Rome & quot;Nos Chants Perdus & quot; 17.05.2015
"There's a wonderful view from the hill…
With that, the man at the top gave the woman his hand and helped her up. Thickening clouds gently drove away the summer evening heat with a small cool rain. A richly flowered path led the two to a small lawn at the top of the hill. From there he could see the whole city with its towers, city gates, and numerous houses of the inhabitants, who were hurrying to finish their chores before dark.
"Why did you bring me here when I still have a lot to do in the city?" the woman asked.
- Please, wait a bit, you will like it, I assure you - on the lips of the shepherd appeared a slight smile.
The woman scolded herself - why did she go with him, because rumors of his abnormality reached even the unsociable artist. Behind his back, some said that he was connected with a mysterious clan of assassins, others that he had gone mad and fancied himself a descendant of heretic Cathars, and others that he wore the seal of a pagan sect on his shoulder. But no doubt he was an outcast from society and had lost his job a few months ago when he publicly called the Holy Father a liar. Since then, too many of the dignitaries had wanted him dead, and he had been prudent not to appear in public. She had long distinguished him from the crowd by his intelligent and dangerous eyes and handsome, proud face. And now something both dangerous and beautiful was in the air. The artist looked into his eyes, trying to see the answer to her question , but the pupils were black and only the faint lights of the evening city were reflected in them.
Meanwhile, the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon and night sounds touched the ear. The shepherd and the artist stood, breathed in the fragrance of the night and waited for something known only to him.
"You must remember what you saw today and put it on paper afterward. You don't need to worry or be afraid of me. But your fear is a necessary substance in the alchemical reaction. Just watch and remember. The shepherd should be a shepherd, artist, artist, killer - killer. You are always just what you are. Your true nature will blossom only after you accept your essence. The infinite universe of the inner world is the reward for seeming outer solitude.
At the same moment, the city was covered by a wave of fire. Several powder barrels, hidden in various parts of the city, shot out in a single instant a fountain of explosions. The fire spread instantly, engulfing every second more of its victims. The sky above the city also glowed with all shades of murderous red. Torrential rain fell at the same time as the first explosion occurred, but the downpour seemed only to spread the fire, not to extinguish it. Even the stone burned treacherously at that moment.
The artist was paralyzed by what she saw. She wanted to cry, to run away, at least not to look at the people dying in the infernal flames, wanted to cover her ears, nose and eyes, but her body refused to obey. She watched as the people tried to open the city gates in a panic, but they were jammed with a blade that had already been pierced through the chains; as burning people leaped from the city walls like lava spurting from a volcano. She stared at the black choking smoke... He was looking at her.
"We give the city back its solitude, we give it a chance to be reborn. Any death is only a birth. The city could no longer breathe, it was suffocating with vices. All these people have long been plugged with money, they would not hesitate to sell their native swamps for a Kingdom of grains of sand. They are long dead. But it's all in the past now. Give me an oath of sincerity. Only the living can hear the music of the living. Listen to this music and catch its beat with your heart.
He took her hand and squeezed it tightly. So they stood for a while under the downpour, the remnants of the past burning under their feet, and then the rain just as suddenly ended and the stars appeared. And along with the stars from somewhere in the depths of the soul came the music. She met his gaze and saw the same melody in his eyes. The woman realized that she was smiling. He took a step toward her, and she clung to him. Another moment and the two madmen danced.