Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 27
A dispatch came from Paris: Henry's coronation was scheduled for July 26th. It was supposed to take place in Reims, the city where the French monarchs were traditionally crowned.At the end of June, a cavalcade left Aix, consisting of provincial dignitaries invited to the coronation, the retinue of Claude of Savoy, the count himself and, of course, Francois. We drove for a long time, resting in special inns intended for royal couriers. The road took almost a month, and the cavalcade arrived in Reims on July 23, on the eve of the arrival of the royal court. Comte de Tende, Francois and several of the largest dignitaries of Provence settled in the Palais du Tau - the archbishop's palace.It was immediately felt that the city was preparing for a great event. More than thirty years had passed since the previous coronation, and the townspeople were in joyful excitement, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the court. Smartly dressed residents walked along the streets, buildings were decorated w
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 28
The count drew François to the window.- Dear friend, today, as promised, I will introduce you to the king. I managed to get the king to grant you the nobility. No, no, do not thank, this is only a small part of what I am obliged to do for you in gratitude for your self-sacrifice.The young man did not have time to answer, fanfares sounded, and the door from the side of the royal chambers opened. The radiant Heinrich entered, hand in hand with Catherine, followed by Diana and several other courtiers.The king sat on a throne specially set on a raised platform, and dukes, counts, marquises approached him in a string, introducing sons, wives, relatives and friends. Heinrich spoke kindly to everyone and showered favors on his subjects. Ekaterina, in a brocaded lilac dress, sat a little to the side in comfortable armchairs.The king, noticing the count, beckoned him with a wave of his hand.- Well, what are you, dear uncle, standing on the sidelines? Or I don't know that you have a surpri
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 29
On a cloudy October day in 1547, majordomo Luigi Alamanni entered the queen's chambers, where she, surrounded by ladies-in-waiting, was sitting at embroidery. This noble Italian, the most educated person, poet and philosopher, once participated in a conspiracy against the future Pope Clement the Seventh, and when the conspiracy was discovered, he fled to France and entered the service of the king. For the past three years, Senor Alamanni has acted as Catherine's majordomo, and she, seeing the Italian's devotion, asked him to be by her side all the time.“Your Majesty,” he announced with a bow, “the señor de Gondi has come. He asks to be accepted on an important matter.Catherine nodded, and a minute later the major-domo brought in a short, stout gentleman dressed in the Italian style. With a deep bow, he approached and said in Italian:“Your Majesty, my envoy has returned.The queen motioned for the ladies-in-waiting to come out and, concealing her impatience, turned to the Florentine
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 30
A cautious rumor went around the court - the Marquis d'Umbre was arriving in Paris in order to meet with the envoy of the queen. The marquis was the worst enemy of Diane de Poitiers, but, despite the king's disposition towards her, d'Umbre was not forbidden to appear at court. Nevertheless, he preferred not to appear in the capital, knowing full well that the favorite would try to send assassins to him.Whether the marquis would really arrive, and when this would happen, no one knew. Therefore, the curious ladies-in-waiting approached François one after another.“Tell me, chevalier, is there any truth in the rumors about the arrival of the Marquis?”“Ah, dear de Romagnac, I'm just curious, is d'Umbre really going to show up?To all questions, François politely replied that he did not know anything about this, and he saw in the eyes of the disappointed ladies that they did not believe him.And only when Louise approached him with this question, he took her by the arm and led her to the
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 31
“I heard a very caustic anecdote today, madam,” Francois began cautiously, finishing his next letter. - About a certain nobleman, a close relative of a noble lady, who has neither a castle nor land.The queen exploded. Not for the first time, the "cousin" hinted that it would be nice for him to have his own fief, but she was categorically against it. "If I give him a castle, he will go there. No, I don't want to be without him."“Believe me, dear brother,” Catherine answered coldly, “when the time comes, you will have both land and a title. Until then, please don't rush me.François did not speak of the feud again.A year later, at Fontainebleau, the queen gave birth to her third son, Henry. The balls and receptions that followed were very pompous. A month later, the royal court returned to Paris.Meanwhile, the war for possession of Northern Italy resumed, which had previously been fought with varying success by the French kings Louis XII and Francis I. Henry's main opponent in this
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 32
For a long time, François had not heard anything from Louise. The next morning after their meeting, she left in an unknown direction, and he had no choice but to come to terms with the loss. Darkness settled in his soul, he painfully searched for the reason for such an inglorious end of their love.From what the girl said, he concluded that her father was marrying her off. Well, this is not uncommon, quite often parents arrange profitable parties for their daughters, and no one cares about their own opinion. But François could not understand in any way what was wrong with him? Yes, he has no land, but he is the Queen's private secretary and her "cousin". And, of course, if he thought of marrying, Catherine would not be stingy, because the monarchs often gave their relatives money and land for the wedding. Could it be that Louise didn't think about it and tell her father about it?In the thought of the marriage of his beloved, he was strengthened by the hints that the courtiers allowed
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 33
Francois had to return to the Chatelet. For an hour he urged Isabelle to tell him the truth, but the girl stood her ground. Yes, the same house, with a red roof and a green door. It was there that she bought the infusion, it was there that the sorceress lived. And there was no sign on the house - no fish shop, no other.Confused, François again went to the Rue Pouri. Maybe the fishmonger just opened?Arriving at the ill-fated house, Romagnac knocked on the door with a hammer, but no one answered him. A guy walking by in a white canvas shirt and bright blue chauffeurs shouted:- There's no one there, your grace!The Chevalier approached him.- Why? Isn't the shop open?“The hosts have been gone for two weeks now, sir,” the lad explained eagerly. “Someone got sick in their village. And even the sign was removed, and now someone has hung it up again.François was worried.- And when the house stood without a sign?- Yes, read, from St. Anthony himself, and she appeared again three days a
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 34
But for now, religious confrontations were a matter of the future, but the struggle with Spain was a threatening reality. Philip, who succeeded his father Charles on the Spanish throne, married Mary Tudor, Queen of England, and the British immediately declared war on France. Now Henry had to fight two strong opponents at the same time. Terrible news began to come from the battlefields. First, the French were forced to leave Siena, which put an end to Catherine's dreams of returning the Italian lands that belonged to her by right of inheritance. But it was half the trouble, a real disaster broke out in August 1557, when the troopsPhilip II, with the support of the British and Duke Emmanuel of Savoy, besieged the French city of Saint-Quentin, located just forty leagues northeast of Paris. Admiral Coligny defended the city with a small garrison for several weeks, but the troops of the constable de Montmorency, who came to his aid, were utterly defeated by the Spaniards and the British. C
Latest Chapter
- Eternal Life;Cursed Gift
Epilogue
Michael Gold paused, trying to catch his breath. He seemed to be reliving the terror that had seized him in the mountains of South America.“And Plath is gone?” exclaimed the vicar ruefully.Alas, John, yes. A strange insanity has deprived me of this most valuable relic!- What a pity! What do you think it was?“I have puzzled over this for three hundred years, explaining everything as the revenge of higher powers. It was only three years ago that I read an article in The Sunday Times that I think explains the panic attack that happened to me then. The article said that a certain John Balderston, director of the London Lyric Theater, was preparing a play for staging, where the characters were transported into the past as the action progressed. He wanted to come up with something spectacular so that the audience at that moment felt the psychological tension. And Mr. Balderston turned to his friend, the physicist Robert Wood, for help. He made a pipe, like an organ, but longer and thick
- Eternal Life;Cursed Gift
96
Gold wearily rubbed his face with his hands.“Those days are hard for me to remember, John. Then I committed one of the most shameful acts of my entire life. But I swear I'll be completely honest about everything.'I have no doubt, my friend,' nodded the vicar. - Few people could speak so frankly about themselves, not only good, but also bad.— So, we got into a small pirogue and sailed up the river. Usually, for the construction of boats, the Indians took a tree with a wide trunk and burned out the middle. But this boat turned out to be wicker and very light. The current here was weak, so Anka and Yakumama rowed tirelessly.About five hours later we landed on the shore, and I saw a path cut through the jungle, as wide as I had ever seen in these places. It turned out that the Indians dragged boats along it to another river, which they called the Serpent, and the Europeans - Madre de Dios. Even such a light pirogue as ours was not easy to drag, but we managed and by the evening reache
- Eternal Life;Cursed Gift
95
On one of the days of the Month of Seva, Apu Uma sent for Istvan. He hurried to the leader and found him in great agitation. Forgetting to offer mate to the guest, the Indian said:“Our scouts have spotted a white party, Amauta. They go through the jungle towards Antavara.The priest's heart jumped with joy, but at the same moment he thought - if the Europeans capture the village, they will also learn about the mines. No, this cannot be allowed.- How is it - "go"? After all, the selva is impassable.- How do we go? Cut through the road with knives and axes.— How many of them?The chief frowned and drew seven parallel lines on the dirt floor. Thirty-five people, Isstvan realized."And when will they get to us?"- In two or three days. We need to organize protection.“No,” the priest said thoughtfully. “We have to set up an ambush. Then, firstly, they will not find the village, and secondly, thanks to a surprise attack, we will have an advantage.After thinking for a moment, Apu Uma n
- Eternal Life;Cursed Gift
94
The Indians made a noise, and Istvan could not believe his ears. What nonsense? This is impossible! But no, he saw the living dead with his own eyes!"But the corpses didn't disappear until the third night," he muttered.The sorcerer chuckled and nodded again.— Yes, but here they bury in the wall. Apparently, in the ground they deteriorate faster. At first I did not know this and could not understand why they did not turn into nzambi. The first two had to be killed, their minds barely affected. Then I realized that here the body was lying in the wall and tried to pick it up later. This is how I determined from experience that it is best to raise the "dead" on the third night.- Can they be cured somehow? Return to normal life?- Of course not.How long do they exist in this state?- Who is like. If you feed them on time, then some of them last for four or five years.“Now tell me, why can’t they be killed?”- Why, maybe. They just don't feel pain and follow orders as long as they can
- Eternal Life;Cursed Gift
93
The Incas got up early. Not finding Istvan, they were alarmed. When he, half-dead from fatigue and experienced horror, dragged himself to the gate, he was greeted with a joyful uproar. Sampa Anka grabbed him under the armpits and helped him to the hut.“What happened to you, white brother? he kept asking. - Where have you been?"I'm sorry, Anka," Isstvan whispered, sinking onto the couch. “I’ll tell you everything, but right now I don’t have the strength.”He slept for almost a day and woke up cheerful, completely recovered from the shock of the night. Hardly waiting for the morning, Istvan went to Apu Uma and told about everything that he had to endure.Sampa Anka, who sat silently beside him, stared in horror at the priest, while the chief shook his head grimly.“You broke my ban, Amauta,” he said when Istvan finished his story.“Sorry, Great Leader, but I couldn’t help but watch your people die.“I understand that you were guided by a kind and brave heart. But what have you achieve
- Eternal Life;Cursed Gift
92
The next morning, having somewhat calmed down, they again retired to the hut.- Understand, spirits are not like that at all! Istvan admonished his friend. “They were real flesh and blood people. There must be some other explanation.“Okay,” he nodded obediently, “then explain to me what the secret is.”“That is what we must find out. Tell everything you know about them.Sampa Anka shrugged.- There is nothing to tell. Ordinary guys.What could unite them?- Nothing. Only that they all died.- When exactly?The young man frowned as he remembered.“Well… Vira eight moons ago. Llapi four moons earlier. The other two, it seems, shortly before your arrival.This information did not give Isstvan anything, but he stubbornly bombarded Anka with questions, trying to find at least some thread.Did any of them get sick?- It seems not.- So all four died according to the prediction of the sorcerer?After thinking, Sampa Anka nodded confidently."And their bodies disappeared on the third night?"
- Eternal Life;Cursed Gift
91
Returning to his room, Istvan was lost in thought. Let's say the evil Aya Naya really kills the Indians, but how and why? However, the methods may be different, for example, to send damage. For what purpose does he do this? And, most importantly, why do corpses disappear? Perhaps the spirit of the deceased raises his body and takes him somewhere? No, what nonsense!Isstvan's mind was in confusion. But he was a man of action, and therefore he soon questioned the leader and his son about all the details. It turned out that the bodies disappear on the third night after the funeral.When an old man died two weeks later at the other end of the village, Istvan decided to follow his grave.“This is unreasonable, brother,” Apu Uma admonished him, “and very dangerous. Only Viracocha knows what happens when the body disappears. Suddenly all living things around perish?“Believe me, Great Leader, I will find out the truth,” Isstvan replied grimly. “I don’t want an incomprehensible curse weighing
- Eternal Life;Cursed Gift
90
Listening to the leader, Istvan could not recover from amazement. So the Templars were in the West Indies long before Señor Columbus?“The Order was rich,” he reflected, “and could well equip an expedition to search for new lands. The Templars sailed here and found huge reserves of silver and gold. So that's where the legends about the untold wealth of the order came from! Some came to rule the Incas, others left, taking away priceless treasures on ships. And then what? They returned forever ... Probably, it was under Philip the Handsome, who banned the order and arrested everyone he could find. But many Templars escaped and lived here until their deaths. Why didn't they leave offspring? Posing as gods? Of course, they were monks! They could not have intercourse with women and remained faithful to their vow even in such conditions. How many times have I broken my vow of chastity? Eh..."This discovery shocked Istvan. All his knowledge of the history of the conquest of the West Indies
- Eternal Life;Cursed Gift
89
Religion occupied a huge place in the life of the tribe. Everywhere in the village and beyond there were so-called waki - sacred things and places. Uakoy could be anything - a bunch of stones stacked in a special way, a rock, a hill, a stream, a spring, an idol carved from wood, like standing on a kurikancha. The Indians carefully looked after all the Huacas. A special place of worship was Nayakuna Pirka - a long stone wall built to the east of the village, which consisted of separate cavities. In them, the inhabitants of the village buried the dead, closing each niche with a wooden door.As Istvan mastered Quechua, he learned more and more about the views of the Indians.“There are three worlds around us,” said Sampa Anka, “underground, earthly and divine. The underworld, Uku Pacha, is ruled by the ferocious god of death, Supai. All dead, unborn babies, some snakes, worms and seeds live there. In the earthly world, Kai Pacha, we are people, but also animals, birds, plants and ghosts.
