""Yonder, lily of celestial valleys, your end shall be their beginning, our loves ne'er more to perish."" "THE STRANGE CASE OF ANGÉLICA" "What is it?" "Good evening." "I'm the foreman from the Portas estate." "What do you want?" "My boss at the estate sent me to find a photographer." "At this hour?" "Yes, now." "At this time of night?" "Yes, now." "My husband is the photographer, but he's not here." "He's not here." "Okay, then I'll wait for him to return." "What do you mean?" "He's in Porto, he isn't back until the day after tomorrow." "Can you recommend anyone else?" "No, I don't know any others around here." "Excuse me, sir." "I know someone who does photography." "That's great." "Who is it?" "I think he's..." "They say he worked in the oil business." "He's a Sephardi emigrant." "What's that?" "A Portuguese Jew." "He's young, he hasn't been here long, and he takes photos all over the place." "I could take you to him." "Yes, perfect." "If you wouldn't mind." "After you." ""Dance!" "O stars, that in constant dizzying heights you follow unchanging!" "Exalt, and escape for an instant the path that you are chained to."" "It's the Angel." ""Time, stand still," "And you, former beings, who roam fantastical, celestial ways..." "Angels," "Open the gates of heaven, for in my night is day, and in me is God."" "Isaac!" "Isaac!" "What is it, Madam Justina?" "There's a gentleman downstairs to see you." "What about?" "A very important lady sent him." "You must go straightaway and photograph her daughter at the Portas estate." "The Portas estate?" "Yes, it's not far." "Now?" "Right now." "Right now?" "Yes, it's urgent." "But, Madam Justina..." "Isaac, you do what you like." "But you should know that the estate is owned by a very important lady." "They're very important people, I'm telling you." "Okay." "Tell him I'm coming." "I'll go and tell him." "Are you the photographer?" "Follow me, please." "It's Angélica, you see." "It's Angélica." "Such a sad loss." "We've just finished dressing her." "Poor Angélica." "Our mother wants one last souvenir, even if it is very sad." "Angélica is my sister, you know." "It's so sad." "Poor Angélica." "Poor us." "Please, come in." "This is my brother Antonio." "His wife and the others are at Angélica's bedside." "Their two daughters are already in bed." "My condolences." "It's fate." "So young, and only just married." "Her husband is inconsolable." "Angélica is in the other room, down there at the end." "I'll show you." "That's her poor husband." "Mr. photographer, what's your name?" "Isaac." "Isaac?" "Yes, Isaac, sister." "My name is Maria Dolores." "I'm Angélica's sister and I'm a devout Christian." "Yes, I can see that you're a nun." "Personally, I have nothing against that." "Good." "That is a comfort to me." "Shall we start the photos?" "This is my sister." "And at her side, my mother." "This woman is our mother." "My condolences." "Thank you." "Angélica." "My darling daughter." "Come." "From this side." "It will be better from this side." "You see." "I think it's good from here." "But I'll leave it to your artistic discretion." "Did you take it?" "No." "I need a brighter light bulb." "I'll send for one." "We need a brighter bulb." "Can you go and find one?" "Sit down for a moment." "She's so beautiful and so serene, isn't she?" "Yes, she doesn't look dead." "Does she, Mr. photographer?" "Is that all right now?" "Yes, that's better." "Well, did you take the photograph?" "Well?" "Yes or no?" "Yes, I mean, no." "Not yet, I mean..." "I'm looking for a better angle." "All right, we'll wait for you." "Come in!" "Binoculars!" "I was watching those men digging." "Oh, dear God, Isaac!" "You seem so tired." "You didn't even come down to eat." "You just stay in here, with your binoculars, watching them working the old-fashioned way." "Hardly anyone works like that these days." "That's why it interests me." "But nobody works like that around here anymore." "Nowadays, it's all done by machines." "Old-fashioned work interests me." "And I'm going over there." "To photograph that?" "To photograph that, Madam Justina." "Off you go then, if you must." "But first, eat the breakfast I made for you." "I even brought you a flower." "I have to go, before they finish work." "Go then, and may God be with you." "I'll just mind my own business." "I have a white hat" "I bought it at the market" "All out of shape and frayed at the edges" "My hat is falling to pieces" "And a shirt I've worn" "Is all of linen made" "The cuffs are frayed" "And the collar is torn" "I've got some trousers too" "Made in the latest way" "And fine enough I say" "For a scarecrow made of hay" "And I've got a jacket" "Cut in the latest style" "Got no back, nor sleeves" "And the elbows are all worn" "Sir, sir..." "Excuse me, sir." "For pity's sake, spare a few coins for a poor man." "Bless you, sir." "May the Lord be with you." "Beautiful." "She's so beautiful." "It's true." "And that dress is magnificent." "It's a wedding dress." "She's smiling, like on her wedding day." "She looks like an angel from Heaven." "We are gathered here today in honour of our sister Angélica..." "Spare a few coins for a poor man." "You again?" "I only just gave you some." "May the Lord reward your generosity." ""Time, stand still, and you, former beings, who roam fantastical, celestial ways..." "Angels, open the gates of Heaven, for in my night is day, and God is in me."" "Oh, it's you." "I've got the prints which the lady of the house ordered." "Wait there." "All right." "Consider them delivered." "That strange reality..." "Perhaps it was just... a hallucination?" "But it was just as real as this." "Could I have been to that place of absolute love I've heard about?" "It disappears... like smoke from a cigarette..." "Yes, why this sudden love," "which banishes all the anguish I feel?" "I must be out of my mind." "My God... why all this?" "I tell you, that man is not well." "He's working too hard." "Take my word for it." "Who are you talking about?" "Your lodger?" "Isaac?" "Yes, of course, he's the only man here." "That's true." "But there are others out there." "You're right." "But don't you think he's acting strangely?" "He's always seemed reserved and withdrawn." "But he's becoming strange." "Yes, he certainly is." "I had to tell him to stop photographing those labourers." "You mean the ones digging?" "Yes, that's right." "Why?" "I'll tell you why." "Because they're the only ones who do it the old way." "Nowadays, we use machines." "But he won't listen." "Do you know what he told me?" ""Old-fashioned work interests me."" "And then he went out." "I don't know what's so interesting about them." "Yes, he has been behaving strangely lately." "That's what I'm saying." "Yesterday, I saw some of his photos hanging in his room." "Oh, my Lord, those horrible labourers, next to the portrait of that little girl who died!" "The poor thing!" "What do you mean little girl?" "She was married, and rumour has it she was pregnant." "I feel sorry for the husband." "I didn't know those people." "But Isaac is an enigma lately." "I agree." "Gadding about taking photos everywhere like a madman." "Madman is about right." "What's even more strange is how he's changed since he went to photograph that woman." "The dead woman." "Yes, it's true." "And what happened there is anybody's guess." "When I was tidying yesterday," "I was appalled when I saw those photos in his room." "Oh, Dear Lord!" "And the dead girl in amongst them." "Who, by the way, was a very beautiful lady." "What was wrong with the photos?" "They were ghastly." "My God!" "A scruffy labourer holding his pick in the air..." "Terrifying, Matias." "Terrifying." "But that explains the despair." "My despair?" "Not yours, Madam Justina," "Isaac's despair." "Despair about what?" "I don't know." "Each to their own." "He never talks about himself." "That's true." "What is true is that no one knows about his past." "So?" "It's like Ortega y Gasset says:" ""Man and his circumstance"." "What do you mean, Dr. Matias?" "Everything which is going on here now, and what he went through there." "Oh, Lord!" "Saints preserve us." "Poor Isaac." "Poor him?" "Poor all of us." "You're right." "It's Ortega y Gasset," ""Man and his circumstance"." "Come now, Mr. engineer," "You seem very down today." "I am, Matias, and with good reason." "Do tell." "You'll never guess what happened." "Tell us." "I've been invited, along with a Brazilian engineer, to evaluate the construction of a new bridge over the Tagus." "Why did they call you both?" "I think it's because they want more experienced, cautious advice." "That's why they invited the Brazilian." "She's a well-known expert." "Has the project been approved?" "We haven't given our opinion, but it's been approved anyway." "That's amazing." "How come?" "It would have been amazing, but..." "What happened?" "The project has been cancelled." "But why?" "Due to the current economic crisis, and the difficulty of raising the necessary capital for its construction." "And some even cited possible rising water levels, now that the rains are more frequent, it could delay or prevent completion of the project." "Ah, there you are." "I was going to bring your breakfast up to you." "You're too kind with me." "I didn't want to be a nuisance." "Join us, please." "I'll serve you straightaway." "Good morning, everyone." "Your breakfast is served." "Thank you very much." "Oh, my dear Clementina." "We said I'd come to your hotel." "Yes, I know." "But I wanted to meet Matias here." "As you've been kind enough to show me your whole region," "I decided to come here, and I even got lost on the way." "So, here I am." "Justina, allow me to introduce Clementina, she's an engineer too, but a very famous one, who we were just speaking about." "Justina, the proprietor." "Very pleased to meet you." "Likewise." "Please do sit down next to the gentlemen." "Have some breakfast with us." "Thank you, I've already eaten, but I'd love some coffee." "Let me introduce you to Clementina." "This is Rosa," "Isaac, and my old friend Matias." "A pleasure to meet you, Rosa, Isaac, and especially you, Matias," "I've heard nothing but good things about you." "And I don't need to tell you who from." "The pleasure is ours." "Do sit down with us, Miss Clementina." "Thank you." "I was looking forward to meeting you here." "Thank you." "I know you're very concerned about the problems which have led to your project being cancelled." "It's the economic crisis and this chaotic situation the world finds itself in." "Absolutely." "Speaking of the current situation," "I had an enlightening conversation with a former colleague." "It's true, the economic situation is very worrying, but what's even worse is the threat of pollution which is hanging over us." "There's been a lot of research, and there are concerns about what the future holds for certain countries and for society as a whole." "Rui Cardoso Martins talks of "7 mosquitoes of the Apocalypse"." "In any case, he maintains that the risk is minimal, because, as you know, we cannot separate this chaotic situation from the cosmic situation." "And he makes hypotheses." "Absolutely." "He observes that high up in the atmosphere, in the cosmic rays, there are more energetic collisions than in the particle accelerator, but that until now, nothing has happened." "And?" "As he says, we've never believed enough in antimatter." "I wish you all a good day." "I have to go now." "As I was saying, we've never believed enough in antimatter to see it with the naked eye, but in principle antimatter should resemble matter." "The big mystery about antimatter is that it is very unstable, and therefore rare." "Antimatter doesn't swallow matter." "When a particle finds its corresponding antiparticle, they melt into an embrace which transforms them into their purest essence." "Energy!" "Matter is nothing but forms of the spirit" "Energy..." "Spirit..." "The biggest danger he identifies..." "Angélica." "...is not "the arrival of the seven archangels heralding the Apocalypse, but the flight of the seven mosquitoes"." "If I, a human being weighing 12 stones, entered the accelerator when it was at full power, what would happen to me?" "He'd say, a burn on the belly, or a hole..." "The energy of each proton isn't that high, the equivalent of seven mosquitoes in flight, but the density is enormous." "I get the feeling that nobody cares what would happen, but it wouldn't be anything very spectacular." "No big, special effects, like a Hollywood movie." "We can still see twinkling stars which have been extinct for millions of years." "But the oldest photographs of space from the Hubble space telescope are already from 500 billion years after the Big Bang." "That's right." "It's time for us to go." "I'm ready." "You are all very knowledgeable." "We know only what we know, Justina." "Then what do you still have to learn?" "A lot more than we already know." "Well, God be with you." "Personally, I don't understand all that stuff." "And you don't need to, Justina." "He's strange, that gentleman." "Very." "That's what we all think." "Very nice to have met you, Justina." "Same here." "Little birdie!" "My little birdie!" "Kitty!" "Isaac, you're here with your coffee, you still haven't eaten, you won't even sit down." "You were working all night again and groaning so much that I couldn't sleep." "I heard moaning." "Isaac, I have to tell you, you can't continue like this, you'll wear yourself out." "God bless you." "Don't worry about me, Madam Justina." "I'm fine as I am." "Don't say I didn't warn you." "That's all I'm saying, it's for your own good." "Look after yourself, Isaac." "I beg you." "I have to go now." "That one just turned up here one day, at God knows what time, out of the blue!" "But he didn't seem like a bad person." "He works too much, he's preoccupied with something." "I'm worried about him." "Are you talking about Isaac?" "Of course!" "Who else?" "You're really worried about him." "And why shouldn't I be?" "Here he is now." "Good morning, ladies and gents." "No,just ladies." "As you see, all the men have already left." "I was just about to bring your breakfast up to you." "You always worry too much about me, Justina." "That's how it is these days." "Sit down, I'll get your breakfast." "Good morning, Rosa." "Good morning." "That's how it is these days." "I'll come back later to clear away." "Isaac." "Someone from the Portas estate for you again." "Who?" "That pretentious servant again?" "No, not her, the foreman." "He wants you to go right away, because they want to order some photos." "They're leaving for Lisbon." "Okay, I'll speak to him." "He's gone, he just left the message." "Right, I should go there now." "In Heaven I now rest" "I have waited a long time" "I will be there without fear" "If I lead a righteous life" "It is sure, it is sure" "In Heaven I now rest" "It's Angélica's husband." "Isaac." "Angélica!" "Angélica?" "Angélica is dead." "I know!" "I've brought the photos of Angélica." "Finally!" "Madam has been waiting for you." "Come inside and wait." "You're very late, Isaac." "The thing is, my life is a bit..." "My life is very complicated." "Please accept my apologies." "All right." "Let's talk about what you brought, the photos of my dear Angélica." "We've chosen these ones." "And this one, where Angélica looks as if she's smiling," "I'd like it in a larger print." "The others, I'd like in smaller prints, so I can put them in a family album." "And this one, where she seems to be smiling." "Do you understand?" "Yes, of course." "The one with the smile in a larger print, and the rest for the family album." "Is that right?" "Exactly." "For this album." "That's Angélica at three years old." "This one was taken by her brother, here in the courtyard." "Oh, girls!" "Look at you!" "Take those hands out of your mouth!" "Come." "They're my granddaughters, my son Antonio's children." "It's with him that we're going to spend a few days in Lisbon." "Mother, it's time to go." "It's a long drive." "Have a good trip, ladies." "Thank you." "God bless you." "Angélica!" "Angélica!" "Isaac." "Ah, yes, the photos." "You left them on the table." "Yes." "But that's not what I want." "What do you want then?" "These are the photos Madam ordered from you." "Yes, of course." "Spare a few coins?" "Angélica!" "Poor little one." "My poor little thing." "You gave him boiled eggs." "It was too much for him." "Not at all." "It's a curse." "It's bad luck which has entered this house." "If you loved your bird that much, why don't you have him stuffed?" "My God!" "Poor thing!" "Why not?" "That way he'll be with you forever." "That's true." "But I can't stuff the poor little thing," "I could never do that." "My poor little bird." "There were some strange goings on last night." "There was moaning and strange noises that seemed to be coming from Isaac's room." "I even thought, he'd had the nerve to bring that stupid girl back." "What stupid girl?" "That servant girl from the Portas estate." "God forbid!" "I'm sure Isaac is an honourable and respectable man." "Yes, he seems very honourable to me too." "And to me too." "But strange things are happening." "You might even call it witchcraft." "If I believed in witches," "I'd say they've come for Isaac." "The Galicians said they didn't believe in them." ""But, watch out!" they'd say." "I don't like talk of witchcraft." "Sweet Jesus!" "May the Lord help us." "What happened to the bird?" "Oh, Isaac." "I found it dead in its cage." "What did I say?" "Angélica!" "The poor thing." "He must be a bit deranged, to go running up there like that." "God knows why..." "We get all sorts along here." "I don't understand it." "Oh, hillside olive trees" "Your leaves blown on the breeze" "Oh, eeh, oh, aye There's no one to carry me" "Oh, eeh, oh aye to be near my love" "Oh, eeh, oh, aye There's no one to carry me" "Oh, eeh, oh aye to be near my love" "Call for help!" "Calm down." "We have to call someone." "But why?" "Why did you bring him here instead of the hospital?" "Poor Isaac." "Poor me." "And those people who helped you, didn't they think he should be taken to the hospital?" "Calm down, Justina." "We're here to do whatever it takes." "Yes, Doctor, I know." "But Isaac hasn't been well for some time." "I could see it." "I had a feeling." "I don't know what about, Doctor." "I could feel something coming." "Justina, we're here to do whatever is necessary." "Now, I'd like you to leave us to do our work." "Perhaps I can help you." "It's not neccessary." "I'm waiting for a nurse, who is competent." "Go about your business, Madam Justina." "Go and have a rest, we'll handle everything." "If you need anything, Doctor, just let me know." "All right, Madam Justina." "Hello, Doctor, I'm sorry I took so long." "Look, you're not a moment too soon." "He stood up, and then he just collapsed." "Help me to put him on the bed." "Go and tell Madam Justina." "Is he dead?" "He's dead." "May the Lord be with you." "Long live the people of the Douro" "Who've worked since days of old" "This earth which is like gold" "Which produces our treasured wine."