Page 235 - Revelation

Svetlana de Rohan-Levashova. Revelation

defenceless against evil and pain and that I could not tell her what I had wanted to and
must have told her.

I pitied my wonderful husband for who I knew it would be extremely painful to
loose me. How cold and empty his heart would be! I would never be able even to say
the last "farewell" to him...
Most of all I pitied my father for who I was the sense of his life, his guiding "star"
lighting up his heavy and thorny path. After my mother had gone I became everything
for him that still remained to teach and hope that one fine day I would be the person
into which he tried so persistently to "mould" me.

Here was what I was afraid of. My soul wept thinking of who I loved so much and
who I was about to leave now... But that was not all. I knew that Caraffa would never
let me go for nothing. I knew that he certainly would make me suffer greatly... But I
did not imagine how inhumanly cruel this suffering would be…
– It is the only thing that I cannot grant you, Madonna Isisdora. – The cardinal
answered harshly, forgetting his dulcet high society tone.
– Well, then, let me see my little daughter. – I asked, growing cold inside from an
impossible hope.

– And that we shall certainly organize for you! A little later, I think. – Caraffa
pronounced with unexpected satisfaction, turning something over in his mind.
The news staggered me! It turned out that he had plans regarding my little Anna
too!

I was ready to endure any terrible pain but in no way was I ready even to think
that my family would suffer.
– I have a question for you, Madonna Isidora, and whether you will see your
daughter soon or you will have to forget about how she looks will depend on the way
you answer it. Therefore I advise you to think very hard before answering. – Caraffa’s
gaze became sharp as a steel blade... – I want to know where your grandfather’s
famous library is.
So that was what the mad inquisitor was looking for! As it appeared, he was not
so mad in the end... Yes, he was quite right. My grand-dad’s old library had a wonderful
collection of spiritual and mental wealth! It was one of the oldest and rarest in Europe,
and even was an object of envy of the great Medicis who, as is generally known, were
ready to sell their soul to get a rare book. But why did Caraffa need something like
this?!

– My grand-dad’s library, as you know, was always kept in Florence, but I don’t
know what became of it after his death, Your Eminence, because I have not seen it
since.
It was a child's lie and I understood how naive it sounded... I was just unable to
find another answer so quickly, but I could not allow the rarest works of philosophers,
scientists and poets, the works of great Teachers to get into the dirty claws of the church
or Caraffa. I had no right to let that happen! But having no time to think of anything
better to protect it somehow, I fired the first thing that came to my strained mind in that
moment. Caraffa’s requirement was so unexpected that I needed time to think how to

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