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“But these werepower The Medici were losing their grip

“And so this sentence was decreed on the luckless Lionello, whom I knew, you understand, knew and loved as I did Giovanni, my teacher, knew and loved as I do my son’s friend Vitale, who sits with us here”

He paused as if he had no taste to go on No one spoke And only then did I realize that the ghost was quiet The ghost was nota sound

I didn’t knohether anyone else realized it, because ere all looking at Signore Antonio

“What was this sentence?” asked Fr Piero

The silence continued Nowhere in the building did anything rattle or shatter, or break

I wasn’t going to draw anyone’s attention to this I listened instead

“It was decreed,” said Signore Antonio, “that Lionello should be taken first to the corner of the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova, at San Nofri, to an ie he had supposedly defaced, and there have his hand chopped off, which in fact took place”

Vitale’s face was rigid but his lips hite Niccolò was plainly horrified

“Froed by the mob to a painted Pietà at Santa Maria in Ca hand was chopped off And then it was the intention of the populace to drag hiressions, the Madonna at Or San Michele, and there to have his eyes put out But theby this time, did not wait for this last act of aborabbed hi him and mutilated him on the spot”

The two priests were downcast Fr Piero shook his head “May the Lord have ether worse than the mobs of Rome”

“Are they?” asked Signore Antonio “The young man, with stu to life for a few days And in my house!”

Niccolò lowered his eyes and shook his head

“And I knelt beside hinore Antonio, “and it was after that, after the beautiful young man who had been Lionello was laid to rest, that I insisted Giovanni come to Rome with me

“Savonarola appeared unstoppable The Jeould soon be driven froether And I had my abundant property here, and my connections at the court of the Pope ould never stand for such barbarity in the Holy City, or so we hoped and prayed So my Maestro Giovanni, shaken, shocked, barely able to speak or think or take a taste of water, cae here”

“And it was to this ave this house?”