“We began to pass beneath the edge of a low black cloud of immeasurable proportions that had suddenly appeared in the hitherto cloudless sky. Within minutes, a deep brooding sound started to envelop the boat. The sea quickly turned from silver to blue to dark green then inky black. Rays of the sun penetrated a few cracks in the cloud. But they were extinguished as summarily as they had come, snuffed out by the ever-increasing darkness. Khadra and I peered into the residual light. Spectral, almost formless figures emerged from the water, then slowly sank back into the sea. They uttered no sound. The wind gathered strength once more, sufficient to refill the sail to its full extent, as we travelled on towards the always-darkening horizon, the water becoming more disturbed than ever. Still the boatman barely stirred. Khadra held my hand as fear crossed her face.

A moment later, and in a great howl of wind, an enormous creature leapt from the waves. It stretched a long, scaled arm into the air as though reaching to pluck something from the cloud above. It fell back into the water, only for its head and upper torso to re-emerge seconds later amid shrieks of anger and agony. Its limbs thrashed, causing the waves to become ever rougher, flecked with furious white spume. Once more it sank back, to emerge a third time. Its eyes flashed red, its giant face and green lips tortured by evident pain. It continued to twist and turn in the water, its huge hands almost touching the side of our slender boat. It seemed to cry wordlessly for mercy from some unseen torment. I looked at the boatman, who was fighting hard to control the helm.

“The concert was on Ascension Day. Earlier, the Doge, accompanied by the nobility and the senate, had sailed out into the lagoon in a special golden barge to toss into the water a ceremonial ring symbolising the city’s marriage to, and indeed its domination of, the sea. The grand gallery, illuminated by myriads of candles, quickly filled. In the front sat the rich, the famous, the powerful and the aspirants to greatness, together with Venetian patricians dressed in long black gowns, mingling with nobles from other parts of Europe. Amongst them, on his throne, sat the Doge in his finery, the perceived earthly link between the city – founded centuries before on the Feast of the Annunciation and designated a Christian realm built from the ruins of ancient Rome – the sea on which its fortunes had flourished and, ultimately, the Virgin, the city’s patron, and the goddess Venus. I sat on a stool, high above the gallery, observing this tableau of pageantry and wealth.

The orchestra entered, in their midst Khadra, wearing a gown of golden taffeta and carrying the lute I had heard her play so often. I was transfixed by her beauty, by her transformation from the young girl who had played to me in Palestine to a tall, elegant, beautiful woman, who could easily captivate anyone, male or female. Perhaps the smiling mask was right – that I had indeed fallen in love with her, that he would win his wager.

“The bricks and mortar of ancient houses rarely divulge to passers-by what they have heard or witnessed. It is more often left to the curious to draw back the secretive curtain to discover, or more likely those with loose tongues to reveal, the happenings – whether death, madness, jealousy, betrayal, rage or joy – that may have left an indelible but silent imprint on the fabric of the building and the lives of the family within.

I see the house has drawn you back. I’m glad I caught sight of you, walking past the open window, as I was sitting here with little to do other than watch the world go by, waiting for my husband-to-be. I apologise for my rudeness in calling out. You smiled and doffed your cap as usual, before continuing on your way along the canal. I had to call again to make you stop. But tomorrow I will be gone, to be married and live elsewhere, and since we talked . . . the end of the story . . . there is a twist to it. Would you like me to share it with you? Now that you have turned back, won’t you come in and have a drink of milk, as before? Good, now sit back and listen to what I have to say.