Page 233 - Revelation

Svetlana de Rohan-Levashova. Revelation

up my head.
– I would prefer the truth and would like to know what I am truly accused of. My family,
as you know, is very respected and loved in Venice, and it would be better for you, if
your accusations had true grounds.

Caraffa never knew how much strength I needed to look proud! I perfectly
understood that it was highly unlikely that somebody or something could help me. But
I could not allow him to see my fear. Therefore I continued, trying to drive him out of
the calmly-ironical state which apparently was his peculiar defence and which I could
not stand.
– Will you be so kind as to inform me of what I am guilty, or you will leave this
pleasure to your faithful "vassals"?!

– I would not advise you to boil, Madonna Isidora. – Caraffa pronounced calmly.
– As far as I know your beloved Venice knows that you are a Witch, besides, the
strongest one that ever lived. But in fact you never concealed it, did you?
Suddenly I became absolutely calm. Yes, it was true. I never hid my abilities. I
was proud of them, like my mother was. So, will I betray my soul and give up who I am
in front of this mad fanatic?!
– You are right, Your Eminence. I am a Witch. But I am neither from Devil, nor
from God. I am free in my soul, I KNOW... And you will never be able to take it from
me. The only thing you can do is to kill me, but even then I shall be what I am. Only in
that case, you will never see me again.

I inflicted a weak blow at random. I was not sure that it would work. But Caraffa
suddenly went pale, and I understood that I was right. No matter how strong this
unpredictable man hated women, a strange and dangerous feeling toward me, which I
could not define yet, glimmered inside of him. But the main thing was that it existed!
And only that was important now. Later I shall know what it was, if now I succeed in
"catching" Caraffa on this simple woman bait. But I did not know then, how strong the
will of this unusual person was. His confusion disappeared as quickly as it came. The
cold and calm cardinal stood in front of me again.
– It would be an enormous loss for all who appreciates beauty, Madonna. But too
much beauty is dangerous, because it destroys pure souls. And your beauty, I am sure,
will leave nobody indifferent; therefore it will be better, if it simply ceases to exist...

Caraffa left. My hair stood on end. So huge a fear he spiked into my tired lonely
soul, was. I was alone. All people I loved were somewhere on the other side of these
stone walls, and I was not sure at all that I would ever see them again. My beloved
dear child Anna huddled in Florence at the Medici’s and I hoped very much that
Caraffa did not know where she was. My husband, who adored me, was with her on
my request and did not know that I was caught. I did not have the faintest hope. I was
truly alone.
From that ill-fated day the endless trials of the famous "Venetian Witch", in other
words – me, began. But Venice was a truly free city and did not allow the destroying
of its children so easily. The Inquisition was hated by all, and Caraffa had to take that
into consideration. Therefore I was judged by the "supreme tribunal of the Inquisition"
which accused me of all possible vices, most of which I had never even heard of. The

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