Renzo and his sister Morosina were once servants of the Valaresso. As an old man, he adopts the identity of "the Conte", whereas he hires Scipio to steal him a wooden wing.

This wing is believed to belong to a magical, long-lost merry-go-round which has the ability to return adults to youth and bring adulthood to children when ridden upon.

Scipio and his gang deliver the wing and are paid in forged notes, a fact they don't discover until later.

Returning to their secret island, Renzo and Morosina restore the merry-go-round they have hidden there and take a ride, whereupon they are returned to their youth, having a second chance on an age they considered squandered.

When later confronted by Scipio regarding the fake money, they offer him a ride on the merry-go-round, aging him to early adulthood. In addition, to mollify Ernesto Barbarossa, they too offer him a ride, but without properly explaining the rules to him. Barbarossa is returned to his youth at the age of 8 years old, his threats no longer holding any sway; however, his carelessness also damages the merry-go-round, rendering it useless.

When later returning to the island, Scipio is unable to locate Renzo or his sister, and their whereabouts remained unknown to him.