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Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 68
Two days later, István, dressed as a commoner, in a long shirt with a belt and narrow chaise, knocked at the gates of Ceyte Castle. The only weapon he could afford was a small knife hidden in the top of his boot.A chain rattled on the side, and a tiny window opened, from which a guard looked out. The young man explained that he wanted to get a job.They missed him. Standing in the yard, Istvan looked around curiously. And there was something to see. The castle of irregular triangular shape consisted of several towers and rooms connecting them. From the outside, there were attached covered galleries, along which it was possible to go down to the ground. Numerous outbuildings, a chapel, an armory, a kennel, a smithy, and stables crowded around. Firewood was stacked under the sheds, there were barrels of water, and a small warehouse was located nearby. The huge yard was full of people: servants in caps ran from the living rooms to the utility rooms and back, tall guys chopped wood, some
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 69
“I can’t be with you today,” Dorka said. The hostess wants me to spend the night with her.Is she afraid of something?The woman was embarrassed and hurriedly answered:What is she afraid of?“I don’t know,” Isstvan shrugged his shoulders, “perhaps she is tormented by nightmares.“Perhaps,” said Dorothea grimly.The absences of his mistress seemed strange to him, and when she announced for the third time that the mistress demanded her presence, he decided to follow Dorka.As soon as it was dark, he stood under the canopy of the stable, from where the flickering light of a candle in its window was perfectly visible. About half an hour passed, a shadow flickered in the room, and at the same moment the light went out.Istvan ran up the stairs to the gallery, slipped into the corridor and, having reached the turn, carefully peered around the corner. At the far end of the narrow passage he saw the receding figure of Dorothea. Without thinking twice, he darted after him.It was cool in the c
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 70
Dr. Gold took a glass of water from the bedside table and took a few sips. The vicar waited patiently for him to continue.“Reverend Martin arrived three days later. Forewarned by Dorothea, I had been waiting for him since morning. I confess that I was worried, because if my plan did not work, it would be very difficult to invent another one. From constant malnutrition, I could hardly stand on my feet, and my head did not think well.The Confessor appeared in the late afternoon. Hearing footsteps, I stood up and soon saw a fat, elderly priest followed by Dorka.- Holy father! I yelled.He approached, and Dorothea tactfully stepped aside.“Holy father, I beg you, help me!” I did nothing wrong, why is the countess punishing her poor servant?“Your duty to the Lord is to be devoted to your mistress, my son.“But I was treated unfairly!”“Pride is a bad ally,” the reverend replied importantly, “humble yourself, my son.“Oh, holy father, if you were here, in a cage, in my body, and I in yo
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 71
“This is such a terrible story that happened in our area,” Imre Shandor finished his story with a sigh. “Now Istvan and I are comrades in misfortune, the crazy countess killed, among others, my daughter and his father.The three of them were sitting in the Shandor library, sipping a honey drink. Father Paul, a short, plump priest with a good-natured face, pressed his hand to his chest.“It’s terrible to imagine what you had to endure, gentlemen. Especially to you, Monsieur Nagy. How are you not afraid to poke your head in this lair?“I had no choice, Reverend Father,” Isstvan replied simply.The priest's eyes shone with sincere sympathy. He looked at the young man as if he wanted to take his pain upon himself.- Do not despair, my son, the Lord is merciful, and in time your wounds will heal. Ah, if only I could help you!Istvan, sincerely touched by the kindness of the churchman, looked at him gratefully.Yes, I believe everything will be fine. However, let's talk about something more
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 72
At the end of the summer of 1613, the twenty-two-year-old Istvan arrived in Rome. He had already become quite accustomed to his clergy and felt very comfortable in a cassock and a traditional Jesuit square cap.Father Paul provided him with a letter of recommendation to Cardinal Fabrizio Veralli, trustee of the Pontifical Gregorian University, known in the old manner as the College of Rome.On the very first evening, Istvan went to the Cardinal's Palace on Holy Trinity Street. The majestic square building of light stone was striking in its size. The central arch led into the courtyard, from where the colonnade of the opposite wall was visible through the lush greenery.His Eminence received Istvan without delay. He sat in a huge, richly decorated office, arranged in a modern way. Instead of cold stone, soft silk on the walls, instead of tapestries, there are portraits in heavy bronze frames, and the high ceiling is painted with scenes from the Bible.The owner of the study sat in a re
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 73
- On Saturday, Fedeli performs in Piazza Venezia, shall we go?Who is this preacher?Roberto laughed.I don't understand, are you kidding? Or do you really not know? Famous theater troupe, they play comedy dell ' arte .- Hear it for the first time.- Well, yes, of course, there is no such thing in Hungary. These are performances that professional troupes give in the squares or, for example, in taverns. The script always has the same characters, most of them wearing masks. The plot is usually similar: lovers who are not allowed to connect with parents or guardians, and clever servants who arrange the happiness of the young.- And what is the interest if the masks and the plot are always the same? Stephanio was surprised.- Only the basics are preserved, and the actors come up with most of the lines on the go. It is especially funny when the joke falls on the topic of the day. Let's go, huh? You'll like it. To live in Italy and not see the comedy dell'arte...- Well, let's go and see w
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 74
Galileo remained at the Rome College for two weeks and delivered four lectures. During this time, he and Stefano met more than once in the huge library of the university. In the tradition of all public libraries, books here were chained to the shelves to prevent theft, long enough to comfortably read at the table. The scientist often used some tome, explaining the details of his theory.“I am sure, my friend,” he said, poking his finger at the parchment pages, “that the universe has no edge, and it is all evenly filled with stars. There are a lot of them, and the distance to them is huge. It is a pity that not everyone shares my opinion.“What do you care about everyone, professor?”- Of course, I don't care what the ignorant think, but I appreciate the opinion of every thinking person. I have a colleague, the German Johannes Kepler, who is very clever, I tell you. So, he, like me, believes that the Sun is at the center of the world, that the planets, due to their natural properties,
Eternal Life;Cursed Gift 75
Andrea Calvo was in euphoria: the adamant Clarice, who had rejected his advances for so long, finally gave in and agreed to meet him in one of the upper rooms of the tavern. However, he had no doubt that sooner or later this would happen - among the many girlfriends, Calvo was considered an irresistible gentleman.Approaching the "Golden Trout", Andrea felt a joyful excitement. He entered the inn, looked around, and went to the counter where Clarice was. She smiled shyly and glanced up at the ceiling. Calvo nodded almost imperceptibly and moved to the stairs leading to the second floor, and the girl slipped into the kitchen, from where she could also go upstairs.Rising, Andrea stepped into the corridor, dimly lit by an oil lamp on the table, and looked around. At the same instant, one of the doors opened slightly, and a whisper was heard:- Here!Feeling sweet excitement, he hurried to the call and entered the room. There was total darkness here. Calvo looked around, trying to get hi