Spring breaks early and powerfully on the Gulf of Castellammare. The citrus groves west of Palermo are already in fruit by the end of February, and the Sicilian air is so ripe with the odour of lemon and orange that it makes a visitor dizzy. From the sea, hillside villages are splashes of pastel masonry on a brilliant carpet of green and gold. Above the awnings of the marketplace rises the dome of the church of the Carmine. The whole scene emanates balance, harmony, serenity. However, the shadow of the Casa Nostra looms ominously, ruthless if crossed even the slightest.