canal

n. little rivers around Venice

Venetians

n. people who live in Venice 

spires

As victor watched the spires and domes of Venice, each caught the sun.

n. points on top of buildings

domes

n. rounded roofs

abroad

adv.-to/from another country 

fluent

adj-able to speak a language very well 

mother tongue

n.,your home language 

camouflage

n., v.-something to help you blend in with what’s around you

flabbergasted 

adj. surprised

meandering 

v. walking in a winding path

squatting

v. living somewhere you’re not supposed to

hoarse

adj. scratchy voice

nimbly

adv. quickly and without  tripping

reluctantly 

adv. unwillingly, in a way that shows you don’t really want to do it

lire

n. Italian money 

vaporetto

n. water bus in Venice

scuttled

v. ran close to the ground 

scrawny

Riccio was a scrawny boy and a lot shorter than Prosper.

adj. skinny 

loot

n. stolen stuff 

engrossed

adj., v. really focused on

gondola

n.water taxi in Venice 

contemptuous 

Riccio made a contemptuous face, but he did sound a little worried.

adj. hateful, disrespectful

emerged

A figure emerged from the dark.

v. came out of

condescending

“Wake the others,” Scippio commanded in his bossy, condescending voice.

A figure emerged from the dark.

strutted

He strutted like a peacock.

v. walked in a way that shows you think you’re really important

humbly

adv. opposite of show-offy

kissing someone’s boots

v. being really nice to someone in a fake way so that person will do something for you later

tongs

n. like big tweezers, used to pick up food

envy

n, v. what you feel when you want something someone else has

haggling

v.  arguing over the price 

scent

souvenirs

n. little things you can buy to remind you of a place you visit

threadbare

adj. worn out fabric 

tarnished

adj. dirty, unpolished metal

solemnly

They stood there whispering as solemnly as if they were in church.

adv. quietly and seriously

gnomes

n. little fairy tale creatures 

outrage

n. anger 

coincidence

n. when two things happen at the same time

objections

n. reasons to be against something 

secondhand

Perhaps we could buy a secondhand TV.

adj. used

pursuer

n. someone who is following someone else

quizzical

adj. confused 

delayed

amateur

adj. beginner

vanished

v. disappeared

hollow

adj. empty

sneer

n., v. a mean facial expression

assaulted

v. attacked

exposed

He pulled the blanket over Bo’s exposed feet.

exotic

Prosper and Bo loved the exotic sounds and strange smells of Venice.

adj. unusual

heavy heart

Prosper returned to the movie theater with a heavy heart.

sadness

disbelief

Hornet shook her head in disbelief.

n. what you feel when you don’t believe something 

fate

Some members of the Conte’s family have not been blessed by fate.

n. what’s going to happen

pompously

Riccio had heard all the names the redbeard had so pompously mentioned.

adv. in a snotty, stuck up way

confessional

The Conte will wait for you in the first confessional.

n. little closet in a catholic church where you can talk to a priest

punctual

Don’t be late. The man is always punctual.

adj. on time

scrutinizing

Victor had been scrutinizing the faces of the people who passed by.

v. looking at very carefully

in vain

For three days Riccio returned to Barbarossa’s shop in vain.

prep/n. without success

massive

… the massive entrance to the church.

adj. very big

bystanders

Scippio was afraid the bystanders could hear.

n. people standing nearby

entourage

I don’t want to come to this meeting with my whole entourage.

n. group of people following

quest

I am an old man and I would like to achieve the goals of my lifelong quest.

n.  search

hawkers

Victor bought a bag of birdseed from one of the hawkers that stood around everywhere.

n.  people selling stuff

vermin

"Vermin!” screeched Victor as the pigeons scattered.

n. pests, bugs, rodents

incredulously

“You live in a movie theater?” Victor asked incredulously.

adv. in a way that shows you don’t believe something

nonchalantly

“Aren’t you a bit young,” he asked nonchalantly.

adv. casuallly 

agitated

Prosper was looking agitated.

adj. upset, nervous 

scolded

“Darn it Bo,” Scippio scolded.

v. used a harsh voice to correct someone

entice

Bo watched the gondoliers try to entice the tourists.

v. get someone to come to you

restless

The pigeon was restless in its basket.

adj. wiggly; can’t wait or focus

inconspicuous

Victor tried to look inconspicuous as he kept an eye on Prosper.

adj. not noticeable

survieillance

He had no practive in  child-surveillance.

n. continual watching (usually secretly) 

gloomy 

His face was all gloomy.

adj. sad, hopeless

hostile

 Hornet stared at Victor with hostile gray eyes.

adj. mean

commotion

Look what I got in all the commotion.

n. noisy activity 

simultaneously

“How much?” Hornet and Riccio asked simultaneously.

adv. at the same time

approximately

The pins at the base of the wing are approximately 2 inches wide.

adv. about, almost 

apprehensively

Riccio asked Scippio if he could help with burglary, then looked at him apprehensively.

adv. in a worried way

taken for a ride

I got taken for a ride by a bunch of kids!

v. tricked

current

Victor opened the current telephone book.

baffled

The ticket lady gave Victor a baffled look.

arrogant

Scippio’s eyes didn’t look as arrogant as they had before.

dilapidated 

You're keeping a little gang in your father's dilapidated movie theater.

completely different kettle of fish

Sneaking into a house was a completely different kettle of fish.

very different thing 

pelting

Rain was pelting against the window.

v. hitting in big drops

grimy

Someone had drawn a heart on the grimy glass.

adj.dirty

barricaded

The entrance was barricaded with piles of trash.

v.blocked with stuff

illumination

He had only his flashlight for illumination.

n.light

gag

Prosper freed Victor from his stinking gag.

n. thing tied over someone’s mouth so they can’t talk

v. tie something over someone's mouth

parched

Victor’s tortoise looked parched.

adj. very thirsty

retorted

“I can look after Bo,” he retorted angrily.

v. refused to do something 

mainland

The factories on the mainland throw their garbage in the sea.

n.the land an island is closest to

shrill

Riccio’s voice grew shrill.

deserted

The square was deserted.

n., v. empty

deserted

The square was deserted.

adj., v. empty

transparent

Prosper discovered a photograph with a transparent cover.

mesmerized

Mesmerized, he stared at the picture.

triumphant

He gave them a triumphant smile.

betrayed

What was Scippio doing in this house? Prosper felt betrayed.

deceived

Prosper felt deceived.

quarrels

Chapter 23 is called Quarrels.

gossiping

Out in the alley, a few women were gossiping.

v. talking about someone behind their back

 stubborn

You know how stubborn Bo can be. 

adj. only interested in doing things your own way

scrawls

They found Victor’s scrawls on the wall.

n., v. handwriting

compartment

Whenever he opened the doors to a compartment, Esther was already there.

warmhearted  

He was simply a warmhearted man.

precisely

“Precisely,” said Ida Spavento.

extinguished

Ida extinguished her cigarette.

enthusiastic

The children didn’t look very enthusiastic.

mortally

Barbarossa sighed like a mortally ill man.

vaguely

“Perhaps,” Prosper answered vaguely.

investigations

“ Could you tell us about your investigations?”

mannequin

She stayed as stiff as a mannequin.

discreet

“Don’t worry, Giaco is very discreet.”

interjected

“Scipio’s got to come in our boat,” Prosper interjected.

frail 

He didn’t look as frail as Prosper had imagined him from their encounter in the confessional.

adj. weak

encounter 

He didn’t look as frail as Prosper had imagined him from their encounter in the confessional.

n. meeting

occupation

Find yourself another occupation.

n. job 

unintelligible 

Giaco grumbled something unintelligible.

adj. unclear

diabolical

Bo will throw a diabolical fuss.

adj. devil-like 

lulled

Hornet lulled him to sleep with hot milk.

v. put to sleep 

groped 

He groped for the string next to the door.

v. grabbed at, felt

rustle

...not a giggle or a rustle.

n. crinkly, crackly sound; v. to make a sound like this

colleague 

His colleague was already dragging Hornet.

n. co-worker or classmate

relentlessly

The snow fell on him relentlessly.

adv. without stopping

trundled 

They all trundled after him up the stairs. 

v. roll or move with heavy steps

ushered 

Victor ushered them into his apartment.

v., led

Victor ushered them into his apartment. 

dumbfounded

They were dumbfounded. 

counterfeit

It's all counterfeit.

adj. fake money 

dilapidated

Bo had been hiding in some dilapidated movie theater.

harebrained

…this harebrained adventure of yours! 

stammered

spoke in a stumbly way- “What? Us?” he stammered.

v. stuttered

allotted

Hornet sat on her allotted bed.

adj., v. given 

wafted 

The smell of food wafted up to the bedrooms.

v. floated

anonymous 

Our anonymous girl is Caterina.

adj. unknown name 

shimmering

They were beautiful windows, glowing behind shimmering curtains.

v. reflecting light

skulking 

What if they find you skulking around?

v. prowling, sneaking around 

imploringly

…held out his hands imploringly.

adv. in a begging way

luring

Smells kept luring him into the kitchen. 

v. pulling, attracting

conscience

His guilty conscience made him think of his tortoises.

n. little voice in your head that tells you the right thing to do

boisterous

The two of them were so happy and boisterous.

adj.-energetic, noisy

duped

They didn’t mind that the Conte had duped them.

v. tricked

condescending 

He thought of the condescending look he had received from the porter at the Sandwirth.

v., adj.- snobby

swamped

The black dress she was wearing completely swamped her.

v. covered completely; overwhelmed

stench

A stench made Scipio’s face screw up in disgust.

n. bad smell

shrill

Esther’s voice turned shrill.

adj. high pitched

lurking

Nightmares were lurking under their pillows.

v. hiding (with plans to do something bad)

conjure

She looked at Victor as if he could conjure up Prosper.

hearth 

A fire was burning in a hearth.

– n. fireplace

rendezvous

…our nighttime rendezvous in the lagoon.

n. meeting

pensively

Then he looked pensively at Scipio.

adv. thoughtfully

excrement

n. poo

bewildered 

v., adj. overwhelmed and scared

conspiratorial 

adj. part of a secret plot

lumbering 

v. walking with heavy steps 

arbor 

Renzo led Scipio and Prosper to an arbor behind the house.

n. group of trees

 labyrinth

The arbor led into a labyrinth. 

n. maze

thicket 

…turned into a dense thicket.

n. thick growth of plants

procured 

v. got 

mutilated 

v. adj. damaged

despicable 

adj. horrible

blackmail

n., v., - when you tell someone you'll do something bad to them unless they do something you want

catastrophes 

n. disasters

secluded 

v. hidden

glum 

adj. unhappy

mimic 

Scipio started to mimic him behind his back.

v. copy the way someone talks in a rude way

compensation 

What would be a proper compensation for him smashing my lion wing?

n. payment

impertinent 

Victor couldn’t remember ever having seen such an impertinent grin on a grown-up’s face.

adj. rude

incredulously 

gratitude 

n. thankfulness

surreptitiously 

Prosper saw Riccio, Mosca, and Hornet surreptitiously looking at Scipio.

adv. secretly

uttering 

v. saying

glowering 

 He was glowering at Scipio.

v. giving an angry look

sass 

“Any more of your sass, and you won’t sleep here."

v. to talk back; n. back-talk 

immaculately

adv. extremely neatly 

scrawls

…along with their homely scrawls and scribbles.

n. bits of handwriting

mediocre 

He looked like a king forced to watch mediocre actors perform.

adj. just average, not great 

gullible 

adj. easily tricked

stingy 

What if she’s really stingy? 

adj. unwilling to share

precaution 

She locked him in as a precaution.

n. something you do to avoid problems

enthroned

v. surrounded the way a throne surrounds a king

disdainfully

Barbarossa just shrugged disdainfully. 

 adv. in an uninterested way

provisions 

She gave them two plastic bags full of provisions.

n. supplies for a trip

dumbfounded

Victor stared at him quite dumbfounded

adj. shocked

traipsing 

He had gone traipsing through the night.

  v. wandering

abruptly 

He stopped abruptly.

 n. a feeling about something

intuition 

n. a feeling about something

shadow 

I decided to shadow you.

    v. follow without being noticed

prospect

Scipio wrinkled his nose at the prospect.

n. idea, possibility