Latest / Black Magic- a Tale of the Rise and Fall of the Antichrist / 28 - Black Magic- a Tale of the Rise and Fall of the Antichrist by Marjorie Bowen

Transcript

28 - 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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Section twenty eight of Black Magic by Marjorie Bowen. This
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Part two, Chapter six,
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: San Giovanni in Laterano, in the Palace on the Aventine,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Baltassar stood at a window looking over Rome. The clouds
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: that had hung for weeks over the city cast a
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: dull yellow glow over marble and stone. The air was
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: hot and sultry now, and then thunder rolled over the Vatican,
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: and a flash of lightning revealed the Angel on Castel
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: Saint Angelo, poised above the muddy waters of the Tyber.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: A furious, utter, dread and terror gripped Baltassar's heart. Days
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: had passed since his defiance of the Pope, and he
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: had heard no more of his daring. But he was afraid,
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: afraid of Michael the Second of the Church of Heaven
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: behind it, afraid of this woman who had risen from
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: the dead. He knew the number of his enemies, and
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: with what difficulty he held Rome. He guessed that the
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: Pope intended his downfall and to put another in his place,
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: But not this almost certain ruin disturbed him day and night.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: No the thought that the Church might throw him out
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: and consign his soul to the smoky hell. Bravely enough,
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: he had dared the pope at the time when his
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: heart was hot within him, But in the days that followed,
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: his very soul had fainted to think what he had done.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: He could not sleep nor rest while waiting for outraged
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: heaven to strike. He darkly believed the continual storm brooding
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: over Rome to be omen of God's wrath with him.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: His trouble was the greater because it was secret, the
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: first that since they had been wedded he had conceived
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: from isabel As this touched her in an infamous and
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: horrible manner. He could neither breathe it to her nor
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: any other, and the loneliness of his miserable apprehension was
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: an added torture. This morning, he had interviewed the envoys
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: from Germany and his chamberlain. Tales of anarchy and turmoil
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: in Rome, of rebellion in Germany had further distracted him.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: Now alone in his little marble cabinet, he stared across
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: the gorgeous, storm wrapped city. Not long ago, he heard
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: some one quietly enter, and because he knew who it was,
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: he would not turn his head. She came up to
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: him and laid her hand on his plain brown doublet baltassar.
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: She said, will you never tell me what it is
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: that sits so heavily on your heart? He commanded his
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: voice to answer, nothing, Isabel, nothing, Oh my lord, she
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: cried passionately. No anguish is so bitter when shared. Sertez,
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: you know my troubles, Isabel. The discontent, the factions matter
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: enough to make any man grave. And the pope, she said,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: raising her eyes to his most of all, it is
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: the pope. His holiness is no friend to me, said
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: the emperor, in a low voice. Oh, Isabel, we were
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: deceived to aid him to the tiera. She shuddered. I
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: persuaded you blame me. I was mad. I set your
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: enemy in authority. Nay, he answered, in a great tenderness,
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: you are to blame for nothing, you sweet Isabel. She
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: saw it, and terror shook her. He said, more to
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: you that day than you will tell me. She cried,
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: You fear some thing that you will not reveal to me.
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: He is a poor knight who tells his lady of
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: his difficulties. He said, I cannot come crying to you
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: like a child. I am very jealous of you, Baltassar,
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: she said, thickly, jealous that you should shut me out
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: from anything. You will know soon enough, he answered, in
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: a hoarse voice, But never from me. Are we not
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: as strong as this man, Baltassar. Nay, he shivered, for
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: he has the church behind him. Tomorrow we shall see
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: him again. I dread to morrow, why, she asked thickly.
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: Tomorrow is the feast of the Assumption, and we go
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: to the Basilica. Yea, and the Pope will be there
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: in his power, and I must kneel humbly before him.
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: Yet not that alone, Baltassar, What do you fear, he breathed.
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: He nothing, a folly, an ugly presentiment of late. I
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: have slept so little. Why is he quiet? He meditates something,
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: his blue eyes widened with fear. He put the Empress
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: gently from him. Take no heed, sweet, I am only weary,
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: and your dear solicitude unnerves me. I must go pray
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: Saint Yorus to remember me. Angry scorn filled her heart
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: when she considered the reputation this man had won in
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: his youth, that indeed he still bore with some. Yet
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: it could not but stir her admiration, to reflect what
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: it must have cost a man of the Pope's nature
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: to play the ascetic saint for so many years, but
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: his piety had been well rewarded. The poor Flemish youth
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: sat in the Vatican, now lord of her husband's fortunes
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: and her own. An Then she fell to pondering over
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: the story of Ursula of rousse Lahie, wondering where she was,
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: where she had been these years, and how she had
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: met Cardinal Capriola. The Empress dwelt on these things till
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: her head ached. She was interrupted by the entry of
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: a lady, tall and fair, leading a beautiful child by
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: the hand, Jacobia of Martsburg and Isabel's son. We seek
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: for his grace, smiled the lady Wencelas wishes to say
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: his Latin lesson and to tell the tale of the
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: three dukes and the sack of gold that he has
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: lately learnt. The Empress gave her son a quick glance.
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: You shall tell it to me Whencelas, my lord is
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: not here. The boy, golden, large and glorious to look upon,
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: scowled at her. The Prince tossed his yellow curl. I
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: want my father Jacobya, in pity of the Empress's distracted bearing,
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: tried to pacify him. The Empress crushed back the wild
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: misery of her thoughts and caught the child's embroidered yellow sleeve.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: Sirtaz Ye shall see him, she said, quietly, if he
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: promised you, I think he is in the oratory. We
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: will wait at the door until he come forth. The
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: boy kissed her hand, and the shadow passed from his
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: lovely face. Jacobya saw the Empress look down on him
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: with a desperate and heart broken expression. She wondered at
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: the anguish revealed to her in that second, but she
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: was neither disturbed nor touched. Her own heart had been
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: broken so long ago that all emotions were but names
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: to her. The Empress dismissed her with a glance. Jacobya
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: left the palace, mounted the little Byzantine carriot with the
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: blue curtains, and drove to the church of San Giovanni
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: in Latrano. She went there every day to hear a
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: mass sung for the soul of one who had died
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: long ago. A large portion of her immense fortune had
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: gone in paying for masses and candles for the repose
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: of Sybylla one time wife of Sebastian her steward. If
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: gold could send the murdered woman there, Jacobia had opened
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: to her the doors of paradise. In her quiet, monotonous
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: life in a strange land, caring for none and by
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: none cared for, with a dead heart in her bosom
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: and leaden feet walking heavily the road to the grave,
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: this Sybylla had come to be with Jacobia the most
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: potent things she knew. Neither Baldassar, nor the Empress, nor
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: any of their court were so real to her as
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: the steward's dead wife. There there were a few people
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: in the church kneeling for the Angelus. Jacobia joined them
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: and fixed her eyes on the altar, where a strong
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: purple light glowed and flickered, bringing out points of gold
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: in the molding of the ancient arches. A deep hush
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: held the scented stillness. The scattered bent figures were dark
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: and motionless against the mystic clouds of incense and the
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: soft bright lights. Monks in long brown habits came and
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: stood in the chancel. The bell struck the hour, and
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: young novices entered singing Angelus Domini nuntiavit Marie et consepiite
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: de spiritu sango. The monks knelt and folded their hands
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: on their breasts, the response that still seemed very sweet.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: Jacobea arose Ave Gratia Plaina. A side door near Jacobya
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: opened softly, and a man stepped into the church. A
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: strong sense that the newcomer was observing her made jacoby
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: A turn almost unconsciously, her head towards him as she
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: repeated the ave Maria. A tall, richly dressed man was
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: gazing at her intently. His face was in shadow, but
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: she could see long pearls softly gleam in his ears.
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: Priests and novices left the church. The monks filed out
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: and bent figures rose. The man stepped from the shadows
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: as Jacobya rose to her feet and their eyes met.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: You remember me, asked Tyrie, faintly. I have forgotten nothing,
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: She answered calmly. Why do you seek to recall yourself
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: to me? I cannot see you and let you pass.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: Are you free of the devils, she asked, and crossed herself.
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: Tyrie winced. He remembered that she believed Dirk was dead,
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: that she thought of the pope as a holy man,
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: forgive me, he murmured, For what, Ah, that I did
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: not understand you to be always a saintly woman. Jacobia laughed, sadly,
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: you must not think of the past, though you may
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: think of nothing else, even as I do. We might
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: have been friends once, but the devil was too strong
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: for us. At that moment. Tyrie hated Dirt passionately. He
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: felt he could have been happy with this woman, and
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: with her only in the whole world, and he loathed
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: Dirk for making it impossible. As she moved towards the door,
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: he came beside her. Then, by a common impulse, both
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: stopped round one of the dark, glittering pillars. A brilliant
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: figure flashed into the rich light, the masked dancer in orange.
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: She stepped up to Tyrie and laid her fingers on
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: his scarlet sleeve. How does Tirie of dender Monde keep
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: his word? She mocked, and her eyes gleamed from their holes.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: Is your heart of a feather's weight? That it flutters
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: this way and that with every breath of air? What
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: does she mean? Asked Jacobia, as the man flushed and shuddered.
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: And what does she hear in this attire? The dancer
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: turned to her swiftly, What of one who drags his
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: weary limbs beneath the Syrian sun in penitence for a deed?
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: Ye urged him too, she said, in the same tone.
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: Jacobya stepped back with a quick cry, and Tyrie seized
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: the dancer's arm. Begone, he said, threateningly, I know you
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: or who you feign to be. She answered, between laughter
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: and fear, Let me go. I have not hurt you.
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: Why are you angry, my brave knight. At the sound
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: of her voice that she in no way lowered, a
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: monk came forward and sternly ordered her from the church.
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: The dancer laughed, so I am flung out of the
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: house of God. Well, sir and sweet lady, will you
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: come to the mass of the Basilica tomorrow? Nay? Do?
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: It will be worth beholding the Basilica tomorrow. I shall
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: be there. With that, she darted before them and slipped
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: from the church. Man and woman shuddered and knew not why.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: A peal of thunder rolled the walls of the church, shook,
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: and an image of the Virgin was hurled to the
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: marble pavement and shivered into fragments, and of Section twenty
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: eight recording by Molly Craig