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31 - 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 one of Black Magic by Marjorie Bowen. This
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox according is in the public domain. Part two, Chapter nine,
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  Speaker 1: Pope and Empress. The Pope walked in the garden of
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  Speaker 1: the Vatican. Behind him, Cardinal Orsini and Cardinal Colonia both
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  Speaker 1: talked of the horrible state of Rome, of the unending
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  Speaker 1: storm hanging over the capital of the army that had
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  Speaker 1: gone forth three days ago to crush the excommunicated Emperor.
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  Speaker 1: Michael the Second was silent. He wore a white robe,
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  Speaker 1: his soft, heavy red hair showing a brilliant color above it.
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  Speaker 1: His dark eyes were thoughtful, his pale mouth resolutely set.
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  Speaker 1: The cardinals fell further behind and conversed with the greater ease.
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  Speaker 1: Suddenly the Pope paused and stood waiting for Pallo. Orsini,
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  Speaker 1: with a sprig of pink flower at his chin, was
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  Speaker 1: coming across the lad on. Michael the Second tapped his
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  Speaker 1: gold shod foot on the marble path. What is it, Orsini,
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  Speaker 1: Your holiness, A lady who will neither unveil nor give
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  Speaker 1: her name, has obtained entry to the Vatican and desires
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  Speaker 1: to see your holiness. Michael the Second reflected a moment
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  Speaker 1: his slim fingers pulling at the laurel leaves beside him.
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  Speaker 1: We will see her, he said, at length, bring her here, Orsini.
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  Speaker 1: The yellow clouds broke over a brief spell of sunshine
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  Speaker 1: that fell across the Vatican gardens, though the horizon was
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  Speaker 1: dark with a freshly gathering storm. Michael the second seated
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  Speaker 1: himself on a bench where the sun gleamed. Sirs, He said,
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  Speaker 1: to the two cardinals, stand by me and listen to
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  Speaker 1: what this woman may say. And picking a crimson rose
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  Speaker 1: from a thorny bush that brushed the seat, he considered
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  Speaker 1: it curiously, and only took his eyes from it when
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  Speaker 1: Pallo Orsini had turned and led the lady almost to
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  Speaker 1: his feet. Then he looked at her. She wore a
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  Speaker 1: dark rough dress, showing marks of ill usage, and over
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  Speaker 1: her face a thick veil. This she loosened as she knelt,
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  Speaker 1: and revealed the exceedingly fair, sad face of Isabel the Empress.
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  Speaker 1: Michael the Second went swiftly pale. He fixed large eyes
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  Speaker 1: on her. What do you hear defying us? He demanded.
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  Speaker 1: She rose, I am not here in defiance. I have
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  Speaker 1: come to give myself up to punishment for the crime
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  Speaker 1: you denounced the crime for which my lord now suffers.
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  Speaker 1: It did not occur to your holiness, she added, facing
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  Speaker 1: him fearlessly, that I should do this. You thought that
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  Speaker 1: he would never give me up, and you were right.
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  Speaker 1: Crown life heaven. He would forfeit for love of me.
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  Speaker 1: But I will not take the sacrifice. At last, Michael spoke,
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  Speaker 1: Ye slew Malkwar of Brabin. Ye confess it, her bosom, heaved,
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  Speaker 1: I am here to confess it for love of Baltassar.
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  Speaker 1: You did it as for love of him. I stand
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  Speaker 1: here now to take the consequences. The pope cast the
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  Speaker 1: crush rose from him. Has Baltassar sent you here? She
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  Speaker 1: smiled proudly. I come without his knowledge. Her voice trembled
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  Speaker 1: a little. I left a writing telling him where I
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  Speaker 1: had gone and why. Her hand crept to her brow.
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  Speaker 1: Enough of that, Michael the second rose, Why have you
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  Speaker 1: done this? He cried angrily. Isabel answered swiftly that you
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  Speaker 1: may take the curse off him for my sin. You
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  Speaker 1: cast him forth well if I leave him, if I
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  Speaker 1: accept my punishment, if he be free to find the
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  Speaker 1: woman who can claim him, your holiness must absolve him
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  Speaker 1: of the excommunication. Had you told him to his face
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  Speaker 1: of your crime. Would he have given you over to
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  Speaker 1: our wrath? Nay, she flashed, It would have been only
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  Speaker 1: noble in him to refuse. But since of myself I
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  Speaker 1: have come, I pray you, Lord Pope, to send me
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  Speaker 1: to death and take the curse off him. Michael the
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  Speaker 1: second looked at his hand. The stem of the red
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  Speaker 1: rose had scratched his finger, and a tiny drop of
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  Speaker 1: blood showed on the white flesh. You are a wicked woman,
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  Speaker 1: by your own confession, he said, frowning. Why should I
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  Speaker 1: show you any pity. I do not ask pity but
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  Speaker 1: justice for the Emperor. I am the cause of the quarrel,
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  Speaker 1: and now ye have me, ye can have no bitterness
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  Speaker 1: against him. He gave her a quick sidelong Look do
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  Speaker 1: you repent, Isa Beau? She shook the clinging hood free
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  Speaker 1: of her yellow hair. No, the gain was worth the sin.
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  Speaker 1: Nor am I afraid of you nor heaven. I am
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  Speaker 1: not of a faltering race, nor of a name easily
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  Speaker 1: ashamed in my own eyes. I am not abashed. Michael
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  Speaker 1: raised his head, and their eyes met. So you would
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  Speaker 1: die for him. When I was a child, I was
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  Speaker 1: taught that they who live as kings and queens must
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  Speaker 1: not look for age. The flame soon burns away, leaving
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  Speaker 1: the ashes and gorgeous years are like the flame. Why
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  Speaker 1: should we taste the dust that follows. I have lived
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  Speaker 1: my life, he answered. This shall not save Baltassar, nor
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  Speaker 1: take our curse from off him. Tirie of dender Monde
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  Speaker 1: has gone forth with many men and banners, and soon
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  Speaker 1: the Roman gates shall open to him, and victory lead
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  Speaker 1: his charger through the streets, and his reward shall be
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  Speaker 1: the Latin world, his badge of triumph, the imperial crown.
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  Speaker 1: He is our choice to share with us the dominion
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  Speaker 1: of the West. Therefore no more of Baltassar. Ye might
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  Speaker 1: speak until the heavens fell, and still our hearts be
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  Speaker 1: as brass. He turned swiftly and caught the arm of
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  Speaker 1: Cardinal Orsini. Away, my lord, we have given this Greek
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  Speaker 1: time enough. She clutched in her desperation at the priest's
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  Speaker 1: white garments. Show some pity. Baltasar dies beneath your wrath.
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  Speaker 1: Take her away, said Michael. Cast her from Rome. He
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  Speaker 1: glared at her over his shoulder. Doubtless the Eastern she
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  Speaker 1: cat will find it worse so to die than as
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  Speaker 1: Hugh of rousse LREI perished. Come on, my lords, this
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  Speaker 1: your Christian priest. She cried hoarsely, starting after the white figure.
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  Speaker 1: Then as she saw the guards approaching, she fell into
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  Speaker 1: an utter silence. As Michael the second entered the Vatican,
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  Speaker 1: the sun was again obscured and the thunder rolled. He
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  Speaker 1: passed up the silver stairs to his cabinet and closed
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  Speaker 1: the door on all. The storm grew and rioted angrily
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  Speaker 1: in the sky. In the height of it came a
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  Speaker 1: messenger riding straight to the Vatican. Blood and dust were
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  Speaker 1: smeared on his clothes, and he was weary with swift travel.
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  Speaker 1: They brought him to the ebony cabinet and face to
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  Speaker 1: face with the Pope from Tyrie of Dendermonde, Your holiness,
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  Speaker 1: what says he? Victory Baltassar of courtraig Is defeated his army, lies,
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  Speaker 1: dead men and horses in the vale of Tivoli, and
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  Speaker 1: his conqueror marches home. To day a shaft of lightning
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  Speaker 1: showed the ghastly face of Michael the Second and appear
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  Speaker 1: the eel of thunder shook the messenger back against the
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  Speaker 1: wall and of Section thirty one recording by Molly Craig