anner.vittoriothevampire-第44章

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　〃You　do？〃　asked　the　priest；　turning　to　the　little　old　man。　〃You　know　the　answer？〃
　〃Of　course；　I　do；〃　said　his　father。　He　dealt　out　another　card。　〃What　separates　them　now　from　a　good　Confession　is　weakness　and　the　fear　of　Hell　if　they　must　give　up　their　lives。〃　The　priest　stared　at　his　father　in　amazement。　So　did　I。
　Ursula　said　nothing。　Then　she　kissed　me　on　the　cheek。　〃Let's　leave　them　now；〃　she　whispered。　〃There　is　no　more　Santa　Maddalana。　Let's　go。〃
　I　looked　up；　around　the　darkened　room　of　the　Inn。　I　looked　at　the　old　barrels。　I　looked　in　haunted　perplexity　and　appalling　sorrow　at　all　things　that　humans　used　and　touched。　I　looked　at　the　heavy　hands　of　the　priest；　folded　on　the　table　before　me。　I　looked　at　the　hair　on　his　hands；　and　then　up　at　his　thick　lips　and　his　large　watering　and　sorrowful　eyes。
　〃Will　you　accept　this　from　me？〃　I　whispered。　〃This　secret；　of　angels？　That　I　saw　them！　I！　And　you；　you　see　what　I　am；　and　you　know　therefore　that　I　know　whereof　I　speak。　I　saw　their　wings；　I　saw　their　halos；　I　saw　their　white　faces；　and　I　saw　the　sword　of　Mastema　the　powerful；　and　it　was　they　who　helped　me　sack　the　castle　and　lay　waste　to　all　the　demons　save　for　this　one；　this　child　bride；　who　is　mine。〃
　〃Child　bride；〃　she　whispered。　It　filled　her　with　delight。　She　looked　at　me；　musingly；　and　hummed　a　soft；　old…fashioned　air；　one　of　those　threads　of　songs　from　her　times。
　She　spoke　to　me　in　an　urgent　persuasive　whisper；　squeezing　my　arm　as　she　did：
　〃e；　Vittorio；　leave　these　men　in　peace；　and　e　with　me；　and　I'll　tell　you　how　indeed　I　was　a　child　bride。〃　She　looked　at　the　priest　with　renewed　animation。　〃I　was；　you　know。　They　came　to　my　father's　castle　and　purchased　me　as　such；　they　said　that　I　must　be　a　virgin；　and　the　midwives　came　and　brought　their　basin　of　warm　water；　and　they　examined　me　and　they　said　I　was　a　virgin；　and　only　then　did　Florian　take　me。　I　was　his　bride。〃
　The　priest　stared　fixedly　at　her；　as　if　he　could　not　move　if　he　wanted　to　move；　and　the　old　man　merely　glanced　up　again　and　again；　cheerfully；　nodding　as　he　listened　to　her；　and　went　on　playing　with　his　cards。
　〃Can　you　imagine　my　horror？〃　she　asked　them。　She　looked　at　me；　tossing　her　hair　back　over　her　shoulder。　It　was　in　its　ripples　again　from　the　plaits　in　which　she'd　had　it　bound　earlier。　〃Can　you　imagine　when　I　climbed　onto　the　couch　and　I　saw　who　was　my　bridegroom；　this　white　thing；　this　dead　thing；　such　as　we　look　to　you？〃
　The　priest　made　no　answer。　His　eyes　filled　slowly　with　tears。　Tears！
　It　seemed　a　lovely　human　spectacle；　bloodless；　crystalline；　and　such　an　adornment　for　his　old　soft　face；　with　its　jowls　and　fleshy　mouth。
　〃And　then　to　be　taken　to　a　ruined　chapel；〃　she　said；　〃a　ruined　place；　full　of　spiders　and　vermin；　and　there　before　a　desecrated　altar；　to　be　stripped　and　laid　down　and　taken　by　him　and　made　his　bride。〃
　She　let　go　of　my　arm；　her　arms　forming　a　loose　embracing　gesture。　〃Oh；　I　had　a　veil；　a　great　long　beautiful　veil；　and　a　dress　of　such　fine　flowered　silk；　and　all　this　he　tore　from　me；　and　took　me　first　with　his　lifeless；　seedless　stone…hard　organ　and　then　with　his　fang　teeth；　like　these　very　teeth　which　I　have　now。　Oh；　such　a　wedding；　and　my　father　had　given　me　over　for　this。〃　The　tears　coursed　down　the　priest's　cheeks。
　I　stared　at　her；　transfixed　with　sorrow　and　rage；　rage　against　a　demon　I　had　already　slaughtered；　a　rage　that　I　hoped　could　reach　down　through　the　smoldering　coals　of　Hell　and　find　him　with　fingers　like　hot　tongs。　I　said　nothing。　She　raised　her　eyebrow；　she　cocked　her　head。
　〃He　tired　of　me；〃　she　said。　〃But　he　never　stopped　loving　me。　He　was　new　to　the　Court　of　the　Ruby　Grail；　a　young　Lord　and　seeking　at　every　turn　to　increase　his　might　and　his　romance！　And　later；　when　I　asked　for　Vittorio's　life；　he　couldn't　refuse　me　on　account　of　our　vows　exchanged　on　that　stone　altar　so　long　ago。　After　he　let　Vittorio　leave　us；　after　he　had　him　cast　down　in　Florence；　certain　of　Vittorio's　madness　and　ruin；　Florian　sang　songs　to　me；　songs　for　a　bride。　He　sang　the　old　poems　as　though　our　love　could　be　revived。〃
　I　covered　my　brow　with　my　right　hand。　I　couldn't　bear　to　weep　the　blood　tears　that　flow　from　us。　I　couldn't　bear　to　see　before　me；　as　if　painted　by　Fra　Filippo；　the　very　romance　she　described。　It　was　the　priest　who　spoke。
　〃You　are　children；〃　he　said。　His　lip　trembled。　〃Mere　children。〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　said　in　her　exquisite　voice；　with　certainty　and　a　small　accepting　smile。　She　clasped　my　left　hand　in　hers　and　rubbed　it　hard　and　tenderly。　〃Children　forever。　But　he　was　only　a　young　man；　Florian；　just　a　young　man　himself。〃
　〃I　saw　him　once；〃　said　the　priest；　his　voice　thick　with　his　crying　but　soft。　〃Only　once。〃
　〃And　you　knew？〃　I　asked。
　〃I　knew　I　was　powerless　and　my　faith　was　desperate；　and　that　around　me　were　bonds　that　I　could　not　loose　or　break。〃
　〃Let's　go　now；　Vittorio；　don't　make　him　cry　anymore；〃　said　Ursula。　〃e　on；　Vittorio。　Let's　leave　here。　We　need　no　blood　tonight　and　cannot　think　of　harming　them；　cannot　even。。。〃
　〃No；　beloved；　never；〃　I　said　to　her。　〃But　take　my　gift；　Father；　please；　the　only　clean　thing　which　I　can　give；　my　testimony　that　I　saw　the　angels；　and　that　they　upheld　me　when　I　was　weak。〃
　〃And　won't　you　take　absolution　from　me；　Vittorio！〃　he　said。　His　voice　rose；　and　his　chest　seemed　to　increase　in　size。　〃Vittorio　and　Ursula；　take　my　absolution。〃
　〃No；　Father；〃　I　said。　〃We　cannot　take　it。　We　don't　want　it。〃
　〃But　why？〃
　〃Because；　Father；〃　said　Ursula　kindly；　〃we　plan　to　sin　again　as　soon　as　we　possibly　can。〃
　
　
　14
　THROUGH　A　GLASS　DARKLY
　
　SHE　didn't　lie。
　We　journeyed　that　night　to　my　father's　house。　It　was　nothing　for　us　to　make　that　journey；　but　it　was　many　miles　for　a　mortal；　and　word　had　not　reached　that　forlorn　farmland　that　the　threat　of　the　night　demons；　the　vampires　of　Florian；　was　gone。　Indeed；　it　is　most　likely　that　my　farms　were　still　deserted　because　ghastly　tales　were　given　out　by　those　who　had　fled　Santa　Maddalana；　traveling　over　hill　and　valley；　mouth　to　mouth。　It　didn't　take　me　long　to　realize；　however；　that　the　great　castle　of　my　family　was　occupied。　A　horde　of　soldiers　and　clerks　had　been　hard　at　work。　As　we　crept　over　the　giant　wall　after　midnight；　we　found　that　all　the　dead　of　my　family　had　been　properly　buried；　or　placed　in　their　proper　stone　coffins　beneath　the　chapel；　and　that　the　goods　of　the　household；　all　of　its　abundant　wealth；　had　been　taken　away。　Only　a　few　wagons　remained　of　those　which　must　have　already　started　their　progress　south。　The　few　who　slept　in　the　offices　of　my　father's　steward　were　keepers　of　the　accounts　of　the　Medici　bank；　and　on　tiptoe；　in　the　dim　light　of　a　star…studded　sky；　I　inspected　the　few　papers　they　had　left　out　to　dry。
　All　of　the　inheritance　of　Vittorio　di　Raniari　had　been　collected　and　catalogued；　and　was　being　taken　on　to　Florence　for　him；　to　be　placed　in　safety　with　Cosimo　until　such　time　as　Vittorio　di　Raniari　was　twenty…four　years　of　age　and　could　thereby　assume　responsibility　for　himself　as　a　man。
　Only　a　few　soldiers　slept　in　the　barracks。　Only　a　few　horses　were　quartered　in　the　stables。　Only　a　few　squires　and　attendants　slept　in　proximity　to　their　Lords。
　Obviously　the　great　castle；　being　of　no　strategic　use　to　Milanese　or　German　or　French　or　Papal　authority；　or　to　Florence；　was　not　being　restored　or　repaired；　merely　shut　down。
　Well　before　dawn；　we　left　my　home；　but　before　going；　I　took　leave　of　my　father's　grave。
　I　knew　that　I　would　e　back。　I　knew　that　soon　the　trees　would　climb　the　mountain　to　the　walls。　I　knew　that　the　grass　would　grow　high　through　the　crevices　and　cracks　of　the　cobblestones。　I　knew　that　things　human　would　lose　all　love　of　this　place；　as　they　had　lost　their　love　of　so　many　ruins　in　the　country　round。　I　would　return　then。　I　would　e　back。
　That　night；　Ursula　and　I　hunted　the　vicinity　for　the　few　brigands　we　could　find　in　the　woods；　laughing　gaily　when　we　caught　them　and　dragged　them　from　their　horses。　It　was　a　riotous　old　feast。
　〃And　where　now；　my　Lord？〃　my　bride　asked　me　towards　morning。　We　had　again　found　a　cave　for　shelter；　a　deep　and　hidden　place；　full　of　thorny　vines　that　barely　scratched　our　resilient　skin；　behind　a　veil　of　wild　bl