Page 363 - Revelation

Svetlana de Rohan-Levashova. Revelation

her fate... and I could help her in nothing. I could not interfere.

– Well, Isidora, I think you will regret it terribly. You’re a bad mother. And I was
right regarding women. They all are the devil’s brood, including my poor mother.
– I beg your pardon, Your Holiness, but if your mother is of the devil’s brood, then
who are you, being the flesh of her flesh? – I asked, being sincerely surprised with his
crazy deductions.

– Oh, Isidora, I have already exterminated it in myself a long time ago! Only on
seeing you, I again felt something toward a woman. But I see now that I was wrong!
You’re like the rest! You’re terrible! I hate you and all like you!
Caraffa looked mad... I feared that our end could be much worse than had been
planned in the beginning. Suddenly the Pope abruptly jumped toward me and yelled:
– Yes or no?! I ask you for the last time, Isidora!

How could I answer this crazy man? Everything has been already said. So I said
nothing, ignoring his question.
– I give you one week, Madonna. I hope that you will be reasonable in the end
and pity Anna… and yourself... – He grasped my daughter’s arm and jumped out of the
room.

Only now did I remember that I needed to breathe... The Pope’s behaviour
astonished me so much that I could not come to my senses and waited for the door to
open again. Anna offended him to death and I was sure that after he recovered from
the fit of anger, he would recall it and take immediate measures. My poor girl! Her
fragile and pure life hung by a thread which Caraffa’s capricious will could easily
break...
I tried to think of nothing for some time to give a short break to my fevered brain.
It seemed that not only Caraffa but the whole world I knew went mad... including my
brave daughter. Well, our lives were prolonged for a week... Could we possibly change
anything? Anyway there was no more or less worthy idea in my tired and empty head
for the moment. I was unable to feel anything. I was unable even to be afraid. I think
that people going to their death felt just like this.
Could I really change anything in seven short days, if I had not succeeded in
finding the "key" to Caraffa for four long years? Nobody in my family ever believed in
a fluke... Therefore it would be childish to hope that something would unexpectedly
bring salvation. I knew that nobody would help us. Father could not help, if he offered
Anna to take her spirit in case we fail... Meteora said no too... We were alone and must
rely only on ourselves. Therefore we must think, trying not to lose hope to the very last
moment, which in this sutuation was beyond me...

The air in the room began to thicken. Sever appeared. I only smiled at him, feeling
neither excitement nor joy, because I knew that he did not come to help.
– I greet you, Sever! What brought you over again? – I calmly asked.

He looked at me with surprise, as if he did not understand my calmness. Probably
he did not know that there was a limit for human suffering which is very difficult to
reach... But if one succeeds, the most terrible things become absolutely insignificant,
because there is no strength left even to be afraid...

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