16

Gold pressed his lips and sighed heavily. He seemed to be gathering his strength before telling something very important to him.

“It happened,” he began, clearing his throat, “at the end of July 1524. The summer was hot and dry, sometimes in one or the other end of the city wooden houses caught fire. I remember walking home after a workshop meeting. Turning down a small street, I suddenly heard screams and smelled smoke. I quickened my pace and soon reached the house, enveloped in the flames of a fire. People were rushing around with buckets, there was noise and bustle. But there was little benefit from this, the house burned so badly that there was no way to put it out. Some daredevils rushed inside the house, but immediately ran out, choking and coughing.

Moving to the other side of the street, I looked up and saw with horror that a girl of five years old was standing on a small balcony of a burning house. Fear froze on her face, she did not cry, did not call for help, she simply lo