Page 290 - Revelation

Svetlana de Rohan-Levashova. Revelation

me one last hug. And there was no sense in asking Caraffa. He would never allow it.
The feelings of cognation, love or mercy were unknown to him... He denied their
existence.

– Leave, dearest daughter! Leave... you will not able to kill this monster. You will
just die in vain. Leave, my dear heart... I shall wait for you there, in another life. Sever
will take care of you. Leave, dear!
– I love you, father! I love you so much!

I was drowning in my own suffocating tears, but my heart was silent. I had to
stand firm, and I did it. It seemed that the whole world had turned into millstones of
pain, but for some reason it did not apply to me, as if I were already dead...
– Forgive me, father, but I’ll stay. I’ll try to eliminate him while I live and even if
I am dead I won’t leave him in peace until I take him with me... forgive me, please.
Caraffa got up. He could not hear our conversation, but he perfectly understood
that something was happening between my father and me. He could not control this
connection and the fact that he remained excluded enraged the Pope terribly...

– Your father will be burnt at dawn, Isidora. It’s you who kills him. So – decide!
My heart went pit-a-pat and stopped... The world collapsed... and I could do
nothing with it. I could not change anything. But I had to answer and I answered...

– I have nothing to say to you, Holiness, except that you are the most terrible
criminal that ever lived on Earth.
The Pope looked at me for a minute unable to hide his surprise, and then nodded
to an old priest who waited there and withdrew without uttering a word. As soon as he
disappeared behind the door, I threw myself at the old man and, on grasping his dry
senile hands, began to implore:
– Please, I beg you, Holy Father. Let me hug him for the last time! I will never
again be able to do it... You heard what the Pope said. My father will die tomorow at
dawn... Have mercy, I beg you! Nobody will ever know about it, I swear! I beg you,
help me! God won’t leave you!

The old priest attentively looked into my eyes and, saying nothing, pulled a lever...
The chains went down with a grinding sound and stopped low enough so that we could
say our last farewell...
I came closer and hid my face on my father’s broad chest, at last giving free reign
to the gushing bitter tears... Even now, covered in blood and with his hands and legs
shackled with rusty iron fetters, my father emitted wonderful warmth and peace and I
felt comfort and protection! He was my once happy world which would be lost to me
forever at dawn... Thoughts rushed through my head, each one sadder than the last,
bringing bright dear pictures of our "past" life which slipped away from us with every
passing minute, and I could neither save it nor stop it...

– Hold out, my dear. You must be strong. You must protect Anna from him. And
you must protect yourself. I leave for your sake. Probably it’ll give you some time... to
destroy Caraffa, – my father whispered.
I grasped his hands in despair refusing to let go. Again, as it had been a long time
ago, I felt like a little girl who looked for comfort on his broad chest...

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