Page 514 - Revelation
P. 514
Svetlana de Rohan-Levashova. Revelation
Nicolai Levashov January 13, 2011
P.S. Svetlana and I also spoke about her last chapter of the first volume of
Revelation where she was going to finish Isidora’s story. Unfortunately, Svetlana could
not write it down, but I shall convey the final lines about the fate of this outstanding
woman in my own words. I ask you not to judge me too severely, I cannot write like
Svetlana:
… The day of Isidora’s execution came. Caraffa did not give the order to torture
her, because he was afraid of losing all his obedient butchers. Besides, he needed to
get Isidora to give him the secret of physical immortality, and broken bones and a
disfigured body would not be helpful in this matter, especially taking into account
Madonna’s character. Caraffa understood that if he was not able to break her by
torturing and killing all her family, there was no sense in torturing Isidora herself. He
was no fool and thought that only the threat of death could force her to fulfill his
demand. He, like many others, measured all by his own yardstick – it is one thing to
watch others die and quite another to burn in the fire of the Inquisition himself...
The day was sunny. The sunrays tenderly touched Isidora’s face, whispering to
her: "... you should not be afraid of us". Birds twittered, passing the sad news of the
forthcoming execution to each other; the grass whispered to all about it too. A puff of
breeze touched Isidora’s wonderful hair, blowing her locks about creating an
impression that they were alive and shone from within. Isidora looked incredibly
beautiful in the sunrays. It seemed that she was filled with light.
She was carried to the place of her execution in an open wagon. Many gapers
gathered on the square, but there were none among those, that came to watch how an
"allforgiving" church would burn a person in the name of God, who would throw a
stone, rotten vegetables, or fruit at Isidora. Her beautiful face and her luminiferous
appearance at once extinguished any desire to bait a woman sentenced to burn alive
in any fancier of similar "entertainments".
Caraffa watched the preparations. The hope that in the last moment Isidora would
surrender and reveal the secret of eternal life still glimmered in his devilish mind.
Meanwhile Isidora was tied to the post, and everything was ready for the execution. The
executioners waited for his signal to begin. The crowd behaved very strangely. There
were no screams and mockery which so often accompanied similar spectacles. Complete
silence reigned over the square. Even being tied to the post, Isidora remained majestic
and beautiful. There was no fear in her eyes, only universal sadness.
Her whole mien, her proudly lifted head could not leave anybody indifferent. Shy
screams were heard at first: "Mercy on her! What is her guilt?!" And soon the crowd
exploded with screams, demanding the execution be cancelled. Caraffa waited for
exactly this moment to undertake the last attempt to get his desire – the secret of
immortality.
He came to Isidora and said in a low voice:
– See, Madonna, even the crowd does not wish to see you seized with flame... Let
us make all of them happy, Madonna. The crowd will be happy about saving you from
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