Cecilia Gallerani

"Would you please sit still, Cecilia!"

"I am trying! It is not as if this aninmal enjoys being held this way, you know!  Besides, I told you my name is not Cecilia..."

"Yes, yes, I heard. You are Erik and you are from another time. All right Erik: Could you turn your head slightly more to your left? Hm. That's good! Let Duke Ludovico il Moro's ermine go. I will paint it in later. It is none of my business, I know, but how is it with you and Ludovico anyway? I understand that he is to be married to Beatrice d'Este."

"Yes, he is, and I know because I, Erik, is an art student from the future. But it seems he is more interested in me at the moment."

"He is a charming man, is he not?"

"I dunno, I am a man, remember! And he thinks I am his lover! Gosh!"

"I am also a man, Cecilia. That does not stop me from recognizing the beauty of the male body."

"Yes, you were -- eh, are -- interested in the ambiguity of the genders, are you not? Some say La Gioconda or Mona Lisa is a portrait of you as a woman."

"I know of no such painting, my dear. But the idea is intriguing."

"Oh, that's right. That's not until 1503. Sorry about that..."

"Listen, Cecilia. You are known as scholar, a poet, a gifted singer and musician, and you still are, even after your 'download' as you call it. How is that?"

"The gifts of the musician and singer is of the body, in the same way the painter train the hand to deliver the finest strokes of the brush. You should know that, Leonardo! As for the Latin and the poetry. Well, I am an art student. I have studied the Renaissance and know a lot of Milanese and Florentine 

poetry by heart. Just you wait till I start quoting Shakespeare."

"Shakespeare?"

"Nevermind! I told you, matter cannot travel in time, but information can, and the time machine was to transfer my memory matrix -- that is my personality -- into you. I was supposed to observe your life, unoticed, from the back of your head, and the upload the information back to my brain up in 2009. Something went wrong. God knows where Cecilia is now!"

"Yes, you told me about this. You are using the power of demons for this, i recall."

"No, not demons. It is all about quantum physics!"

"All right, that sounds like demonology to me, but who am I to judge? I have explored the borders of human existence for quite some time now.  Anyway, I am glad to tell you that the bicyclus you told me about is working. I had one of my assistants make one for me. Antonio broke his leg, however, when he tried out one of your parachutto."

"I told you not to shape it like a pyramid! And you should make it out of silk!"

"Ah, yes, but silk is expensive you see, and we need it for a new dress the Duke is having made for you. Our time is up, I am afraid. I have been told that Ludivico is waiting for you in your appartamento."

This one is for Courtney.

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Painting by Leonardo da Vinci