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29 - 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 twenty nine of Black Magic by Marjorie Bowen. This
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Part two, chapter seven,
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  Speaker 1: The Vengeance of Michael the Second. From every church and
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  Speaker 1: convent in Rome, the bells rang out. It was the
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  Speaker 1: feast of the Assumption and holiday in the city. Strange
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  Speaker 1: heavy clouds still obscured the sky, and intermittent thunder echoed
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  Speaker 1: in the distance. The Basilica of Saint Peter was crowded
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  Speaker 1: from end to end. The vast congregation all knelt upon
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  Speaker 1: the marble floor, save the Emperor and his wife, who
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  Speaker 1: sat under a violet canopy placed opposite the pulpit. Between them,
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  Speaker 1: on a lower step of the dais, stood their little son,
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  Speaker 1: gleaming in white satin and overawed by the glitter and
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  Speaker 1: the silence. Surrounding the throne were ladies, courtiers, Frankish knights,
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  Speaker 1: members of the Council, German margraves, Italian nobles, envoice from France, Spain,
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  Speaker 1: and resplendent Greeks from the court of basil Tyri. Kneeling
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  Speaker 1: in the press distinguished the calm face of Jacobia of Martsburg.
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  Speaker 1: Among the dames of the Empress's retinue but he sought
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  Speaker 1: in vain through the immense and varied crowd for the
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  Speaker 1: dancer in orange. A faint chant rose from the sacristy.
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  Speaker 1: Jeweled crosses showed above the heads of the multitude as
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  Speaker 1: the monks entered, holding them aloft. The fresh voices of
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  Speaker 1: the choristers came nearer. Acolytes took their places round the altar,
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  Speaker 1: and the blue clouds of incense floated over the hushed multitude.
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  Speaker 1: The bells ceased, the rise and fall of singing filled
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  Speaker 1: the basilica. Cardinal Orsini, followed by a number of priests,
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  Speaker 1: went slowly down the aisle towards the open bronze doors.
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  Speaker 1: His brilliant Dalmatica shivered into gleaming light. As he moved.
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  Speaker 1: At the doors, he paused. The pontifical train was arriving
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  Speaker 1: in a gorgeous dazzle of color and motion. Michael the
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  Speaker 1: Second stepped from a gilt car drawn by four white oxen,
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  Speaker 1: whose polished horns were wreathed with roses white and red,
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  Speaker 1: preceded by cardinals, the vivid tints of whose silk robes
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  Speaker 1: burnt in the golden, brightnace of the basilica. The pope
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  Speaker 1: passed down the aisle, while the congregation crouched low on
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  Speaker 1: their knees and hid their faces. Emperor and Empress rose.
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  Speaker 1: He looked at his son, but she at the Pontiff,
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  Speaker 1: who took no heed of either. Monks, priests and novices
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  Speaker 1: moved away from the high altar, where the rows upon
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  Speaker 1: rows of candles shone like stars against the sparkling, incense
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  Speaker 1: laden air. He passed to his gold and ivory seat,
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  Speaker 1: and the cardals took their places beside him. The Empress
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  Speaker 1: put her hand over her eyes. Her jewels seemed so
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  Speaker 1: heavy they must drag her from the throne. The crown
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  Speaker 1: galled at her brow. The little wenceless stood motionless, a
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  Speaker 1: bright color in his cheeks, his eyes brilliant with excitement.
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  Speaker 1: Now and then the Emperor looked at him in a secretive,
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  Speaker 1: piteous manner. There was an involuntary stir among the people
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  Speaker 1: as the rich voices of the men took up the
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  Speaker 1: singing at the end of the epistle, a movement of joy,
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  Speaker 1: of pleasure in the triumphant music. Then the Pope moved,
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  Speaker 1: descended slowly from the dais and mounted the steps of
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  Speaker 1: the high altar, his train upheld by two archbishops, Emperor
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  Speaker 1: and Empress knelt with the rest as he performed the
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  Speaker 1: office of the Mass, and intense stillness held the rapt assembly.
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  Speaker 1: But as he turned and displayed the host before the
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  Speaker 1: vast multitude, who hid their eyes as he held it
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  Speaker 1: like a captured star above the hushed splendor of the altar,
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  Speaker 1: a crash of thunder shook the very foundations of the church,
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  Speaker 1: and the walls shivered as if mighty forces beat on them.
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  Speaker 1: Without Michael the Second, the only man erect in the
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  Speaker 1: crouching multitude, smiled slowly as he replaced the Eucharist. Lightning
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  Speaker 1: darted through the high colored windows and quivered a moment
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  Speaker 1: before it was absorbed in the rich lights. Down the
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  Speaker 1: chancel came a tall monk in the robe of the
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  Speaker 1: Order of the Black Penitence. His arms were folded, his
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  Speaker 1: hands hidden in his sleeves. His deep cowl cast his
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  Speaker 1: face into utter shadow, I thought, Cardinal Colonna, preached, whispered
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  Speaker 1: Baltasar fearfully. As the monk ascended the pulpit, I know
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  Speaker 1: not this man. The monk drew from his sleeve a
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  Speaker 1: parchment from which swung a mighty seal. Slow he unfurled it.
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  Speaker 1: The Empress crouched closer to Baltassar. The monk began to speak,
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  Speaker 1: and both to Isabe and her husband. The voice was familiar,
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  Speaker 1: a voice that had been long silent in death. In
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  Speaker 1: the name of Michael, the second servant of servants of
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  Speaker 1: God and vicenant of Christ, I herewith pronounce the anathema
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  Speaker 1: over Baltassar of courtreg Emperor of the West, over isobe
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  Speaker 1: born Morosia, porpharogenesis, over their son wenceless, over their followers, servants,
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  Speaker 1: and hosts. I herewith expelled them from the pale of
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  Speaker 1: Holy Church and curse them as heretics. I forbid any
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  Speaker 1: to offer them shelter, food, or help. I hurl on
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  Speaker 1: their heads the wrath of God and the hatred of Man.
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  Speaker 1: I forbid any to attend their sick bed, to receive
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  Speaker 1: their care confession, or to bury their bodies. I cut
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  Speaker 1: asunder the ties that bind the Latin people in obedience
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  Speaker 1: to them, and I lay under and interdict any person, village, town,
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  Speaker 1: or state that suckers or aids them against our wrath.
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  Speaker 1: May they and their children and their children's children be
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  Speaker 1: blighted and cursed in life and in death. May they
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  Speaker 1: taste misery and desolation on the earth before they go
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  Speaker 1: to everlasting torment in hell. And now the cowled monk
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  Speaker 1: caught up one of the candles that lit the pulpit
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  Speaker 1: and held it aloft. May their race perish with them
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  Speaker 1: and their memories be swallowed in oblivion. Thus, as I
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  Speaker 1: extinguished this flame, may the hand of God extinguish them.
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  Speaker 1: He cast the candle on to the marble floor beneath
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  Speaker 1: the pulpit. The flame was immediately dashed out. A slow
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  Speaker 1: smoke curled an instant and vanished for about as of
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  Speaker 1: courtraig cherises a murderess on the throne, and until he
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  Speaker 1: cast her forth and received his true wife, this anathema
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  Speaker 1: rests upon his head. Emperor and Empress listened, holding each
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  Speaker 1: other's hands and staring at the monk as he ended,
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  Speaker 1: And while the awe of utter fear held the assembly,
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  Speaker 1: numb i Isabeau rose. But at that same instant the
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  Speaker 1: monk tossed back his cowl and revealed the stern, pale
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  Speaker 1: features of Melchwar of Braban, crowned with the imperial diadem.
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  Speaker 1: A frenzied shriek broke from the woman and she fell
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  Speaker 1: across the steps of the throne. Her crown slipped from
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  Speaker 1: her fair head and dazzled up on the pavement, Groaning
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  Speaker 1: in anguish. Baltasar stood to raise her up. When he
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  Speaker 1: again looked at the pulpit, it was empty. Isabeau's cry
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  Speaker 1: had loosened the souls of the multitude. They rose to
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  Speaker 1: their feet and began to surge wildly towards the door.
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  Speaker 1: But the pontiff rose approached the altar and began calmly
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  Speaker 1: to chant the Gratius. Baltassar gave him a wild and
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  Speaker 1: desperate look, staggered and fiercely recovered himself, then took his
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  Speaker 1: child by the hand, and, supporting with the other the Empress,
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  Speaker 1: who struggled back to life, he swept down the aisle,
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  Speaker 1: followed by a few of his German knights. The people
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  Speaker 1: shuddered away to right and left to give him passage.
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  Speaker 1: The bronze doors were opened, and the excommunicated man stepped
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  Speaker 1: into the thunder wrapped streets of the city, where he
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  Speaker 1: no longer reigned. And of section twenty nine recording by
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  Speaker 1: Molly Craig