We halted upon the steps, and I felt Cavalcanti's hand suddenly tighten
upon my arm.
"What is it?" I asked innocently, entirely unalarmed. "These are familiars
of the Holy Office," he answered me, his tone very grave. In that moment
the Duke, turning, espied us. He came towards the staircase to meet us,
and his face, too, was very solemn.
We went down, I filled by a strange uneasiness, which I am sure was
entirely shared by Cavalcanti.
"Evil tidings, my Lord of Pagliano," said Farnese. "The Holy Office has
sent to arrest the person of Agostino d'Anguissola, for whom it has been
seeking for over a year."
"For me?" I cried, stepping forward ahead of Cavalcanti. "What has the
Holy Office to do with me?"
The leading familiar advanced. "If you are Agostino d'Anguissola, there is
a charge of sacrilege against you, for which you are required to answer
before the courts of the Holy Office in Rome."
"Sacrilege?" I echoed, entirely bewildered--for my first thought had been
that here might be something concerning the death of Fifanti, and that the
dread tribunal of the Inquisition dealing with the matter secretly, there
would be no disclosures to be feared by those who had evoked its power.
The thought was, after all, a foolish one; for the death of Fifanti was a
matter that concerned the Ruota and the open courts, and those, as I well
knew, did not dare to move against me, on Messer Gambara's account.
Pages:
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389