The Este orator, Niccolo’ Sadoleto, sets out from Foggia toward Otranto. He carries three letters from the Ottoman sultan, not yet fully deciphered, seized during a naval battle. He is actually very skeptical about the possibility of an agreement, but determined to try. He will pass through parts of Puglia afflicted by the plague, and will be tempted to abandon his journey, nauseated, stunned, and panicked by what he sees.
