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33 - Black Magic- a Tale of the Rise and Fall of the Antichrist by Marjorie Bowen · Black Magic- a Tale of the Rise and Fall of the Antichrist

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty three of Black Magic by Marjorie Bowen. This
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Part two, chapter eleven,
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  Speaker 1: The Angels in a ruined villa, shattered by the barbarians
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  Speaker 1: and crumbled by time. Sat Isabeau, the Empress, looking over
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  Speaker 1: the sunless Maremma. A few olive trees were all that
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  Speaker 1: shaded the bare expanse of marshy land, where great pools
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  Speaker 1: veiled with unhealthy vapors, gleamed faintly under the heavy clouds.
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  Speaker 1: Here and there rose the straight roof of a forsaken convent,
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  Speaker 1: or the stately pillars of a deserted palace. There was
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  Speaker 1: no human being in sight. She had dwelt here for
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  Speaker 1: three days. At every sunrise, a peasant girl, daring the excommunication,
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  Speaker 1: had brought her food, then fled with a frightened face.
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  Speaker 1: Isabeau saw nothing before her save death, But she did
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  Speaker 1: not mean to die by the ignoble way of starvation.
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  Speaker 1: She had not heard of the defeat of Baltasar at Tivoli,
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  Speaker 1: nor of the election of Tyrie to the crown. Day
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  Speaker 1: and night, she thought on her husband and pondered how
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  Speaker 1: she still might possibly serve him. She did not hope
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  Speaker 1: to see him again. It never occurred to her to
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  Speaker 1: return to him. When she had fled his camp, she
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  Speaker 1: had left a confession behind her. No Greek would have
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  Speaker 1: heeded it, but these saxons still to her. Foreigners were different,
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  Speaker 1: and Baltasar had loved Malchoar of Braban. She moved through
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  Speaker 1: the inner portion of the villa, and here she seated
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  Speaker 1: herself on the capital of a broken column, and a
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  Speaker 1: languid weariness subdued her proud spirit. Her head sank back
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  Speaker 1: against the stained wall, and she slept. When she woke,
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  Speaker 1: the whole landscape was glowing with the saw red of sunset.
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  Speaker 1: There were faint voices coming from the outer room, and
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  Speaker 1: the sound of a man's tread. For a while, she waited,
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  Speaker 1: then crept cautiously towards the shattered doorway that led into
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  Speaker 1: the other chamber. She gained it and gazed through. Sitting
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  Speaker 1: where she had just now sat, under the vine twisted columns,
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  Speaker 1: was a huge knight in defaced armor. His back was
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  Speaker 1: towards her. By his side, his helmet stood, and the
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  Speaker 1: great glittering dragon that formed the crest shone in the
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  Speaker 1: setting sun. He was bending over a child that lay
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  Speaker 1: asleep on a crimson cloak, Baltassar, said, Isabel. He gave
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  Speaker 1: a little cry and looked over his shoulder. He rose softly,
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  Speaker 1: his face flushed. I am a ruined man. They have
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  Speaker 1: elected another emperor. Now I think it does not matter.
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  Speaker 1: Her eyes traveled in a dazed to the child. Is
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  Speaker 1: he sick? Nay, only weary. We have been wandering since Tivoli.
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  Speaker 1: When he spoke, he looked at her as if the
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  Speaker 1: world held nothing else worth gazing on. I must go,
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  Speaker 1: said Isabeau, must go. I am cast out. I may
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  Speaker 1: not share your misfortunes. Baltasar laughed. I have been searching
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  Speaker 1: for you, madly, Isabeau, but you found the writing. She cried, yea,
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  Speaker 1: you know I slew him. I know you went to
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  Speaker 1: give your life for me. Oh, Baltassar, does it make
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  Speaker 1: no difference? It cannot, he said half sadly. You are
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  Speaker 1: my wife, part of me. I have given you my
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  Speaker 1: heart to keep, and nothing can alter it. You do
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  Speaker 1: not mock me, she questioned, shuddering, it must be that
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  Speaker 1: you mock me. I will go away. He stepped before her.
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  Speaker 1: You shall never leave me again, Isabel. He put his
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  Speaker 1: arm round her, bowed shoulders. Her marvelous hair lay across
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  Speaker 1: his dnted mail. This is sweeter than our marriage day, Baltissar,
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  Speaker 1: For now you know the worst of me. He set
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  Speaker 1: her gently on the broken shaft by the door and
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  Speaker 1: kissed her hand. And he told her how they had
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  Speaker 1: been defeated at Tavoli, how the remnant of his force
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  Speaker 1: had forsaken him, and how Tyrie of dender Monde had
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  Speaker 1: been elected emperor by the wishes of the pope. Her
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  Speaker 1: eyes grew fierce at that I have ruined you, she said,
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  Speaker 1: made you a beggar. Could I have held a throne
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  Speaker 1: without you? Isabeau? Her fingers trembled in his Would I
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  Speaker 1: had been a better woman for your sake? Baltasar? His swift,
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  Speaker 1: bright flush dyed his fair face. All I grieve, Isabel?
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  Speaker 1: Is God God, she asked, wondering if he should not
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  Speaker 1: forgive me. His blue eyes were troubled, and we are
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  Speaker 1: cursed and cast out? What think you through me? You grieve?
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  Speaker 1: And this is through me, nay? Our destiny is one
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  Speaker 1: always only I think of afterwards. Yet if you are damned,
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  Speaker 1: as the priest says, why I will be so too.
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  Speaker 1: Do not fear Baltassar. If God will not receive me,
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  Speaker 1: the little images at Constantinople will forgive me if I
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  Speaker 1: pray to them again as I did when I was
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  Speaker 1: a child. They fell on silence again, while the red
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  Speaker 1: color of the setting sun deepened and cast a glow
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  Speaker 1: over their weary faces, and the sleeping figure of wensless.
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  Speaker 1: The vine leaves fluttered from the ancient marble, and the
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  Speaker 1: wild fowl screamed across the marsh Who is this pope
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  Speaker 1: that he should hate us? So mused Isabeau? And who
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  Speaker 1: Tirie of dendr Monde, that he should be emperor of
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  Speaker 1: the West. I do not understand it, nor do I now, Isabeau.
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  Speaker 1: Baltasar looked at her greatly care She raised his hand,
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  Speaker 1: kissed it, and no more was said. While the mists
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  Speaker 1: gathered and thickened over the Maremma, and the rich hues
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  Speaker 1: faded from the sky. Who is that? Cried Isabeau, and
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  Speaker 1: pointed across the marshland. A figure dark against the mists
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  Speaker 1: was running aimlessly wildly to and fro winding his way
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  Speaker 1: in and out the pools now, and then flinging his
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  Speaker 1: arms up in a frantic gesture toward the evening sky
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  Speaker 1: a madman, said Baltasar. See he runs with no object,
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  Speaker 1: round and round, yet always as if pursued. Suddenly, as
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  Speaker 1: if exhausted, the man stopped and stood still with hanging
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  Speaker 1: head and arms. The sun burning to the horizon made
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  Speaker 1: a vivid background to his tall, dark figure, till the heavy,
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  Speaker 1: noisome vapors rose to the level of the sunset, and
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  Speaker 1: the solitary, motionless stranger was blotted from the view of
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  Speaker 1: the two watching in the ruined villa. We must get away,
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  Speaker 1: said Baltasar resolutely. This is a vile spot. The man
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  Speaker 1: whispered Isabeau. Out of the dreary vapors, the forlorn and
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  Speaker 1: foul mists of the marches, he appeared, stumbling over the
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  Speaker 1: stones in his way. He caught hold of the slender
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  Speaker 1: pillar by the entrance, and stared at the three with
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  Speaker 1: distraught eyes. His clothes were dark, wet and soiled, His
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  Speaker 1: hair hung lank round a face hollow and pale, but
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  Speaker 1: of obvious beauty. Tirie of dender monday, exclaimed Baltassar. Isabeau
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  Speaker 1: gave a cry that woke the child and sent him
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  Speaker 1: frightened into her arms. The emperor said the newcomer. In
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  Speaker 1: a feeble voice, Baltasar answered fiercely, am I still emperor?
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  Speaker 1: To you, you who to day were to receive my
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  Speaker 1: crown in Saint Peter's church. Tyrie shivered and crouched like one,
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  Speaker 1: very cold of my own will. I fled from Rome,
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  Speaker 1: that city of the devil. Baltasar stared at him. You
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  Speaker 1: are the Emperor, said Tyrie faintly. And I pretend no
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  Speaker 1: longer to these wrongful honors, nor SERVI any longer Antichrist.
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  Speaker 1: He is mad, cried Baltasar. Nay Isabeau spoke eagerly. Listen
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  Speaker 1: to him. Tirri moaned, I have nothing to say. Give
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  Speaker 1: me a place to rest in. Through you, we have
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  Speaker 1: no place ourselves to rest in, answered Baltasar grimly. No
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  Speaker 1: shelter save these broken walls you see. But since you
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  Speaker 1: have turned to your allegiance, we command that you tell
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  Speaker 1: us of this antichrist. Tirie straightened himself. He who reigns
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  Speaker 1: in Rome is Antichrist. Michael who was dirk renswod, he perished,
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  Speaker 1: said the Emperor, very pale. And the pope was Blaye
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  Speaker 1: of dender Monde. That was the devil's work. Black Magic,
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  Speaker 1: cried Tyrie wildly. The youth Blade died ten years ago,
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  Speaker 1: and dirk Renswod took his place. It is true, cried
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  Speaker 1: the Empress, by what he said to me. I know
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  Speaker 1: it true, now do I see it very clearly? Then
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  Speaker 1: Tyrie began to speak. He told them in a thick,
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  Speaker 1: expressionless voice, all he knew of dirk Renswod. He did
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  Speaker 1: not mention Ursula of Russlie. As his tale went on,
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  Speaker 1: the storm gathered till all light had vanished from the sky.
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  Speaker 1: The lightning rent a starless gloom. Tyrie's voice suddenly strengthened.
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  Speaker 1: Now turn against Rome, for all men will join you.
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  Speaker 1: A force of Lombards marches up from Trestevir, and the
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  Speaker 1: Saxons gather without the walls of the accursed city. A
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  Speaker 1: blue flash showed them his face. They heard him fall.
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  Speaker 1: After a while, Baltasar made his way to him through
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  Speaker 1: the dark. He has fainted, he said, fearfully. Is he
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  Speaker 1: belike mad? He speaks the hideous truth, whispered Isabel. Suddenly,
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  Speaker 1: at its very height, the storm ceased. The air became
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  Speaker 1: cool and fragrant, and a bright moon floated from the clouds,
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  Speaker 1: the first moon and stars that had shone since Michael
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  Speaker 1: the Second's reign in the Vatican. Baltasar looked at his wife.
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  Speaker 1: Neither dared to speak, but whenceless, gave a panting sigh
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  Speaker 1: of relief. At the lifting of the darkness, my Lord,
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  Speaker 1: he said, driving out of his mother's arms, A goodly
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  Speaker 1: company comes across the marsh. A great awe and fear
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  Speaker 1: held them silent, and the wonderful silver shine of the
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  Speaker 1: moon lay over them like a spell. They saw slowly
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  Speaker 1: approaching them, two knights and two ladies, who seemed to
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  Speaker 1: advance without motion across the marshland. The knights wore armor
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  Speaker 1: that shone like glass, and long mantles of white samite.
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  Speaker 1: The dames were clad in silver tissue, and around their
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  Speaker 1: brows were close pressed wreaths of roses mingled red and white.
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  Speaker 1: They paused. Baltasar drew back before the great light they
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  Speaker 1: brought with them, and Isabel hid her face for some
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  Speaker 1: of them she knew on earth. Their names had been
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  Speaker 1: malchar Sebastian, Jacobia, and Sybylla. Baltasar said, the foremost Knight,
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  Speaker 1: we are come from the courts of Paradise to bid
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  Speaker 1: you march against Rome in that city. Reigns evil, permitted
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  Speaker 1: to punish a sinful people. But now her time is come.
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  Speaker 1: Go you to Viterbo. There you will find the Cardinal
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  Speaker 1: of Narbon, whom God has ordained pope, and with him
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  Speaker 1: an army. At the head of it. Storm Rome and
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  Speaker 1: all the people shall join you in destroying Antichrist. Baltasar
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  Speaker 1: fell on his knees, and the curse, he cried, tis
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  Speaker 1: not the curse of God upon you. Therefore be comforted,
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  Speaker 1: Baltasar of courtraig, and at the dawn, haste to Viterbo.
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  Speaker 1: With that they moved away and were absorbed into the
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  Speaker 1: silver light that transfigured the Maremma. Baltasar sprang to his feet, shouting,
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  Speaker 1: I am not excommunicate. I shall be emperor again. The
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  Speaker 1: curse is lifted. Baltasar caught Tirie by the shoulder. Did
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  Speaker 1: you see the vision the angels? Tyrie came shuddering from
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  Speaker 1: his swoon. I saw nothing. Ursula, Ursula and of section
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  Speaker 1: thirty three. Recording by Molly Craig