présence sur le barrage de Bourg-de-Péage, photo et déclaration conclusive à Valence. Sur ce sujet aussi, l'intégration verticale et l'alignement strict d'Alban Pano sur les préoccupations politiques partisannes des Républicains, son absence d'autonomie, a un prix : il est en surchauffe, surexposé. En novembre dernier, il a été élu délégué LR dans la troisième circonscription de la Drôme (164 inscrits, 88 votants) et il doit maintenant remplir ce rôle partisan. Pas de problème, mais ça ne doit pas l’empêcher en quoi que ce soit de travailler pour sa commune, ni bouffer son temps ni l’obliger à imposer à ses administrés, à tout bout de champ, les cadres locaux de son parti. On comprend bien à la fin, le coup de mou du maire de Chabeuil : grosses difficultés dans les services, absence de Directeur Général des Services, et nécessité d'une présence partisane aux côtés d'un parti LR à la peine au plan national. C'est sans doute trop pour un jeune maire inexpérimenté, qui vient d'arriver aux responsabilités, dans une ville qui, au passage, n’est pas LR.

claude meunier

[graceandfamily]

The Princely Family of Monaco attends the burial of Princess Charlotte of Monaco in Paris, France, on November 22, 1977.

PARIS, Nov. 17 (UP!)—Princess Charlotte of Monaco, the mother of Prince Rainier, died late yesterday at her home here after a long illness, the royal family of Monaco announced today. She was 79 years old.

A palace statement said, “Their Royal Highnesses Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace regret to announce the death of Princess Charlotte, mother of Prince Rainier and of Princess Antoinette, Private funeral services will be held later at the Chateau of Marchais,” in the Aisne region in southern France.

Princess Charlotte Louise Juliette, Duchess of Valentinois, was horn Sept. 30, 1898, in Monaco, She married Count Pierre de Polignac on March 19, 1920. Her husband, who was Hench, then took the title of Prince Pierre de Monaco. He died in 1964.

[chibrary]

title: "rencontre avec charles leclerc (meeting with charles leclerc)" source: leblogauto format: interview (french) season: 2009, karting

How did this passion for motorsport come about?

I was five years old, and my father took me to the Brignoles track to see his friend Philippe Bianchi, who suggested I take a minikart ride. I wanted to make it my passion, and my father offered me a kart a few days later.

Can you tell us about your background?

I started in 2005 in a minikart and for my 4th race, I took pole and won the pre-final of the Coupe de France. For the final in Esteban, I was a bit optimistic on the last lap and I had to retire. However, I was PACAC league champion with a result of 18 races, 15 wins and 17 poles.

In 2006, almost everything was the same with 18 races, 14 wins and 17 poles.

In 2007, I started in Minime and in 11 races I obtained 3 victories and 8 podiums.

In 2008, I was Vice Champion of France Minime with 6 victories and 11 podiums.

Finally, in 2009, I got this long-awaited title for my first year as a cadet: Champion of France.

Not too difficult to be champion at 11 years old? and to reconcile motor sport and school?

School is essential and good results are a sine qua non for my practice of karts (imposed by my parents).

That said, going to college required a lot of effort and work to reconcile the two.

As for champion at 11 years old, it was above all necessary to manage having an age difference with my competitors, because in terms of pure driving, I think I was more or less ready.

That said, the level was really raised.

How did you experience the 2009 season, with your many successes?

A dream from which I have not yet woken up, Champion of France with formidable opponents (Anthoine, Valentin, Benjamin....etc), Champion of the Rhône Alpes League by winning all the victories, leading the Trophée Murois and Valentinois , what more can be said !

Your objectives for the end of the 2009 season?

Replace Massa at Ferrari!!!! No, I'm kidding, winning the final of the Bridgestone Cup, and starting to train in KF3 for next season.

Do you have any plans for next season?

The dream will be to join a factory team in KF3, but for that you will have to work hard and find sponsors.

Charles Leclerc in 10 years?

Behind a steering wheel with a seat in the middle if possible!

"RENCONTRE AVEC CHARLES LECLERC." Leblogauto. September 4, 2009. https://www.leblogauto.com/competitions-auto/rencontre-avec-charles-leclerc-3956.

[world-of-wales]

Happy 39th Birthday to Andrea Casiraghi!

Born on 8 June 1984, Andrea Albert Pierre Casiraghi is the eldest child of Caroline, Princess of Hanover and Stefano Casiraghi. He is also the eldest grandchild of Princess Grace and Prince Ranier III of Monaco. He is currently fourth in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne.

Andrea was named after his father's childhood friend & his maternal uncle - Prince Albert of Monaco and his maternal great-grandfather - Prince Pierre, Duke of Valentinois.

In 2002, he earned his international baccalaureate from the International School of Paris and later graduated from from the American University of Paris with a B.A. degree in visual arts and international politics in 2006.

Andrea married his longtime girlfriend Tatiana Santo Domingo in a civil ceremony in the Princely Palace of Monaco on 31 August 2013. This was followed by a religious ceremony which was later held in Gstaad, Switzerland.

Andrea and Tatiana have three children - Alexandre "Sasha" (b. 2013), India (b.2015) and Maximilian Rainier (b.2018).

Andrea works with the World Association of Children's Friends (AMADE), taking trips on their behalf. During one such trip he spent He spent eight months teaching children in Senegal, Togo, and Niger. He is also a patron of the Motrice Foundation.

[rabbitcruiser]

Camaret-sur-Aigues, France (No. 9)

During the 19th century, excavations uncovered cash, funerary urns, oil lamps, so-called lachrymatory vessels and polished silver mirrors. An epigraph tombstone embedded in the façade of a house had been unsealed and sold. It bore the inscription S. P. SEVERIUS SIBI ET SVIS VIVUS FECIT. Remains of an aqueduct that supplied Orange with spring water had also been identified16.

During the twentieth century, more scientific excavations led to the discovery of a fragment of an epigraph altar in the Hopscotch district, and three tegulæ burials on the site of the Garriguettes.

Throughout the late Middle Ages and until the Revolution, Camaret depended on the barony of Sérignan. It had first belonged to the Principality of Orange since Raymond VII of Toulouse, Count of Provence, had given it as a fief, in 1237, to Raymond des Baux. This fief was given as a dowry to Tiburge of Orange on her marriage to Adhémar de Poitiers, Count of Valentinois. In 1324, the latter granted the election of two syndics to represent the community. Their successors, on 7 May 1416, signed a price for the construction of new ramparts.

The knight Guillaume Fabri was co-lord of Camaret-sur-Aigues until he was condemned to the chapter of Lattes18. In 1346, it was the former baile of Pélissanne (1345), Raymond Martini, who was commissioned to sell his possessions. Around 1346, William of Orange was lord of Camaret and Sérignan. Noble and powerful, Jean de Baux, lord of Camaret and Sérignan, had in his service as ordinary judge of his two lands, in 1369, a noble bachelor, originally from Orange, Bérenger Sadoyrani, judge of Arles (1372) and of Sisteron (1387).

In 1495, the Town Council obtained permission from the barony that each inhabitant could cultivate a tithe-free garden on fruit and pasture.

The Wars of Religion raged for a decade. Camaret having been taken by the religionists, January 5, 1563, the papal captain Fabrice Serbelloni came to lay siege. After four days of cannonade, his troops invested the village and put 100 prisoners to the sword. A new attack by the Calvinists of Nyons took place in 1573. But their henchman who was to open the doors for them was unmasked and they withdrew. This was not the case two years later. On 3 May 1575, the Huguenots of Orange forced their way into the place, but were soon forced to retreat in the face of the troops sent by Cardinal d'Armagnac.

These attacks have made it possible to know that in 1565, the ramparts opened by three gates: the Great Gate or Berenguier Gate, also known as the Ursuline Gate; the Porte Jaubert or Portalet; the Carbonnel Gate. Those of Le Portail and Carbonnel were preceded by a drawbridge. When the fighting was over, two other gates were opened, the Breach and the Tower.

It was in 1599 that the two syndics of the village changed their title to that of consul.

Source: Wikipedia

[opelman]

Wallpaper #179 by Laurent Quérité Via Flickr: Circuit Valentinois Arena 45 La Roche de Glun Drôme France IMG_6292

[charlenasaxen]

The Radix Quotes

“The Holy Guard had tracked him to Notre-Dame. Amid flickering torches, the eighty mounted warriors”

“They would not rest until della Rovere revealed his secret. Could he endure their torture? The priest feared he was unsuited for martyrdom.”

“golden cuirass and headdress shimmering in torchlight. The tail, woven in a net studded with pearls and rubies, slapped against its hide. Hooves shod in gold stamped”

“The bloodthirsty Duke of Valentinois was not among his cavalry”

“Cesare Borgia emerged from the bell tower. The tall duke was draped in a velvet cloak with gold brocade”

“Cesare Borgia had once been considered the most handsome man of his age”

“The Radix is the unfathomable mystery of God. The Secret of Secrets.”

“Della Rovere would never surrender the Radix to a man who poisoned enemies and corrupted the Church”

“I believe you, Father. You are a thief, not a liar. But know that I shall find it.”

“lightning glinted over the Abbaye de Saint-Germain”

“I’m speaking about how you killed her.”

“I did not mean for that to happen.”

“His childhood friend, Machiavelli”

“Raphael, you do not understand.”

“I understand Borgia. You are seduced by him.”

“But I fear God’s wrath more than the Devil’s strength.”

“I’ll behead Niccolò as easily as that bull.”

Machiavelli’s eyes sparkled with fear.

“He faced the heavens, then closed his eyes. Thunder roared like cannon fire.”

Machiavelli pleaded, with the blade creasing his throat. “Listen to reason.”

“Farewell, my friend.” He blessed the two men, then made the sign of the cross over himself.

“Notre-Dame’s rose window blurred past as he plummeted, the wind howling in his ears”

“He made a slashing gesture across Machiavelli’s throat, leaving a line of della Rovere’s wet blood”

“Think you have me figured, huh?” He smiled. “Heading to the library. Brynstone out.”

“Cast in reddish gold glass, Arabic chandeliers decorated the gold-leaf ceiling”

“Turns out it’s true, Brynstone thought. People do buy pets that match their own personalities.”

“Brynstone caught his chiseled reflection in the display glass. He squinted, intensity sizzling in his ice blue eyes.”

“Brynstone opened the standing Egyptian sarcophagus, hoping it was empty”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks for your help. Brynstone out.”

“upright mummies guarded the room like battle-hardened sentries”

“everything from sugar, lime, and salt to frankincense, mercury, and alcohol”

“He caught his breath after reading the inscription above the glass door.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT”

“Brynstone had never seen a “honey mummy.” God knows, he’d always loved the name.”

“His face was another matter. The nose was missing, thanks to a famous royal blunder.”

“Caesar Augustus had inspected the mummy, brushing his hand across the face. Bad idea. Caesar had snapped off Alexander’s nose.”

“he had a nose, more than his Macedonian neighbor could say”

“della Rovere had stashed a priceless relic inside Friar Zanchetti’s corpse”

“He rolled back on his feet, breathing and swallowing, ears ringing.

The endoscope was coated in blood.”

“Although Armstrong and Starr had once been political rivals, they had settled their differences before coming to the White House”

“Armstrong had been with the Starr family on the day Andrea was diagnosed”

He placed the silver angel in her open palm. Her eyes fluttered open.

The child’s face glowed. “Thank you, Mr. President,” she giggled.

sliding her hand around his arm. “You’re able to enchant little girls and little old ladies and everyone in between.”

“I took a correspondence course.” He flashed a smile. “Presidential Schmoozing 101.”

“brimming with greenery, limes, and pineapples”

“The president’s little brother was worth twenty billion dollars now”

“As far as he knew, they shared a positive work relationship. This conversation looked different.”

“I’ll take it in the Oval.”

“Trade magazines had christened him the Market Alchemist based on his skill for transforming”

“twisting away from the weapon. The curved blade brushed past his shoulder”

“Zanchetti’s corpse burst like a piñata under their weight”

“Now the big question, he thought. Is the Radix inside?”

“State Department justified it based on death threats and his status as a prince.

Brynstone knew otherwise.”

“Guns aren’t allowed in here. House rules.”

“I don’t sweat the rules.”

“You’re my kind of guy, Anderson.”

“Please say Alexander the Great is intact.”

“Alex is fine,” Brynstone assured. “Although he could stand a nose job.”

“Not even Brownies?”

“I look awful in brown. It was a fashion choice.”

“He was my grandfather. When I saw Amherst on Berta’s list, I decided to come here.”

“He took the assignment because he could provide a humane death”

“Distant church bells serenaded the new hour as he waited”

“Courage is in his heart, loyalty is in his brain, but another organ commands him”

“I suppose there is no harm in telling a dead man. I have been contracted to kill John Brynstone.”

“As I said, I cannot torture you in a more deserving manner. For that, I apologize.”

“I keep it for the occasions when he visits Aspen. After tonight, it goes in the garbage.”

“In a hail of gunfire, Brynstone dove into the chamber”

“Sorry, buddy, Brynstone thought. You’re not hitching a ride.”

“He squeezed off two shots before dropping into a cushion of forest”

“one thought haunted him. What if the Radix isn’t in the cista mystica?”

“Aspen Mountain loomed ahead with its formidable 3,267-foot vertical”

“Like a frozen Mardi Gras, Wintersköl boasted a fireworks extravaganza and a torchlight descent”

“staring in disbelief as the helicopter blasted into the mountainside beneath them”

“blinding powder sprayed the helicopter”

“the wave threatened to crush the torchlight skiers. He hoped they had abandoned their formations and raced to safety.”

“He braced as the helicopter rolled down the steep mountain face. The bird busted apart as it flipped.”

“hurling him upside down as if he were strapped inside some psychotic carnival ride”

“jumped for the gondola, diving into a wall of white”

The blond man pulled him inside the gondola.

“That’s a beaut,” the man cried in an Australian accent. “Good on ya, mate!”

“We invented an extreme sport,” he laughed. “Hope we survive to claim credit for it.”

“With the avalanche rumbling around them, the roof dug into the snow, nearly flipping them”

“snow blasted his face. He hoped the cista mystica in his belt would survive the ride.”

“A bitter stillness settled over the mountain. Buried in snow, Brynstone groaned”

He squinted. “Is that blood on the snow?”

Hollingworth gaped at the bills. “For that kind of money, mate, I can forget anything.”

“The Void refers to the moment you realize you’re losing your mind. Leo also calls it the Revelation of Madness.”

“the words and symbols painted on the north wall formed a composite image of Jesus with disciples surrounding him”

“Jung is at the heart of understanding our puzzle. We must learn his secrets.”

“Synchronicity brought you here, you know? Our families share a bond.”

“We met years ago, when you were little.”

“He did it again, knocking over wall after wall like massive book dominos”

“Remember this: the Tree of Life blossoms in the Land of the Dead.”

“She tugged on her Pooh hat. Nothing made him smile like a baby in a hat.”

“You could stick it on his headstone: JOHN BRYNSTONE LOVED BABIES IN HATS.”

“He swallowed hard. She had grown so much. His daughter. His only child.”

Then she said something like “Daa-da.”

Tears stood in his eyes, blurring the image of his child.

“He hated it when giving his best at work conflicted with giving his best at home”

“He couldn’t tell Kaylyn that his life might be in danger. He didn’t want to scare her.”

“Honey, I gotta go. Love you.” He ended the call.

And maybe his marriage.

“The road was open now, with no one ahead. That’s when he heard gunfire.”

“another one advising, 45 MPH CURVE AHEAD. Good advice.”

“With two SUVs trapping him against the tunnel’s right wall, he didn’t worry about steering”

“Both men shouted. Brynstone seemed to be pissing off everybody tonight.”

“My baby daughter said her first word tonight,” Brynstone said. “You had to go and ruin that moment. Makes me downright unhappy.”

“Next time, stay in Aspen,” he called, “with the damned scorpions.”

“A sleek black cat napped on the center of the mahogany table. Brynstone smiled.”

“Making a low chirp, she stared up at him”

“he changed into Levi’s and headed for a leather club chair with Banshee curled against his bare chest”

“he could see the jambiya dagger plunged deep into his father’s chest”

“the man’s voice sounded choked and desperate.

Get out of here before he comes back. Hurry, Johnny.”

“Brynstone remembered struggling to brake as he looked down the dark stairs, thinking he was about to die”

Jordan emerged from the galley. “Ready for a dirty martini?”

“You must be a mind reader.”

glancing at the muscled contours of his stomach. “Why the sutures?”

“Didn’t you sew up Banshee when she lost her eye?”

“It was the least I could do after she saved my life.”

“Recognizing her name, the cat sauntered over and rubbed against his leg”

“My daughter refused to kiss me unless I shaved.”

She traced her hand along his defined jaw. “Smart kid.”

“The thieves had ignored the other work. They just wanted her sculptures.

In a weird way, it was a compliment.”

“created an outdoor piece for the Olympic Sculpture Park on Seattle’s waterfront”

“He bought her a drink. She told him she missed Eclipse. He promised visitation rights. The rest was history.”

“For all she knew, he could be having an affair.

She prayed that wasn’t the case.”

“In reality, Dr. Ryder’s “miracle discovery” was actually a cocaine extract”

“Brynstone cupped Banshee’s face. She issued a deep purr.”

“The kitten’s cry had distracted the gunman and saved Brynstone’s life”

“His one-eyed companion joined him. Kaylyn called them soul mates, sharing a fearless streak and a craving for adventure”

“He stopped the intruder, but the guy stabbed Delgado. My dad died that night. Delgado came close.”

“the only time her husband lowered his guard was when he was with his family”

Dillon Armstrong gave a sneaky smile. “Mind if I come in?”

“He is a sinner begging for redemption,” the Knight said. “I have been sent to save him.”

“And as always, Ariel Cassidy would whisper the same words before climbing into her casket: the Tree of Life blossoms in the Land of the Dead.”

“Raised in secrecy, the child was nurtured on stories about the relic that had once belonged to his grandfather, Pope Alexander VI”

“The pages were filled with a bizarre enciphered script and cryptic watercolors of unfamiliar plants”

“Who does he think wrote it?”

“Raphael della Rovere.”

“the knights had appointed d’Aubusson as the Keeper of the Radix”

“The delighted Pope commissioned scholars to study the relic, but none could decipher its secret.”

“the root itself”

“I had no idea what the Radix could do until I saw Zanchetti’s mummy.”

“A Voynich B cipher,” he added. “Hopefully, my friend will know what it means.”

“That’s what the records show. My predecessor, Paul Fischer, kept notes all the way back to Eisenhower.”

“He glanced over as the vice president slid into the chair beside him”

Starr gave a roguish grin. “I just said the same thing to your brother.”

“What’s the best part?” Starr asked, standing.

“All of it.”

“White House was one of the loneliest places on the planet”

“you should notify Aspen police. Not the president of the United States.”

“He disabled my camera equipment. He immobilized my security team. He crashed one of my helicopters.”

“Two had to be fished out of the Colorado River. This man is not a common intruder.”

stared at the December night. “I want to get to the bottom of this fast.”

“The Ten Commandments are engraved on the handle. All seventeen of them.”

“Cori couldn’t catch her breath. She couldn’t believe this was happening.”

“Blood dripped off her toes. She shined the flashlight on Perez’s face. His head was almost severed.”

A gun barrel nuzzled the back of her head.

“Step away from the door,” a cool voice ordered.

“Told me to contact the guy on the card.”

“John Brynstone?”

“Then you better start talking.” The dark-haired man brought out his ID card. “Because I’m John Brynstone.”

“As he petted the cat, her tail twisted into a question-mark shape”

Cori turned to her. “Who are you?”

“Don’t ask,” Jordan advised.

“She saved my life, so I adopted her. Truth is, she adopted me.”

“He’s a cryptanalyst. He tried to break code on something called the Voynich manuscript. It pushed him over the edge.”

“He’d chiseled the base of each to widen the opening. Edgar painted da Vinci’s messages inside each skull.”

“Alchemists called it the Radix ipsius, meaning ‘root of itself.’”

“Of course, there’s a familiar symbol for the Radix. One that’s in every pharmacy in the country.”

“The Rx symbol?”

“Cori,” he said, staring into her blue eyes, “it’s not a myth.”

“No one has laid eyes on the Radix until last night. That’s when I found it.”

“A fire burned part of Dickinson Hall. All that’s left is the one notebook in my house. I’ll show you.”

He had warned against calling the authorities.

“We have to go,” Brynstone said, turning at the sound of a distant siren. “Now.”

“Little wonder it was the most secretive intelligence agency on the planet”

“Brynstone’s a risk-taker. The man never gives up. We couldn’t have designed a more perfect special operator for this mission.”

“Mr. President, the relic is called the Radix.”

Armstrong and Starr exchanged looks.

“Two high-level intelligence agents are missing, and the NSA has no idea what happened?”

“John Brynstone is like a son to me. I’m confident he’ll turn up soon.”

Why hadn’t he thought of it before?

“A book code,” he said. “That’s what it is.”

“See the number sequence? Wurm wrote his message in the ‘traitor’s code.’ Benedict Arnold used it back in 1779”

“The general deceived and betrayed you your father never searched for the Radix”

“Wurm’s message took on a new meaning. He had used the traitor’s code”

“And miss the fireworks?” Starr grinned. “The Service would have to kick me out.”

“When I get back to the penthouse, we’ll arrange to secure the Radix. Then we’ll celebrate.”

“Beveled opaque windows shattered behind her. Glass shards burst into the lobby. Heat seared her back and hands.”

“Dillon was out there. Someone had tried to kill him.”

“Deena climbed to her feet and staggered toward the door, screaming as she rushed to the sidewalk.”

“the woman pulled her to her feet. Deena stumbled, leaning on the firefighter for support.”

“He looked broken, pinned beneath the car. All she wanted was to hold him and hear his voice again.”

“What’s Dillon’s condition?”

“He’s in an ambulance.”

“I’m sure he’ll visit after you go back to sleep,” he said, working the time-honored tradition of holiday manipulation.

“We issued him special security clearance. Right, Kevin?”

At the door, Agent Quick nodded. “Yes, sir. Mr. Claus has been cleared.”

“He wondered about that secretive purchase Dillon and Deena had discussed. Did it have anything to do with what had happened to his brother tonight?”

“Poor kid.

Banshee cuddled against her, working some feline therapy.”

“Who called?”

“President of the United States,” he answered, starting the engine.

“Okay, fine,” Cori sighed. “Don’t tell me.”

“Preparation. Stealth. Intuition. Infiltrating a high-tech facility was artistry.”

Delgado’s eyes brightened with intensity. “You’re the son I never had, John.”

“You represented his greatest hope and his greatest fear. Too bad Jayson didn’t live to see you climb out of that wheelchair.”

“Tell me, John, did you witness its power? Did it make you a believer?”

“Or breaking into the home of the NSA director?”

“Actually, yes.”

“Together we can capitalize on the power of the Radix. Join me, son.”

Brynstone stood over him. “Trust me. You would have preferred the syringe.”

“When fighting Borgias, it was always a good idea to make it short”

“she reached up, then ran her fingers across the desk, finding a sculptor’s knife”

“their words cut off by the discordant crash of piano keys”

“It wasn’t Dad’s mission.”

“You would have stopped had you known that. But we can’t stop. We have to find the Scintilla.”

“It’s not easy to convey Professor Cassidy’s ideas under a paint-can label.”

Brynstone looked at Cori inside the vehicle. “We’ve come too far to give up now.”

“That’s Banshee Brynstone.”

“Not a good day for fingernails,” she sighed

“She headed for a grove of evergreens, taking out her gun. He brought out his Glock, covering her.”

“the gray shingled cottage decked with window boxes. A cutting garden bordered it with tall grass waving in the wind.”

“Jim convinced me that dark things from my past could return to haunt me. He was protecting me, but that meant he had to lie to you.”

“If anything happened to me, I wanted you to know the truth.”

“Rest assured, I will kill Dr. Brynstone,” the man said, “but first I may need to kill his wife and child.”

“Metzger looked around, unbelieving, at the hotel room.

Kaylyn Brynstone was gone. And she’d taken her baby.”

“They broke the clay sculpture my son made for me last night. Some people can’t help but ruin the holiday spirit.”

“He looked like a tourist, with Mickey Mouse shorts and a sweatshirt that read California Cool.”

“Kaylyn tried to pull away her daughter, but he pressed the blade to Shay’s soft neck.”

“It claims the Radix can be dangerous, especially when combined with certain ingredients.”

“You’re talking about the Scintilla.”

“You can use the Radix to create two chrisms. The White Chrism can heal, the black can kill.”

“The Black Death,” Jordan whispered. “Are you serious?”

“That’s what the legend says. Together, the Radix and Scintilla can deliver the greatest good or the greatest evil.”

“I’ve seen its power. Over time, it can regenerate necrotic tissue in a mummy.”

A tear streamed down her cheek and dripped onto the blade. “Hurry, John. He has Shay too.”

called the one person who could help. Alex Armstrong picked up after the first ring.

“Mr. President, I’m sorry to bother you.”

“It’s beautiful. Still alive after so many centuries.”

“I’ve waited a lifetime for this moment.”

“Remember, he was the model for Machiavelli’s The Prince.”

“She visualized herself placing the Radix in her mother’s hand. She flirted with that image, watching Ariel Cassidy’s face brighten.”

Jordan shook her head. “I’m going with you, John. I want to help you find Kaylyn and your daughter.”

wrapping her arms around his neck. “Good luck finding your wife and daughter.”

He kissed her cheek. “Good luck finding the Scintilla.”

“Jordan embraced Cori, who stooped and petted the cat”

Brynstone softened his voice. “Good luck, Edgar. God knows you’ll need it.”

“What would you do for redemption? For immortality?”

“Andy must be lucid during my work. I want him to experience everything I do to him.”

“Banshee played in the aisle, kneading her paws”

“Brynstone had advised her to wait. She thought about his cat and realized she missed Banshee.”

“alchemists had coined the word arcanum to describe secrets revealed to loyal followers”

“Carl Jung cloaked his concepts with psychiatric code words like collective unconsciousness and archetype”

“Jung did refer to the unconscious mind as the Land of the Dead”

“Jung’s dream castle was a stone personification of his unconscious mind.”

“With Dillon in a coma, she was more anxious than ever”

“It is my destiny to become Keeper of the Radix. Find it.”

“Good,” the Knight answered. “I am ready for him.”

“it represented the Tree of Life. Crusaders destroyed this Judean date species during the Middle Ages.”

“took one seed—she nicknamed it Methuselah, after the 969-year-old grandfather of Noah—and fertilized it.”

“I’d say your brother has a fifty-fifty chance of pulling through.”

Deena closed her eyes, absorbing the information.

“Secret Service can try to stop me from going to that hospital, but it won’t do them any good.”

“Guten Morgen, Herr Doktor. You have a beautiful family.”

In a crackling voice, Kaylyn said, “John, please hurry—”

“I don’t need NSA’s Men in Black. I can handle Metzger.”

“absorbing the fabric of the conversation”

“What would have happened if they had eaten from the Tree of Life?”

“Immortality,” he answered. “Adam and Eve would have lived forever.”

“Eavesdropping on the director of the National Security Agency. It’s like interrupting a telemarketer’s dinner with a sales call.”

“When I asked about Metzger’s physical ID, he just laughed.”

“Then, he thought about his wife and baby girl in the hands of that monster.”

“Although far from complete, his painting of a man crucified on an X-shaped cross was already remarkable”

“Andrew could train his gaze not on his executioners nor on the earth, but on the heavens above, where his beloved kingdom awaited.”

“He pushed the plunger, squirting blood into the red ochre”

“Listen, Deena, if the Radix can do what you claimed earlier, we could help Dillon.”

“Because,” she said, “the Radix belonged to Jesus Christ.”

“The staff took root, flowering for centuries at Christmastime. Today a thorn bush stands on Wearyall Hill.”

“Joseph of Arimathea was the first Grail Keeper?”

“More importantly, he was the first Keeper of the Radix.”

“it remained buried but never forgotten, as generations of mystery cults kept alive the Radix romance”

“Sensing its importance, Locke traveled to the Holy Land to have it blessed”

“After that, the Knights of Saint John became the Keepers of the Radix.”

“the Templars had been charged with defending the Holy Land”

“The Vatican had no idea the Knights Hospitaller possessed the greatest relic in Christendom”

“I believe in the Radix. So does your brother. Do you?”

“Maybe,” he said. “If it can save Dillon.”

black shirt emblazoned with the message “Guns don’t kill people. I kill people.”

“Bob the Driver”

“Negative,” he answered. “My family’s inside. There’s no room for error.”

“Hand over my wife and kid and I’ll tell you over a cold beer.”

“Präzisionsscharfschützengewehr”

“Ja,” Metzger winked. “I like games. Know why? Because I always win.”

“The history of Christianity was littered with mythical healing agents, ranging from the Holy Grail to the shadow of Saint Peter”

“It is I whom he must take seriously, not my father.”

“He headed to his wife, fighting the urge to sprint toward her”

Cloud patted his back. “Don’t see Bob or your baby. At least we found your wife.”

Without blinking, he whispered, “She’s not my wife.”

“She wore Bob the Driver’s pinkie ring on her finger”

“He let her keep the ring. He had a feeling Bob wouldn’t miss it.”

He frowned. “How did you get out of the car?”

Following instinct, he darted outside the lobby entrance with the cat chasing.

He looked at her. “It says, ‘Go home.’”

“The realism astounds me. I feel as if the man is screaming through the paint.”

“I’m afraid my studio is in a frightful disarray.”

“His homecoming felt bittersweet when he spotted his daughter’s unopened Christmas presents”

“Know the guy?”

He nodded, staring at the body. “A neighbor.”

“Enough games,” Brynstone announced. “We’re settling this in Las Vegas.”

“their chili red MINI Cooper”

“southward into the dark woods. Thorn bushes cut at their legs.

Jung’s dream castle loomed ahead. Bollingen Tower was haunting. And haunted.”

“Before long, laughter, singing, and music flooded the woods. Jung sensed dark figures parading around the tower.”

“the vinecrossed wall”

“The creepy part about the image? Philemon looked like Edgar Wurm.”

“Symbols and images crammed the curved walls, some painted in vibrant colors, others carved into stone.”

“menagerie of creatures prowled the tower walls. Dragons acted as silent sentries”

“With the Tree of Life,” he answered, pointing. Protruding from the wall, a sculpture of a white oak climbed the tower.”

“Ever hear of a scytale?” he asked, pronouncing it like Italy.

A figure darted past the courtyard door.

“Did you see that?” Wurm asked. “We have company.”

“Sooner or later, Wurm knew, he would need to take the root from Cori.

Even if it meant killing her.”

“She’s not making the trip to Vegas.”

“Aww. You should have let her come to Europe with us.”

“trying to make sense of this place. Then something cold slithered past her shoulder.”

he turned her head.

“That’s no snake. Take a look.”

A white arm floated on the water.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to the woman in his arms. “Poor Lucrezia.”

“Notre-Dame of Paris resides on the same site where centuries before a Roman temple had been built.”

“Feel like I missed it.”

“We’re heading to Paris on a luxury jet.”

“The Borgias are a ranting bunch of psychopaths, and I fell into a race to find the Radix before them.”

“The desperate priest concealed the Radix inside the Zanchetti mummy, then fled the village”

“the Celtic tribe who worshipped Esus and gave their name to the city of Paris”

“Take a look at the branch he’s chopping. Scientists can’t identify it because they’ve never seen a plant like it.”

“We’ve seen it,” Cori whispered. “It’s the Radix.”

“he’d grabbed a change of clothes and his favorite photograph of his daughter”

“Brynstone felt as though he could trust no one except Jordan and Wurm and Cori”

“the Hospitallers enjoyed a more heroic reputation. Legends told of their bravery during the Crusades.”

“But if the Pope secretly used the Radix to heal, then he would get credit for the miracles.”

“It would be the supreme triumph of religion over science.”

“Like I said, you have no idea how many powerful people want the Radix.”