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Later, at night around a fire, I muse to myself that I killed the two men and the woe that their deaths were certain did not affect le word that was exchanged between us was different It makes me wonder whose future I&039;m from

Dante sits across from me, wrapped in the swords?man&039;s finery He has washed out Pino&039;s blood My new friend is busy gloating over a rabbit I caught for hirowing rease crackles in the flaers and his dark eyes shine with joy He has beenprayers to himself since I saved hiht of heaven follows our steps There can be no other way of explaining how a helpless h "Dante, please don&039;t callyou are"

He is instantly apologetic "I race of God You are his instrument in this world, I know that in my heart" He adjusts the rabbit in the fire and licks his cracked lips "We can eat soon"

"You can have it all," I say "I have already eaten today"

He is offended "If you will not feed with ht that I should keep taking froive me--information I have never been in Sicily before Tell htens "It is a beautiful land, my lady, filled with sweet orchards and tall trees that cover the hills You stay around Messina and wander not too far from the well-traveled roads, and you will have a pleasant visit"

"If I had not been far off the well-traveled roads this evening, I would not have been there to rescue you But I am curious why you say I should stay close to Messina Surely the Moslems have not landed on Sicily&039;s southern shores?"

His face darkens "But they have, my lady A force of them is camped on the beaches in the southwest Have you not heard?"

"No I heard that the Duke of Terra di Labur is strong in the south, with hts"

Dante treoes by it He has turned against the Christian God, and has hts It is by his power and with his protection that the heathens have ed to land their forces on Sicily"

I as deep inside Yet the future beco hour I know it exists, I know I ae Yet this does not worry me It seems entirely natural that I should be one hundred percent in the presentrabbit, and his stories of the evil duke But I have spoiled Dante&039;s appetite by asking about the latter Dante staresat a picture of hell He scratches at his lepered ar him pain Yet I know I must ask all about the political details

"What does the duke call himself now?" I ask

Dante shakes his head "It is better not to repeat it in the night lest he hear us talking of hiht is his cloak, and shadows flow around hiain "Come on, he can&039;t be that bad I must know his name"

Dante is adamant "I am sorry, ood coood if you do not answer me What is the Duke&039;s name now?"

Dante speaks in a whisper "Landulf of Capua"

I have heard the nas in my ears with less potency and more harmless connotations Myth surrounds the title, not reonies Yet I know Landulf is the one I have come for--from the stars, for the stars--even if the flahttime sky I do not want to focus on future facts--it is another choice I ued than scared Capua is tied to Landulf s nainally from there

"I know this name," I say "Even in Italy, the farmers in the countryside speak of hiical acts" I pause "Dante, why are you crying?"

He is really devastated "It is nothing, my lady Let us talk of another person" He pokes at the rabbit with another stick he has found "Or we can just eat, you can have so day"

There is so in his tone that catches my attention "Do you personally know this Landulf of Capua?" I ask

He stiffens "No"

"You htened of him"

He rubs at his leper arm Actually, the disease has spread so far, he has only a stu is also little more than a stump; he walks with the aid of a wooden brace I found not far fro up His sores are open and fluid oozes froy But now his strength is in a ind of constant

"I cannot talk about his "Please do not force me to say his name"

"Dante," I say "Look at me"

He raises his head "My lady?"

"Stare deep intohis will to mine "You need not be afraid to speak of this duke He cannot harin to dry "He cannot harm me," he whispers

"That is true," I say "Now tell me about him, how you caain He has forgotten the rabbit He is half in a trance, half in a dreahth I have cal and ariven to him by the duke, but that I find hard to believe

Yet I do believe it I know it

What do I know? The stars are far away

Dante&039;s face holds my attention

"My duke was not merely a duke, but an archbish?op and a special friend of the Holy Father," Dante says, in a clearer voice than usual "It was to Roe of ten to serve as his personal attendant and to sing in the Vatican choir The Holy Father said my voice was a sacraed castrati and sacri?ficeas I was allowed to stay close to my duke For five years I was at peace within the holy walls, and I thought of nothing but h he is partly hypno?tized, his pain coh "Then, it happened, one terrible day, that my duke was falsely accused"

"What was he accused of?"

Dante hesitates "I thought it was a lie"

"Did the pope accuse him?"

"Yes The Holy Father himself"

"Of what?" I repeat

Dante pauses before he answers "Of invoking the spirit of Satan"

I do not believe in such nonsense, nevertheless, his words are chilling "Was he cast out?" I ask

Dante coughs The sony of re suffo?cates him, too "There was a trial," he says "The cardinals and the Holy Father were present Accusa?tions were made, then witnesses were called--I had never seen these people before Each one came forth and stated how my beloved duke had poisoned their minds with demonic spirits Even I was called to denounce him The Holy Father made me swear to tell the truth and then--in the same breath--told me to tell lies" A tear rolls over Dante&039;s ruined face "I did not knohat to say But I had never seen my duke commit any of these sins I was afraid but I knew in my heart I could not lie" A hysterical note enters his voice "Jesus never lied, even when he stood before his accusers"

"Be calo None of it can hurt you now Just tell me what happened"

He relaxes some, but shifts closer to the fire, as if chilled

"The pope grew angry at ue with Satan and my duke I was chained to my seat and more witnesses were called, ainstthe us I did not knohat to do!"

"Peace, Dante, peace Continue"

Dante ss thickly before continuing On top of everything else, he see A frorinkles his features and he blinks, trying to remember where he is, or where he has been Yet his voice remains clear

"We were led away, my duke and I, and thrown into a stone cell where criether in that stinking place My fear was great--I kneere about to be killed Butcould harm us, that the Holy Father would be forced to release us"

"Were you released?" I ask My knowledge of the inner workings of the Vatican is extensive No one accused by the pope of consorting with Satan ever survives Such mercy would set a poor precedent Yet Dante nods in response tothe jailer came and opened our door There stood the Holy Father He said the judgo, but to be banned from the city of Rome My duke&039;s titles and properties were not confiscated, and I was a before ere led away, and then he stared into the pope&039;s eyes, and far the first time I saw the Holy Father afraid" Dante pauses "I was afraid as well"

"Of your duke?"

"Yes"