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"Pretend, and grow strong with each pretense," he whispered inand love, without the luxury of coe all "

Chapter 13

13

IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS, I learned orously, and paid attention even to the governht basically as tiresoreat Christian scholars, co my time with Abelard, Duns Scotus and other thinkers whom Marius prized

Marius also found for me a heap of Russian literature so that for the first ti what I had only known fros of my uncles and my Father in the past At first I deemed this too painful for a serious inquiry, but Marius laid down the law and wisely The inherent value of the subject reater knowledge and understanding was the result

All of these docue ofthis with extraordinary ease The Lay of lgor's Cas, translated from the Greek, of St John Chrysosto Soloin into Hell, works which were not part of the approved New Testament but which were very evocative of the Russian soul I read also our great chronicle, The Tale of-Bygone Years I read also Orison on the Downfall of Russia and the Tale of the Destruction of Riasan

This exercise, the reading of side the other learning which I acquired In sum, it lifted them from the realm of personal dreams

Gradually, I saw the wisdom of this I made my reports to Marius with more enthusiasm I asked for more of thethe Narrative of the Pious Prince Dove and The Heroic Deeds of Mercurius of Sard the works in Church Slavonic to be a pure pleasure, and I kept theht pour over the old tales and even s

I sang these sometimes to the other apprentices when they went to sleep They thought the language very exotic, and sometimes the pure music and my sad inflection could make them cry

Riccardo and I, ain He never asked why I was now a creature of night like the Master I never sounded the depths of his mind Of course I would do it if I had to for my safety and for Marius's safety, but I used loss him in another way, and I always found hi and loyal

Once I asked Marius what Riccardo thought of us

"Riccardo owesI do," Marius answered, but without any haughtiness or pride

"Then he is far better bred than I am, isn't he? For I owe you the sa you say "

"You're a sued little imp, yes," Marius conceded with a same froht and day Riccardo detested his Father, which you never have Riccardo was eight years old when I bought hiold necklace He'd seen the worst of men whom children don't move to natural pity You sahat men will do with the flesh of children for pleasure It's not as bad Riccardo, unable to believe that a tender little one coulduntil I wrapped hi, and told him in terms on which he could count that he was my prince

"But to answer you more in the way you ask the question, Riccardo thinks that I aician, and that with you I've chosen to share my spells He knows that you were on death's door when I bestowed on you my secrets, and that I do not tease hiard it rather as so of dire consequence He doesn't seek after our knowledge And will defend us with his life "