TANNENIO’S men pushed the four into a room where there were two windows. From one of them, was a strong hideous odor.
“Hey Moe.” said Curley, “Do you smell something?”
“I do.” said Moe, “Alright you four out the windows you go.”
“You’ll pay for this.” swore Botticelli, “Wait till the prince hears about this.”
Meanwhile, Simonetta’s screams and cries could be heard from the other room.
“What is Tannenio doing to Simonetta?” demanded Botticelli.
“That’s none of your concern.” said Larry.
The four approached the door but Tannenio’s men stood in their way.
“Out of our way.” insisted Botticelli, “Simonetta needs our help.”
“That’s why we’re not letting you in.” said Larry.
“May I point out that there’s only three of you and four of us.” said Botticelli, “How can you stop us from helping her?”
“Like this.” said Moe, “Guys, draw your swords.”
The three did.
“Hello.” said Larry like he was singing.
“Hello.” said Moe in the same way.
And so did Curly. “Hello.”
Then in unison and spoken word “Hello!”
“Maestro.” said the male model, “What do we do now?”
“The only thing we can do.” said Botticelli, “Run like the wind.”
“That’s the first thing you’ve gotten right all day, dork.” said Moe as he and his men chased them to one the windows out swinging their swords at them like swashbucklers.
Once the four went out that window, Moe approached it saying “Happy landing.” Then, he looked out the window and down the side of the building. Then, he went to the other window and looked out it. Pulling his head back in he gave a sickly look and approached the other men slapping them across the faces saying “You yim-yams. We pushed them out the wrong window. The shit is outside the other window.”
Then a stir was heard outside and the three went to the window that the four went out of.
“They’re getting away.” said Curley.
“After them.” insisted Moe.
The two did.
“After you, Larry.” said Curley.
“No.” said Larry, “After you.”
“This is no time for Alphonse and Gaston.” said Moe as he pushed both of them out the window, “Get moving.” Then he jumped through the window.
++++++
Tannenio’s henchmen caught up with Botticelli and his companions.
“Alright.” said the head henchman, “We’re going to try it again.”
They pushed the four into an alleyway at sword point only to see a black man come out from behind a corner demanding “Hey, what’s going on here, eh?”
“Hey.” said one of the henchmen, “What are spooks doing in this neighborhood?”
At that, a whole throng of black men came out from that corner with swords drawn. For the first time, the three of Tannenio’s men noticed the outfits that they were wearing. These were just black men, they were Nubians and the swords they were carrying were sabers.
“You dare call Abdul, the Prince of Morocco, a spook?” said the first black man.
“No.” said one of the henchmen, “I didn’t call you a spook princy-baby. Did you guys?”
The other two nodded negatively.
The prince didn’t believe the three. At once, he ordered his men, all one thousand and one of them, to chase them down the street waving their sabers in the air.
The prince with Botticelli and his people.
“Thank you, Prince Abdul.” said the artist, “We are eternally in your debt.”
“Who were those men?” asked the prince.
“They’re Count Tannenio’s men.” said Botticelli.
“Count Tannenio?” exclaimed the prince as he went to his knees and looked to the heavens with his hands clasped together saying “Thank Allah. We have found him.”
“Why?” asked Botticelli, “What do you want with the count?”
“Justice.” said the prince, “A while ago, Tannenio came to Morocco and abducted some of my people and sold them as slaves. And now that we have found them…”
“He’s also got Simonetta Vespucci.” said Botticelli, “The lust of his heart and the future bride of Prince Lorenzo.”
“Then me and your prince have a common foe.” said Abdul, “You must bring me to him.”
Meanwhile, the Nubians returned saying “The men have disappeared.”
“Those men are of Count Tannenio’s.” said Abdul, “Come, lets go to the Prince of Florence. We have an ally in him.” He gave a whistle and a whole slew of horses appeared from what it seemed like out of nowhere.
Him and his men mounted them with Botticelli and his people being offered spare horses to use. Then, they all rode off to the palace.
++++++
On their way to the studio, Marty told Simonetta as much as he could allow himself to tell her about what caused their break-up and what caused him to make off with Jan.
Then, they arrived at the studio as Marty knocked.
++++++
In the studio, Tannenio was on top of Jennifer ready to do the unspeakable when a knock was heard.
The count put his hand over her mouth as a voice from the other side of that door said “Jennifer.”
Marty! she said to herself.
She struggled to remove the hand from her mouth but Tannenio said “One noise from you and you’re dead.”
Jennifer looked at the rapier that was still pointed at her heart.
++++++
Marty kept knocking but there was no answer.
“That’s odd.” said Simonetta, “This is the day and time of day that he’s usually here.” She tried the door but it was locked. “Very strange indeed.”
“Simonetta.”
The two turned around to see a homely woman approached her saying “Thank God that you weren’t in there today.”
“Why?” asked Simonetta, “What’s wrong?”
“Count Tannenio and his men.” said the woman, “They were here moments ago entering the studio. He was probably looking for you.”
Marty heard this and asked “What happened next?”
“The next thing we saw,” said the woman as some more people joined her, “were Botticelli and his people being pushed out the window and fleeing. Tannenio’s men came out and chased after them.”
“Wait a minute.” said Marty, “Wait a minute. You just said ‘Tannenio’s men’. You mean the count didn’t accompany them?”
The woman turned around to ask “You didn’t see Tannenio accompany them did you?”
They all nodded negatively.
“Oh shit!” exclaimed Marty, “Jennifer!”
Immediately, he went back to the studio to find a window to climb through. Finding one, he did. He found himself in a small room with a mirror. He also spotted a dress possibly worn by Jennifer on her way here. Which meant she was posing nude today. And what was worse, Jennifer looked like Simonetta, the woman that Tannenio was lusting for. A peak inside the studio confirmed his worse fears: Count Tannenio was about to the most vulgar thing imaginable to Jennifer.
Bursting into the room, he said “Get off of her you bastard!”
Both Tannenio and Jennifer looked to see Marty.
“Oh so you desire her too, eh?” said Tannenio.
“Marty!” cried Jennifer, “Help me, please!” Marty noticed that Tannenio had a rapier pointed at where Jennifer’s heart is. “Marty.” she went on to say, “If you love me, do something. Quick!”
At once, Marty said “Hey you! Get your damn hands off of her.”
“Is that doing something about it?” laughed Tannenio, “I guess it is. Now why don’t you just be a good boy and give us some privacy, eh?”
“No.” said Marty, “You leave her alone.”
Immediately, Tannenio pulled Jennifer off the shell why she was holding onto
the sheet she was still wearing and held his sword at her throat saying “Alright
scum. Vamoose! Make like snow and let me have her or…”
“That’s ‘flake off’, you pervert.” said Marty, “‘Make like snow and flake off’.”
“Whatever.” said Tannenio, “If you love her, you’d make an about face and go out that door or she gets it.”
Marty was in a dilemma: If he leaves her, he abandons her. But if he stays, she dies.
++++++
Meanwhile, Simonettta just saw Alexander head to the window so she went back to the door and heard a commotion. Producing a key that Botticelli gave her in case he was late, she unlocked the door and entered. What she saw shocked her. Tannenio had the other Simonetta that Alexander called “Jennifer” held closely to him in what seemed to be a very vulgar way although she was only wearing a sheet. He also had a rapier at her throat ready to slash it. Alexander was in there too not just standing there as if he didn’t know what he was going to do.
But Simonetta knew that something had to be done about this. “Count Tannenio.” she demanded, “What is the meaning of this?”
The count looked up at Simonetta and asked “What? Two of them.”
“No.” said Simonetta, “There’s only one me. The one who looks like isn’t.”
“What kind of riddle is this?” asked the count, “Who are you?”
“You know who I am.” insisted Simonetta, “I’m Simonetta Vespucci. The wife of Marco Vespucci, the mistress of Prince Lorenzo de Medici of Florence and the target of your lust. You’ve got the wrong woman.”
Tannenio laughed. “Very funny.” he said.
Realizing now that she had no choice, she began to peel off her garments.
“Simonetta.” exclaimed Alexander, “What the hell are you doing?”
“The only thing I could do now.” said Simonetta to Alexander. Then, turning to Tannenio, she said “Count Tannenio, if you wish to fulfill your lustful desire for Simonetta, fulfill it with me and let her go.”
Tannenio laughed some more. “I see what this is all about.” he said. Turning to Alexander, he said “You must’ve about my presence here, found a woman from a brothel and realized she looked like Simonetta, brought her home, gave her some of Simonetta’s clothes and coached her on everything about her. Very cleaver.”
“Now why would I do a thing like that?” asked Alexander.
“Just so you could pull a switch on me and get the real Simonetta rather than fight me over her.” said Tannenio. “Do you know what I think, I think you’re a coward. Now I’m going to enjoy the woman I got in my arms and I’m getting you until I fulfill my desires to prove me wrong.”
It was about the be the same nightmare all over again. Tannenio calls Marty a coward, he tries to prove the count wrong and dies. Now it was someone looking like him is receiving the same taunt.