The Fall Page 9

Quattrocentodiciotto … quattrocentodicianove …

  quattro centoventi … quattrocentoventuno …

  quattrocentoventidue … quattrocentoventitre …

  424

  Four hundred and twenty-four steps.

  This is the farthest that Tito has ever walked. As Dante Alighieri said in Canto III of his Purgatory, a good slingsman could still hit him with a stone. But as I stand, cradling my chin in my hand, it seems to me that a good slingsman could hit anyone with a stone, however far he walked.

  Tito resumes his walk. I stop counting his steps.

  PICTURE CREDITS

  Unless otherwise stated, images are from the author’s personal archive. The images are listed here by chapter number.

  1.1 Canaletto, Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo, Akg-Images/Latinstock

  1.2 Image of Ezio Auditore da Firenze © 2012 Ubisoft Entertainment. All rights reserved. Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries

  1.3 Photo of Le Corbusier, Archivio Cameraphoto Epoche/Getty Images

  1.4 Tintoretto, The Stealing of St. Mark’s Body, Mondadori Portfolio

  1.5 Tito as James Stewart, Mark Rappaport

  1.6 Vincent Price in Tower of London, MGM Licensing

  1.7 Image from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Everett/Latinstock

  1.8 Selection of Jews, Akg-Images/Latinstock

  1.9 Monet, Palazzo Dario, Akg-Images/Latinstock

  1.10 Canaletto, Campo San Vio, Akg-Images/Latinstock

  1.11 Still from Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, Universal Studios Licensing LLC

  1.12 Image of Christy Brown, Andrew Whittuck, 1969

  1.13 Still from Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Universal Studios Licensing LLC

  1.14 Leopardi on deathbed, Mondadori Portfolio/Leemage

  1.15 Titus in Monk’s Habit, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

  1.16 The Prodigal Son in the Tavern, Nicolas Pioch/Web Museum

  1.17 Photo of Proust in Venice, Roger-Viollet/Glow Images

  1.18 Man Ray photo of Proust, Granger/Glow Images

  1.19 Ezra Pound in Venice, Mondadori Portfolio/Walter Mori

  1.20 Ezra Pound’s funeral, David Lees/Corbis/Latinstock

  1.21 Photo of Christopher Nolan, Simon Townsley/Rex Features

  1.22 Still from Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Universal Studios Licensing LLC

  1.23 Statue of Tommaso Rangone, Andrea Jemolo