Leonardo's Missing Notes 

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Experiments at Amboise

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Leonardo da Vinci hunched over the work bench 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 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 right 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, and 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.  

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