CLAUDE & PIERRE

IN

DAVINCI’S FOUNTAINS

Da Vinci’s Fountains of Provence

Experiments at Amboise c. 1500

Leonardo da Vinci hunched over the workbench in his lab in the Château d'Amboise, his

gnarled fingers splotchy from various minerals. The underground workshop was dimly lit

by oil lamps hanging from iron hooks, their light flickering and dancing across the stone

floor. The walls were lined with shelves of mismatched books, jars, messy papers and

curious contraptions. The air smelled strange …of herbs, sulfur and the damp stone from

the castle's foundation.

"Francesco, bring me the azurite solution," Leonardo called, not looking up from his

notes. His long white beard brushed the parchment as he sketched observations in his

characteristic mirror-writing. He thrived in chaos, his mind raced continually.

Francesco Melzi, a handsome young man with intelligent eyes and a devotion to

Leonardo that ran deep, carefully lifted a glass flask containing a brilliant blue liquid

from a wooden rack. At thirty-two, Francesco had spent nearly half his life as Leonardo's

assistant, student, and companion, following the master from Milan to Rome and finally

to France at the invitation of King Francis I.

"Here, Maestro," Francesco said, placing the flask gently on the workbench. "The azurite

has been soaking for three days. Look at the color now!”Leonardo nodded, holding the flask up to one of the lamps. The blue liquid seem 

Leonardo nodded, holding the flask up to one of the lamps. The blue liquid seemed to

capture the light, glowing with an otherworldly eeriness. It needed to be diluted. “Too

much color”, another note in his journal.

"Excellent. And the other preparations?"

Francesco gestured to a row of flasks, each containing a different colored solution. "All

prepared according to your specifications. The limestone solution turned milky white, the

copper has taken on a vibrant green, the lithium remains clear but has developed a

curious pink tinge when agitated, and the uranium..." he hesitated, lowering his voice,

"the uranium solution remains as you left it, sealed in the lead container."Leonardo

stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Our observations on the mice have been most

illuminating. The azurite mice took to stealing food from the others, even when they had

plenty. The limestone-treated mice engaged in most unusual mating behaviors. The

copper made them aggressive, while the lithium..." he chuckled, "the lithium mice simply

don’t care about anything.”

"And the uranium mice, Maestro?" Francesco asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Dead within hours," Leonardo replied solemnly, shaking his head. “A powerful

substance indeed, one that must never fall into the wrong hands." He gathered his notes 

and began binding them with thin leather cords. "These mineral waters have profound

effects on these creatures. If my theories are correct, they may influence the very nature

of man himself.” Even he couldn’t believe what he was saying.

Francesco carefully arranged the flasks in a wooden carrying case lined with straw. "Are

you sure about experimenting with humans? Even in the smallest doses?"

Leonardo's eyes lit up with the fire of scientific curiosity.

"Knowledge can never be forbidden fruit to those who seek truth, my dear Francesco. But

we need to be careful. Very careful." He closed the leather-bound journal with a decisive

snap. "King Francis has given me complete freedom to pursue my studies, but even he

does not know the full extent of what we have discovered here."

The old master rose stiffly from his bench, wincing slightly at the pain in his left hand—

the hand that had painted the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and sculpted David were now

gnarled with age and arthritis.

“Tomorrow we’ll prepare the dilutions for our journey to Provence.“We’ll need to find where the fountains originate, then find suitable help to instill the

minerals into the source of the fountain” Francesco stated, arching an eyebrow.

Leonardo smiled mysteriously. "Indeed. Pack everything carefully, Francesco. We leave

for Provence at first light."

As Francesco began methodically storing their equipment, Leonardo moved to the small

window cut high in the wall, offering a view of the Loire River flowing below. The moon

cast a silver path across the dark waters. For a moment, the old inventor contemplated the

moral implications of what he was about to do. Then, with a scientist's resolve, he turned

back to help his assistant prepare for their journey south—to Provence.   

​The universe was shaking.