"We, judges of the high and secret tribunal..." "We, god's lieutenants on earth, scouts of his winged army in the clouds, unearth crimes that hide, like serpents, out of the reach of human justice." "We order you," "Theobald Friedeborn, honorable armorer of the town of Heilbronn, to air your complaint against Friedrich, count Wetter of Strahl." "He has answered the call of the Vehmic court, and demands you state your grievance." "My high saints and mysterious lords," "if this man, against whom I complain, had bidden me make him a full body armor of pure silver, or of black steel, with joints and rings of gold," "and if, when I asked him to pay me, he had said: 'Come now, I owe you nothing'," "or if he had soiled my honor with poisonous slander, or, if in the dark forest, he had attempted to murder me, with a dagger or a sword..." "In none of those cases, god be my witness, would I have complained to you." "I have suffered so much injustice in my 53 years, that my soul is shielded against its darts." "The knights I make armor for complain about mosquito bites, while I forgive the scorpion his sting, and let him go unharmed." "Friedrich, count Wetter of Strahl, has robbed me of my daughter." "My Catherine." "Seize him, earthly lieutenants of god, and deliver him to the guards armed with bloody spikes at the gate of hell." "I accuse him of witchcraft, of connivance with Satan." "Theobald Friedeborn, be sure to weigh your words." "You claim the honorable count seduced your daughter, by witchcraft, no less." "Perhaps you're bitter he stole your daughter's heart using sweet words, and by showing her the handsome face under his helmet's visor." "Perhaps he just caught the fancy of a girl's excitable mind." "It is true, my lords," "I did not witness him wandering in swamps by night, meandering where no man goes, dancing in the will-o'-the-wisp." "Nor was he on a mountain peak, magic wand in hand, commending invisible kingdoms, nor in subterranean caverns, chanting incantations in a cloud of dust." "Satan and his brothers, with their horns, claws and tails, like the statues on top of the hotel..." "I have not seen them with him either." "And yet, if you allow me to speak," "I am certain that upon hearing my tale you will rise and say: 'there's thirteen of us, and the fourteenth is the devil'." "You will run to the door, and flee through the forest, in your taffeta gowns, and pointy hats." "First, you must know, my lords," "that my Catherine turned 15 on Easter." "She was as sane of body and soul as any human before the fall." "A child in the image of the Lord, whose late arrival embalmed the twilight of my life." "You cannot imagine a being more tender, more pure, more charming," "except perhaps for the clear-eyed little angels, swaddled in the clouds, in the arms of god." "When she walked in the street, in her Sunday dress, her varnished straw hat," "and her black velour corsage, with a delicate silver chain, people would whisper from the windows:" "'It's little Catherine of Heilbronn'." "Little Catherine of Heilbronn, my lords." "As if the sky had engendered her, by kissing the town below, and taking it in its embrace." "She owned land bequeathed by her grandfather, while excluding me, because he loved her dearly," "and she was among the town's richest." "Five sons of honorable families had already asked her hand in marriage." "The knights passing by the town rued that she was not of noble heritage." "If only she was..." "The Orient would have payed her homage, and laid shining pearls at her feet," "and precious stones." "That was my daughter, my lords." "That was my daughter, my lords," " before this man stole her from me." " Well then..." "How did he steal her?" "By which means did he lure her away from you, and from her righteous path?" "By which means?" "My high lords, if I knew how he did it," "I wouldn't be here, complaining of his diabolic machinations to you." "How can I answer you query?" "Did he see her at the fountain, and ask her: 'who are you, my lady?" "'" "Did he accost her on her way to mass, and ask her: 'Where do you live, my lady'?" "'" "Did he slink to her window at night, and ask: 'Where do you sleep, fair lady?" "'" "My dear lords, she would not have fallen for such tricks." "She would have seen through them, as Christ did with Judas's kiss." "She had never seen him before." "Her back, and her little birth mark, she knows them better than he." "And yet, if he seduced her, it must have had happened in some way, at some time." "On Pentecost's eve, he stayed in my workshop for five minutes," "in order, so he claimed, to mend a loose joint in his armor." "It was 11 in the morning, when suddenly, escorted by cavalry, the count appeared in front of my workshop, on horseback, amid great fanfare." "He dismounted, and entered, head bent down, his eyes bright behind his helmet's visor." "'Look here', he said," "'I am heading to confront the palatine count at the walls, ' 'and in my excitement, I damaged my armor." "Get your tools, ' 'and adjust it without me taking it off.'" "'My lord', I said, 'if you can break your armor by heaving your chest, the palatine is doomed.'" "I bid him take a seat in the middle of the room." "I called out for wine and smoked ham for our guest." "I placed a table in front of him, and put my tools on top, while, outside, his horse neighed, and his rowdy escort raised a cloud of dust in the air." "That's when, a sliver platter on her head," "with bottles, cups, and victuals, the young girl opened the door," "and entered." "Imagine." "If god himself had descended from the clouds and made an entrance," "I would not had been as distraught as she." "As soon as she saw him, plates, cups and victuals fell, and she, pale as a corpse, knelt before him, her forehead touching the ground, as if hit by lightning." "I shouted:" "'What is wrong, my child?" "'" "I helped her up." "She held on to my waist for support, her gaze fixed on him, as if she was witnessing an apparition." "The count took her hand and asked her who her father was." "Two of his servants rushed to his side." "Finally, a few timid glances later, she regained control," "and I felt relieved." "I took my tools and resumed my work, and I said:" "'You are ready to confront the palatine, my lord, ' 'your armor is mended, ' 'your heaves will no longer break it.'" "The count stood up, and stared at my daughter pensively, from head to toe." "He bowed down, kissed her on the forehead, and said:" "'May the lord bless you, protect you, ' 'and grant you peace.'" "'Amen.'" "We watched from the window as he prepared to leave, and then," "the moment he mounted his horse, the young girl jumped, from a height of 30 feet, down to the pavement, hands in the air, like a madwoman who lost her mind." "She broke both legs, her slender legs, right at her ivory knees." "And I, poor fool who saw in her my only support in old age," "I put her on my shoulder, and carried her, like a corpse," "while he, there, god damn him," "without even dismounting, called out to ask what had happened." "She laid in a feverish daze, for 6 endless weeks," "in her bed, motionless." "She did not make a single sound." "Even delirium, which makes others rave, left her mute." "No one could get to the secret inside of her." "As soon as she recovered, she stood up, still shaken," "packed her bundle, opened the door," "and walked out, in the morning sun." "'Where to?" "', the servant asked." "'To the count of Strahl', she said." "She disappeared." " Impossible." " She disappeared." "She left it all?" "Family, wealth, honor, without asking for your blessing?" "She disappeared, my lords." "She left me, and all that she was bound to by habit, nature and duty." "She kissed my shut eyelids, and disappeared." "If only I never opened them again." "Ever since that day, she follows him wherever he goes, with no shame, in total submission, her soul imprisoned under his spell." "Her bare feet bloodied by stones, her short skirt fluttering in the wind, a ragged shawl protecting her head from sun and storm." "Wherever this man's adventures take him, through abyss, desert, and forest, she follows him like a dog attached to its master." "She, accustomed to soft pillows, and the most delicate sheets," "now sleeps in stable, like a servant girl." "Every night, she falls down, exhausted, on the hay, next to his horses." "Count Wetter of Strahl." "Is all this true?" "It is, my lords." "She follows me wherever I go." "Whenever I look back, I see two things:" "My shadow," " and her." " And how do you explain this bizarre behavior?" "High lords, would you be willing to listen to my words?" "Just tell me if you will, or won't." "Good." "Otherwise, I will beseech the emperor to ennoble Theobald." "I throw my glove at him." "You must answer our question." "How do you explain the fact that she follows you, instead of staying in her home, where she was born and raised?" "About 12 weeks ago, while on a trip to Strasbourg, I was sleeping, in the shade of a rock at noon." "The thought of the girl who had jumped from the window had not crossed my mind." "Suddenly, waking up," "I found her asleep by my feet, like a rose fallen from the heavens." "I told my men, who were scattered around me," "'What on earth?" "'" "'It's little Catherine of Heilbronn'." "She opened her eyes, and adjusted her shawl on her head." "'Catherine, my child', I said," "'What are you doing on the Rhine, 15 miles away from home?" "'" "'I have affairs to tend to in Strasbourg, my lord'." "'I'm afraid of walking alone in the forest, ' 'so I joined you'." "Then," "I sent my valet Gottschalk to fetch some refreshments." "I asked her if she had recovered from her fall." "I inquired about her father and her affairs, but she was not forthcoming." "I hired a guide to walk her through the forest, got on my horse, and left." "That night, I was in bed in a tavern, when Gottschalk comes in." "'The girl is downstairs, and asks to spend the night in the stable.'" "'With the horses?" "', I asked." "'If that is what she wants, I do not object.'" "I asked Gottschalk to give her warm blankets, and told him to keep watch over her." "The next day, she departed before I woke up, and again stayed with my horses in the evening, and night after night thereafter, all through the journey, she stayed on." "I only tolerated it for the sake of this gloomy old man, who now accuses me." "Gottschalk had grown fond the girl, and treated her like his own child." "I planned to take her back to Heilbronn on my way back." "But, at Strasbourg, she still followed me, into the archbishop's castle." "I realized she had no affairs in town, and that she was devoted to serving me, washing my linen by the Rhine everyday." "I asked her, one day as we crossed paths in the stable, what her story was, and why she was in Strasbourg." "'Noble sire', she said, blushing, 'why do you ask?" "'" "'You know why.'" "By god, I thought," "'I will send a messenger to her father right away, ' 'to assure him his daughter was safe with me, ' 'and that he could come get her shortly from the Strahl castle.'" "And did he come?" "Yes." "20 days later, he came for her." "I took him to the ancestors' hall." "To my surprise, he plunged his hands in the stoup, and splashed me with holy water." "With no malice," "I bid him sit down, and I told him what had transpired." "In my sympathy," "I even advised him how to mend this problem." "I consoled him." "I took him to the girl, who was in the stable, mending my sword." "As soon as he crossed the door, as soon as he opened his arms to embrace her, she flung herself at me, pale, good as dead, and begged me to protect her from him." "He stood there frozen, like a marble statue." "He looked at me, with fury in his eyes, and said, 'this man is Satan incarnated', and threw his hat at me, as if exorcising a demon." "He rushed back to Heilbronn, thinking the devil was at his heels." "Strange man, are you certain you were not hallucinating?" "What is it you reproach in the knight's behavior?" "How is he to blame for the girl falling in love with him?" "Where did he err in this story?" "Where did he err?" "You are a creature too vile to be described in words." "You stand there, pure and spotless, as if cherubs had lent you their brightness, and washed your soul in light more dazzling than the sun's." "I can't but recoil in horror to a being that corrupted the most innocent heart, that made a girl turn against her own father, like he was a wild beast." "If the world has come to this, then reign, princess of dark magic, you sickening queen of the night." "Set loose the demonic forces humanity has struggled hard to contain." "Let them run amok in the forests, until the trees fall down, and the flowers on the ground wilt and die." "May hell's venomous sap gush from the trunks and petals, may poisonous clouds rain on the villages and burst their dams, and may innocence and virtue drown in the devastating flood." "Did he poison her?" " Did he give her magic potions?" " Or perhaps opium, that by some mysterious process bewitched her heart?" "Poison?" "Opium?" "My dear lords, why do you ask me?" "I did not see what he did to her in the shade of rocks, or in tavern stables." "How would I know what he did?" "Wait nine months, and perhaps then you will see the effects of his actions." "The old mule." "I have nothing but my name to counter him with." "Let her in." "If she utters one breath that gives credence to the sickness in his mind, you may call me the count of nauseous mud, or any other name that satisfies your indignation." " Oh highest of lords." " What is wrong?" " I want to confront my judge." " I am not your judge." "Stand up." "They sit there." "I am accused, just like you." " Did I wrong you, my lord?" " No." "Lift your face from the dust." "I practice magic, I admit." "I release your soul from my spell, and set you free." " Young girl, you must face us." " Right here." "Your judges await." "You are trying to dupe me." "Here you must come, here you must speak." "Well then?" "You must comply." "Will you disobey a judge's order?" "They call for me." "What is she saying?" "What is wrong with the child, my lords?" "They sit with pointy hats, decked from head to toe," "like on judgment day." "Strange girl." "What are you saying?" "You are here, facing the secret court of justice." "I am accused of stealing your heart by malicious means." "Tell them the truth." "You torture me so much that my tears stream down my cheeks." "Noble sire, tell your servant what she must do." "Tell you what?" "You must face them and answer their questions." "No." "Speak." " Are you accused?" " As you can see." "And these men there, are they your judges?" "Whoever you may be, noble sires, leave your seats and set him free." "Because, by god, I tell you with no fear that his heart is as pure and bright as his armor," "and mine, like yours, compared to his, is as black as your robes." "If a wrong was perpetrated, then it is he who must be the judge," "and you, stand accused, trembling." "Fool, barely out of her mother's womb, where do you draw this prophetic fury from?" "Poor girl." "My dear father." " You must speak to them." " Father, do not push me away." "Do you recognize me, in spite of my hair that's gone gray since you left?" "Not a day passes by that I don't think of your curls." "Father, have patience." "Do not surrender to pain." "If, from joy, it turns back to brown," "you will blossom again, like a young man." "Guards, seize her." "Go, my child, and answer their call." " Lords, what do you want from me?" " How can one be so mad?" "You must deliver short and clear answers to all my questions." "Only we have the right to judge you, and if found guilty, to punish your young rebellious soul." "Tell me, lord, what is it you want to know?" "Why, when Friedrich count of Strahl visited your father, did you, Catherine, kneel before him?" "And why did you jump out of a window, into the street, like a mad woman?" "Why did you follow him, your legs barely healed, here and there, through night and fog, wherever his horse took him?" "That..." "Must I answer those questions?" "The little fool." "You demented girl, why do you ask me?" "Didn't these men tell you to tell the truth?" "Take my life, my lord, if I have sinned." "That which occurs in the silence of one's heart," "god does not punish, and need not be revealed to men," "and it is cruel to ask me of it." "But you may demand it, my lord, if you wish, because my soul, for you," "is forever wide open." "Have you ever seen such a thing?" "I hope you forgive me, lords." "The girl is utterly unreasonable." "She is under the spell of a mirage, god knows which one." "Please permit me to ask her some questions," "and you will find out, I hope, whether or not my soul is guilty." "Good." "You may try, count." "Interrogate her." "Your most secret thought," "Catherine, you hear?" "The one most ensconced in your heart, would you tell it to me?" "My whole heart is yours for the taking, my lord." "All my secrets are yours if you want them." "Answer this, and be clear." "What made you follow in my footsteps?" "Noble lord, do not make me answer that." "My lord, were I prostrated, as I am now, facing the ultimate judge," "seated in his throne of gold, with frightening Conscience, in an armor of flames, standing beside him," "all my thoughts would still have answered your questions:" "'I know not why'." "Would you lie to me?" "Would you cheat me, the one who haunts your thoughts?" "I, who awakened you with my gaze, like sunlight opening closed blossoms?" "Confess how I, one day, wounded you in body and in soul." " But where?" " Here or there." " When?" " On one day, or the other." " Help me, my lord." "Speak, strange creature." "Do you not remember?" "Which, of all the places we've met in, is the most vivid in your mind?" " The most vivid is the Rhine." " Good then." "What happened there, on the bank, while we rested in the shade?" "Do you remember what occurred?" "No, my high lord." "No?" "Are you certain?" "No?" "What drink did I offer you lips?" "I refused your wine, so you sent Gottschalk to fetch me water from the spring." "Did I take your hand, and reach out to your lips..." "Why do you hesitate?" " When?" " On that same day." " No, my lord." " Perhaps on another day." " In Strasbourg?" " Or before that." " You never took my hand." " Catherine." " Yes, in Heilbronn, forgive me." " When?" "When father mended your armor?" "And never again?" " No, my high lord." " Catherine." " Me?" "Touched on the hand?" " Where else then?" "Perhaps once on my chin, in Strasbourg." "When?" "When I was crying by the door, and was not answering your questions." "Why were you silent?" " I was ashamed." " Ashamed?" "Very well." "You had blushed at my questions." "What was it I asked you?" "You told me that my father must be very worried about me." "You asked me if I'd consent to taking one of your horses and going back to him," " to Heilbronn." " That was not it." "Where else did I meet you?" "Perhaps in the stable?" " No, my lord." " You deny it?" "You never visited me in the stable, and you never touched me either." "What?" "Never?" "No, my lord." " Never, my lord." "Never." " The shameless, insolent liar." " May I be denied salvation if you ever..." " You blaspheme." "She's perjuring herself." "The poor creature thinks god will forgive her lies." "What happened in my stable, after dark, when I asked Gottschalk to leave us?" "Sweet Jesus," "I had forgotten about that." "The stable, in Strahl..." "Yes, you visited me there." "Finally, you confess." "And there she renounced her soul's salvation." "Yes, I visited her at the stable in Strahl." "You are torturing the poor child." " Come, child." " Leave me be." " Leave me be." " That is no humane treatment." "Well then, did nothing happen in the stable?" "My lords, if you believe it is so, issue the order, and let us part ways." "You must question the child further." "But do not crush her with cruelty, even if you are capable of it." "Your treatment of her is worse than the charges leveled against you." "My lords, my goal was to vindicate her in your eyes." "That is all." "If you believe she is innocent, as I do, then let her leave." "You seem to have reasons to desire that outcome." "Reasons?" "I do indeed, because I'm afraid that you will" " crush her with your justice." " We wish to hear again about what transpired in your stable at Strahl." " Is that your wish?" " Yes." " On your knees." " What impudence." " Count Wetter of Strahl." " Calm down." "You'll only answer to me." " Pardon me, we're the ones..." " Do not move." "Only he to whom you gave your soul has the right to judge you." " We will find a way..." " I said no." "May the devil take me if you hurt her." " What do you wish to know, lords?" " What arrogance." "Guards." "Friend, let him be." "Remember who he is." "Let us give him a chance." " We must use cunning with the girl." " I agree." "He may proceed." "Ask her what happened in the stable after dark." "You asked Gottschalk to leave you two alone." "What happened?" "Five days ago, at night, in the stable, in the dark, when I asked Gottschalk to leave us?" "My high lord, forgive me, I wronged you." "I will answer everything, and will no longer whisper." "That night, I touched you." "Isn't that so?" "Tell me." "Yes, my lord." "Well, tell me more." " What, my lord?" " Tell me more." " More?" " Speak." "Don't hesitate." "I held you in my arms, and then," "I kissed you." "Isn't it so?" "No, my high lord." "You know perfectly well that you kicked me away." "Kicked you?" "I wouldn't do that to a dog." "Why did I kick you?" "What did you do?" "Because my father was on his way on horseback to come and get me," "I turned my back in terror, and fell to my knees, clutching your leg, begging you to protect me." "Is that when I kicked you away?" "Yes, my lord." "But it was only in jest." "I was putting on an act for you father." "And you stayed, as before, in Strahl?" " No, my lord." " Where then?" "Tell me." "When, red with anger, you grabbed your whip," "I escaped through the door and I hid in a breach in the rampart," "where a titmouse had built her nest." "And I set my dogs loose on you." " No, my lord." " Yes, I did." "You know only too well." "Then, perused by the hurling pack, you left my lands, and I asked my neighbors to chase you away." "Isn't it so?" "No, my high lord." "What are you saying?" "Three days later, you sent Gottschalk to tell me that I was your dear little Catherine," "but that I had to be reasonable, and leave." "What was your answer?" "My lord, I told him that, like the titmouse whose chirping you tolerate," "you should let little Catherine of Heilbronn be." "Take her, Vehmic lords." "She and I are at your mercy." "This is a case of nature's common witchcraft." "If your judgment is ready, lords, as mine is, let's move to the verdict, and collect the votes." "Yes." "Friedrich Wetter of Strahl, you are unanimously acquitted." "And you, Theobald, do not come back before you have more solid proof." "The court is adjourned." "My high lords, do you declare them innocent?" "God made the world from nothing, and who sent it all back to nothing," " back to its original chaos, if not Satan?" " Silence." "Foolish old man." "What do you take Vehm for?" "We are not here to indulge your whims." " Guards, take him away." " Away?" " My child." "Never." " It is in your hands, count, since your hold on the girl is strong." "Give us one more proof of your power, and deliver her back to her father." "Lords," "I will do all I can." "Listen, child." "My lord." "Do you love me?" "Yes, with all my heart." "Will you then, for the sake of my love..." "Tell me, sweet lord." " I will do as you wish." " Stop following me." "Go with your father." "Would you do that?" "Yes, since I made a promise." "Count Strahl." "A messenger from your mother." "Out of breath." "On his last legs." "Were your castle a bow, and he an arrow, he wouldn't have traveled faster." "Flamberg, what news do you bring?" "War." " Your mother was just informed." " Who declares war?" "Not from the burgrave, with whom I just reconciled?" "The Rheingraf Von Stein declares war." "The Rheingraf." " I did not wrong the Rheingraf." " You didn't wrong the burgrave either." "You did not wrong the ones that came before the burgrave either." "If you don't stomp out the fire that is provoking this war, the whole plain will burn, and the Alps as well." "Impossible." "Cunégonde." "The Rheingraf demands, in the name of Cunégonde of Turnec, the restitution of the Staufen fiefdom, its three little towns, and its lands, sold by her ancestor to yours, just like the burgrave did, and his cousins before him." "The harpy." "This is the third knight she sets against me, in order to take my lands away." "It seems that half the empire is under this woman's spell." " Does he claim that the sale was void?" " Yes." "He invokes the ancient laws." "Duty and honor demand it, he claims." "He says that his only concern is to restore the lady's rights." "And perhaps claim her rosy cheeks in return." " He did not say." " May she catch the plague." "Her cursed beauty is the cause of my troubles." "As long as I do not deal with her, she will keep sending her suitors against me." "Burgrave." "A cabin." " Who is it?" " No questions." "Open the door." "Who are you?" " What do you..." " I am a knight, and this lady, whom we carried here, half dead, is..." " Get away." " Watch out, rabble." " Who are you?" " A knight, you boor." "Knights, caught in the storm, coming back from the crusades in Jerusalem." "And this lady..." "Not so loud." "The storm is deafening." " From Jerusalem, you say?" " Yes, Jerusalem." " And the lady?" " She's the knight's sister." "She is ill." "She is his sister, and my wife, half dead, as you can see." "She is too weak to speak." "She needs shelter from the storm," " until daylight breaks." " If that was all, there was no need to shred your lungs about it." " Girl." " Yes." "Get some hay and blankets." "George, I could die of happiness." "We got her, Cunégonde of Turnec." "I would not trade all of heaven's delights for this happiness." "Not even a queen, mounted on a magnificent horse, with her knights around her, like the planets around the sun..." "Not even Thalestris, queen of the Amazons, descending from the mountain to pray Alexander to grant her a kiss..." "Not even she is more beautiful and divine." " How did you seize her?" " In the Stein castle, during the celebration the Rheingraf threw in her honor," "As soon as her knights left," "I pushed her cousin Isidor to the ground, and, then, I brought her here, on horseback." "What will you do?" "My friend, it will be balm" "to this heart, that revenge has turned drier than wood." "Why should this hollow statue remain on a pedestal, like an Olympus goddess?" "Throw her, from our highest church nave, and when she shatters in the rubble, you shall see that no god ever inhabited her." " Why do you hate her with such passion?" " My George," "A man can part with anything, except his heart." "I loved her, and she was not worthy." "I loved her, and she despised me." "She was not worthy of my love." "I will tell you, and I shudder when I think of it." "If the devil ever runs out of schemes, he should talk to the rooster who pursued a chicken, and never saw her scabies." " Will your revenge be worthy of a knight?" " By god, it will." "I will not throw her to my servants." "I will take her back to the Stein castle, to the Rheingraf, and then," "I will wash her face." "It will be" " my only vengeance." " Wash her face?" " Yes." " I will then gather the people." " And?" "Then, I will give a speech about her." "I will formulate a metaphysical thesis, in the style of Plato." "I will then mock her, like Diogenes would have." "Man is a featherless two-legged animal, Plato said." "Do you know how Diogenes proved it?" "He plucked a rooster, and threw it to the mob." "Who goes there?" "May we come in?" " This is a night only fit for wolves." " Pardon me, lord." "You may not go in, whoever you are." " Why can't I enter?" " There is no space for you or for us." "My wife, who is severely ill, occupies the only bed." " You won't disturb her..." " No." "I hope she recovers as soon as possible." "Gottschalk." "Bring the blankets." "Very well." "We will sleep in the open." "The boy says that there is an armed man inside, guarding a woman in chains, like a beast of prey." " Boy." " How do you know this?" "Come here." " By god." "I was sleeping on the hay, when they brought her, claiming she was ill." "I turned the light towards her, and could see that she was not ill, and had rosy cheeks." "She was whimpering, and imploring me with her eyes, like a scared animal." "Her eyes were saying: 'Release me, child." "Release me.'" "It was as if I could hear with my eyes, and speak with my fingers." "What are you waiting for?" " Will you protect me?" " Fear nothing." "We are knights." "Stay here and keep an eye on them." "My father will help me." "Strange people." "What kind of person puts his wife in chains?" " They say she is ill." " Well?" "She is not." "My savior, whoever you are." "Take this distressed creature under your wing." "As a knight, you have sworn to protect the innocent." "Innocence is in front of you, soiled in the mud." " Lords, stop." "First..." " Out of the way." " I want my wife, by god." " Your wife, liar?" " Do not touch her." "I now speak in the lady's name." "She is under my protection." " She is under..." " Quiet, you insolent..." "How dare you come between husband and wife?" "Who gave you the right?" "I am not your wife, you vicious man." "You call her your wife, and yet you brought her here, a prisoner in chains." " Who are you?" "Speak." " Lord, you wrong me." " Who are you?" "Open your visor." " This lady is my wife." "Your visor." "But, lord..." "How dare you not comply with my demand?" "I am..." "Wait..." "You mad man." "What have you done?" "Burgrave of Fribourg?" " Good god." "It is you." " It is him," " the hound of hell." " What did you want with this poor woman?" "He can no longer speak." "Blood fills his mouth." " Let him choke." " This is a bad dream." "You, such a noble man." " Come to his help." " Let's prop him up." " Let's take him to the cabin." " Take him to his tomb." " Bring your shovels, and get it done." " Please calm down." "A drink, please." " Do you not feel well?" " Do not worry." "Madame." "I feel better." "Light comes back to my eyes." "My generous savior." "My hero, how to explain this?" "A monstrous injustice has befallen me." "When I think of what might have happened to me, my hair stands on end," "and in my veins, blood freezes like ice." "Speak." "What happened?" "Who are you?" "I am pleased to tell you that the exploit of your brave act" "was at the service of a worthy being." "Cunégonde, baroness of Turnec, is my name." "You are..." "Impossible." "Cunégonde, baroness of Turnec?" "Yes." "Does it surprise you?" "I am sorry to say that I am Friedrich, count Wetter of Strahl." "What?" "Is that your name?" "My savior's name." "I am afraid that your name does not being me joy." "God high above, why do you torment me?" "Let it be." "The feelings that inflame my soul must not conquer me." "From now on, I only want to bear witness to innocence, honor, life, salvation and protection against the cruel wolf that was hunting me." "Come here, my treasure," "my sweet child." "You, who saved me, take this ring." "That is all I can give you." "One day, with more dignity," "I will reward, young hero, the arm that delivered me, that saved me from shame," "and guided me out of the storm." "My master, all that was once mine is yours." "What have you decided?" "I am at your mercy." "What shall become of me?" "Must I follow you to your domain?" "Young lady," "it is nearby." "Take a horse, and spend the night with my mother, the countess." " Excuse the circumstances in which..." " No." "No, I beg you." "Do not humiliate me." "To your prison," " I go willingly." " My prison?" "Rest assured," "fair lady." "You generosity overwhelms me." "These curls, my Rosalie, seem to me a little too... seductive." "I do not wish to exhaust all my art's arsenal in meaningless details." "A soupcon of neglect sometimes highlights the whole, and proves its perfection." "This diamond, attached to a feather, looks quite nice, doesn't it?" "I bask in its shining light." "And yet," "I will cover it with my hair." "It will then seem that it draws its light from me." "Her brightness is shrouded, and the shrewd being who thought of hiding it shines brighter." "Yes." "You may be right, but I fail to see how such details could make a difference in your appearance." "You are wrong, my Rosalie." "The art you apply to my toilette is much more than an assortment of forms and colors." "The invisible object lying inside me, that some call the soul..." "I want it to glow in everyone's eyes, even the dead's." "I believe that every detail about me may be pregnant with meaning." "A hanging band, a loose veil..." "A bouquet, a necklace..." "Or a robe, turned up at the tip, or not." "They're all traits that speak, and, when accumulated, describe the state of one's soul." "This feather, that you set in my hair, you must admit it expresses something." "To better achieve today's goals," "I'll lower it, and it will sing a different tune." "If the Rheingraf visits me, you must expose my forehead." "If, however, I expect count Wetter, then I'll let my hair down." "That way, I'll express what I am, and I'll teach him how to appreciate it, the right way." "Noble lady," " the count inquires if you needs anything." " No, nothing." " When will he come?" " He won't be long." "Well then?" "So it is you?" "Lady Cunégonde of Turnec?" "Yes, it is I." "And you're the emperor's daughter?" "The emperor's daughter?" "No." "Who said so?" "I am not related to the emperor." "I am the descendant of an old emperor, who once reigned over Germany." "Lord." "It is not possible." " Well, what is it?" " So..." "The count's dream has come true." "What dream?" "It is a most unbelievable story." "At the end of last year, after a strange period of torpor, that no one could explain," "the count fell ill." "He lay in bed, face red with fever, and delirious." "The doctors, who had tried all remedies, said that he was lost." "In his feverish daze, his most secrets thoughts came to his lips." "It is a pleasure, he said, to depart from life." "Since no young girl was capable of loving him, and life without love is death," "he deemed the world a tomb, and the tomb" "a crib." "He thought he will be born again." "Three nights in a row, his mother stayed beside him, and told him" "that an angel came to her, and said to her." "'Have faith.'" "The countess asked him if this sign from the heavens comforted him, and he said:" "'Comforted?" "No.'" "And he added with a sigh," "'Perhaps I will be, once I see her.'" "'When you see her?" "', the countess asked." "Indeed, he said." "'But when, and where?" "', she implored." "'On the night of Saint-Sylvestre, he will take me to her.'" "'Who?" "', she asked." "'My dear son, who will take you?" "'" "'Who?" "'" "'The angel, ' 'to my betrothed', he said," "and he fell asleep." "Nonsense." "Afterwards, on Saint-Sylvestre, as the year passed, he sat up in his bed, eyes blazing, as if he was having a vision, and shouted:" "'Mother." "Mother." "Mother.'" "'What is it?" "', asked his mother." "'There'." "And he pointed to the void. 'Hurry, hurry.'" "'My helmet." "My armor." "My sword.'" "'Where are you going?" "', asked his mother." "'To her', he said." "'To her.'" "And he collapsed, while whispering:" "'Farewell, mother', and laid there," " dead." " Dead?" "Yes, dead." " Surely you mean half-dead." " She said dead." "Do not trouble her." " And then?" " She pressed her ear to his chest." "It was as silent as a tomb." "They put a feather on his nose, but it did not move." "The doctor thought he was gone." "We screamed his name to his ear, we gave him shots, we pulled hairs form his head to see if the blood was flowing, all in vain." " He did not stir, like he was dead." " And then?" "After being in that state for a long time, he stood up," "and said, with a heavy sigh," "'They're bringing the torches.'" "'She has disappeared again.'" "He turned to the wall, as if to shield himself from the light." "The countess bent over him, put his head on her breast, and said:" "'My Friedrich, ' 'where were you?" "'" "'I was by her, ' 'the one who loves me.'" "'By the one whom the heavens chose for me.'" "'Go, mother, ' 'and pray for me in all the churches, because now, '" " 'I wish to live.'" " And he got better?" "It was a miracle." "He gained strength, from hour to hour, as if healed by divine balm." "Before the new moon, he was fully recovered." "And did he tell you what had happened?" "He told us again and again." "The angel guided him by the hand, through the night." "The angel gently opened the door to the girl's room, and, illuminating the walls with his glow," "went in." "The gracious child was sleeping in her nightgown." "She opened her eyes, and called out, in her surprise, to a certain Marianne, perhaps a servant girl sleeping in the adjacent room." "Her face flushed with joy, she got out of her bed," "and went on her knees, saying, with her head bent," "'My handsome lord.'" "The angel then told him that she was the daughter of an emperor, and showed him a birthmark on her neck," "and he, in the throes of wonder, held her by the chin, and admired her face." "And then the foolish Marianne came in with a lamp, and the vision suddenly vanished." "And..." "Do you think that the emperor's daughter is me?" "Who else would it be?" "Oh, worthy of respect, mother of my savior." "To what coincidence do I owe the honor of seeing your face," " and kissing your hand?" " Child, do not embarrass my modesty." "I simply came to kiss you on the forehead, and see how you were doing in my abode." "Very well." "I have all I need here, and I do not deserve all your favors." "You treat me like a daughter." "The only thing that troubles my soul is the feeling that I am unworthy." "But it only took an instant with you to quell our quarrel in my heart." "How is your left hand, count of Strahl?" "My hand?" "My lady, it is nothing." "I hurt it slightly while helping you mount your horse." "No." "I noticed, on our way to the castle, that your blood was spilling in clear drops." "My hand has forgotten all about it." "If those drops were the price I payed Fribourg to save you, then he let you go for a pittance." "You value them too lowly." "I don't." "Won't you sit, my lady?" "Have you thought about your future?" "Have you pondered on the state in which destiny has left you?" "Have you decided on how you will proceed?" "Oh, venerable lady, noble countess," "I wish to live the rest of my life in the appreciation and the memory of all that was done for me tonight, and in the veneration, vivid and inextinguishable, of your name and you house," "if you allow me, to my last breath," "in the Turnec castle, next to my kin." "When would you like to leave?" "I wish to depart soon, because my aunts expect me." "Tomorrow, if possible, or in a few days." "But have you thought about what prevents it?" "Noble lady, nothing does." "If you would allow me," "I will explain myself, with an open heart." "Please take this, count Wetter of Strahl." "My lady," "May I know what this is?" "Documents concerning my litigation on the Staufen fiefdom, on which I was basing my claims." "Baroness, you insult me." "If you believe these documents are founded, I wish you keep it." "Take them, count of Strahl, they have lapsed." "The right of sale they hold has expired." "As for my right, even if it were as clear as the sun," "I wouldn't use it against you." "No." "I accept peace with pleasure, if that is your gift to me." "However, if you still believe you have claims on Staufen, then please keep them, present your case to the emperor, and let the law be the arbiter." "Save me, noble lady, of these inopportune documents that burn my hands, and wound me deep in my soul, and which, in this world, even if I live to be ninety years old, will never be of any use to me." "Your gratitude, my dear lady, takes you too far." "That which is the right of your whole family cannot be dismissed by you on a whim." "Accept my son's proposal." "Let him present his papers, and rest assured we will always hold you highly, regardless of the outcome." "My claim belongs solely to me." "I do not need to consult any cousin, and to my sons," "I only wish to bequeath my heart." "Why would I trouble my family about this?" "My violent heart has made its decision." "Oh, my sweet, my young and rash child." "What have you done?" "Come to me." "Since it is done, let me kiss you." "I want... that the feelings that burn in me never get second-guessed." "I want... to tear down the wall that separates me from my savior." "All I desire, in my life," " is to love him, and honor him." " Very well, my child." "You seem shaken." "I dare to hope, my lady, that you will not come to regret any of this." "When may I leave for Turnec?" "Immediately, whenever you'd like." "My son will take you." " We'll go tomorrow." " I wish you good luck." "And yet, I wish you'd stay here." " You'll dine with us tonight." " With pleasure." "I'll try to regain my calm by then." " By god, she will be my wife." " Well then." "You want me to marry." "Why not her?" "I did not say I disliked her." "She is related to the old Saxon emperor." "Does the dream of Saint-Sylvestre vouch for her?" "I won't hide it, it does." "Father." "Have we arrived?" "Almost." "The monastery is here, behind the trees." "I feel weak." "You're pale." "Your forehead is moist." "Till here, you've been so alert." "You walked for hours through fields and woods, and to rest, you only needed a rock," "and the bag on your shoulder was your pillow." "Today, you are so exhausted that not even the Empress's finest beds would restore your strength." "Do you need anything?" "Water, perhaps?" "A fruit?" "Talk, my little Catherine." "No, thank you, father." "You only need me to leave you in peace," "to go tell my old friend the prior that old Theobald is here, ready to bury his dearest, his only child." "Oh father." "Well, the die is cast." "Before we embark on a decision we can't go back on," "I have one more thing to say." "An idea I had on the journey." " Do you want to know?" " Yes." "Listen carefully." "You want to enter the Ursuline convent, up there, on the solitary mountain." "The world, life's gentle spectacle no longer mean anything to you." "God's face, contemplated in prayer and devotion, will have to replace father, husband," "and children." "Yes, father." "What if, for a few weeks, while the weather is still clement, you returned to your wall to think it over?" "What's that?" "If you returned to the Strahl castle, to the wall, where the titmouse built her nest." "No, father." "Why not?" "The count, my lord, forbids it." "Very well." "The count forbids it." "You can't do what he forbids, but what if I convinced him to change his mind?" "What?" "What are you saying?" "If I asked him to let you stay by the wall, where you're happy, and told him I would provide you with all your needs?" "No, father." "Why not?" "You wouldn't do it, and even if you did, the count would not allow it." "If he allowed it, I would not exploit his kindness." "Catherine, my dear child, I will do it." "I will go down on my knees and I will tell him:" "'My high lord, ' 'allow her to live under the skies that spread over your castle.'" "'If you go on horseback, allow her to follow you from a distance, ' 'and when night falls, let her sleep in the hay by your beasts.'" "'Otherwise, I am afraid she will die of sorrow.'" "Father, in the name of God, you torture me." "Your words are like knives piercing my heart." "I no longer want to join the convent." "I want to go back to Heilbronn." "I want to forget the count, and marry whomever you choose," "even if the nuptial bed proves to be my tomb." "Come." " Let's go to the convent." " No, never." "Never." "Not to the Strahl castle, and not to the convent." "If you'd like, we'll stay at the prior's tonight, and I'll recover my strength." "Tomorrow morning, at dawn, let's go back home." "Rheingraf Von Stein, the rumors are true." "Cunégonde and the count sail at full mast on the ocean of love." "He is at Turnec." "By the new moon, they'll reach the port of hymen." "May lightning strike their mast." "The snake." "She betrays, for my sake, the burgrave, and now she betrays me for the count of Strahl?" " How can I allow it?" " Are they..." " engaged?" " Not officially." "But their comportment says that the contract is already written." "And, the donation of the Staufen fiefdom," " what about it?" " Has he already given it to her?" "Yes." "On her birthday." "She found the property titles on her bed, before sunrise, wrapped in a letter from her lover, given as an engagement present, in case she agrees to give him her hand in marriage." "And, did she take them?" "Of course." "She stood in front of her mirror, bowed down," " and accepted." " The titles, anyway." " And..." " the hand, asked in exchange?" " She did not say no." " Oh, why not?" " Has she ever said no to anyone?" " And will she keep her promise?" " Never." "Well then, friends," "I am done with her witchcraft." "She tricked me, and she will not trick another." "The procession of dupes she dragged by the nose ends with me." "I will curl up here, like a spider, and pretend I was a harmless pile of dust." "And, when she's caught in my web, the Cunégonde," "I will pounce, and the stringer of my vengeance will mercilessly pierce her unfaithful heart." "To kill her." "Kill her." "Kill her." "And I'll keep her skeleton in the attic of the Stein castle, as a monument to the queen of the Cathares." "Take these letters." "One for each of you." "Take them." "This one, to the prior." "I will see him this evening for my absolution." "This one, to Peter Quance, intendent of the Turnec castle." "At midnight, I will be at the castle, with my troops, and will launch the attack." "Do not enter before dark." "Make sure no one sees you." "Open up." "Who's calling?" "It's me, Gottschalk." "It's me." " Dear Gottschalk, it's me." " Who?" "Me." " You?" " Yes." " Who?" " Me." " I know this voice." " By god, I do too." "Count Wetter of Strahl." "Count Strahl, open up." " By god, it's..." " It is indeed." "Oh no." "Go to the devil." "You." "The little dear." "Throw her out." "I do not want to know." "What?" "What are you saying?" " Count Wetter of Strahl..." " Throw her out, I said." "I do not want to know." "Sire, please allow her..." "Here, count." "Take it." "What are you doing?" "What do you want?" "Nothing." " I simply wanted to give you the letter." " I don't want it." "What letter, by god?" "From whom?" "About what?" " It's a letter..." " I don't care." "Leave." "Give it to my servants." " But my high lord, please..." " Listen to this girl." "What insolence." "I don't care, I said leave." "Go back to your father." "My lord master, I will leave now, but this letter is of high importance." "Please accept to take it from me." "I don't want it." "You must leave now." " But my lord..." " Where's the whip?" "Here it is." "We shall see if I can protect" " the peace of my house against this girl." " Noble lord, what are you doing?" "What are you doing?" "It is a letter that she did not write." "Why not take it?" "Be quiet." "You indulge her too much." "I am at Turnec, and I know what I am doing." "I will not take a letter from her hand." "Well then..." "Will you leave?" "Yes, my high lord." " Good." " Don't tremble." " Quick." "Out, I said." "Hand the letter to my servant, and go back from where you came." "Good." "I will obey your orders, but do not whip me if I speak to Gottschalk." "Take the letter." "Give it to me, dear child." "What is this letter?" "What is it about?" "The letter is from the Rheingraf Von Stein." "Understand?" "It is the plan of an attack that will occur today against the castle of Turnec." "Against the fair lady Cunégonde, the noble fiancée of my master the count." "An attack against the castle?" "Impossible." "By the count of Stein?" "Where did you find this?" "It was handed to the prior." "My father and I, by a divine coincidence, were present at the convent." "The prior, in his confusion, was about to hand the letter back, when I tore it from his hand, and ran as fast as I could to alert you." "It is tonight, at midnight, that this awful crime will take place." "But why did the prior get the letter?" "I do not know, my friend, and it does not matter." "See here." "It is written to a person who lives here in the castle." "As for the attack, I saw the proof with my own eyes." "The Rheingraf and his troops are already at the walls." "I saw them on my way here." " You saw phantoms, my child." " No, I swear it is true." "The Rheingraf is here, near the walls." "If you take a horse and have a look, you'll see, in the forest, all around," "archers in battle formation." "Take the letter, count, and judge for yourself." "I do not know what to think." "'At midnight, I will be in front of Turnec.'" "'Leave the gate open.'" "'When you light the fire, I will go in.'" "'You will guide me to the rooms of the count and of Cunégonde.'" "How many men do they have, Catherine?" "Sixty men, my lord." "Maybe seventy." "Did you see the Rheingraf?" " Not him, but his soldiers." " Where are they posted?" " 300 feet from here, in the woods." " To the right?" " On the road?" " To the left, under the pine trees, next to the bridge over the pond." "Let's go, there is no time to lose." "Alert the soldiers." "I will go." "Come, dear Catherine." "You need to cool your burning body." "By god, we owe you so much, for your sacrifice for us, in the dark night, the forests," "the fields." "Come now." "Your face is burning up." "You must put on a shawl, and do not drink before you've warmed up." "You don't have one?" "No." "Come." "Take this." "We'll help you go back to your father." "What are you doing?" " I am waiting, lord..." " There is no time to lose." "I will give you a horse, my child, and all that you need to go back to Heilbronn." "My noble master." "Fire." "My Cunégonde." "The portrait you gave me, Friedrich, the beautiful portrait in the case." " It is inside, save it." " Leave it, it is not important." "The portrait in the case." " Your portrait." "Send someone." " Where will I find it?" "In my desk, sweet girl." "Here's the key." " Go now." " Wait." " Why do you stop her?" " I'll replace it with 10 portraits." "I need that one." "I must have it." "Why?" "Now is not the time to explain." "Go, young girl." "Bring me the case, and I will give you a nice diamond." "With god's help," " I will find it." " Catherine, wait." "Lady, please." "Why are you interested in this child?" " She's the one who saved your life." " So what?" "Is she an emperor's daughter?" "In any case, in spite of the fire, the castle is sturdy." "She risks nothing by going inside." "She should only worry about the smoke." "Come closer." "The smoke." "I can't speak." " The key is not the right one." " Lady, please be careful." "Come down, since you don't have the key." "Wait a moment." "The key, my dear child, is hanging, I think, on a nail on the mirror, on the table." " A nail on the mirror?" " On the table." " I can't see." "The smoke hides everything." " To the right." "Next to the wall." "Search." " Search, I said." " Why does she obey her?" "Her servility is a curse." "Wait a moment." "Here she comes." "Let me go." "I know the mirror and she doesn't." "I will find your dear portrait for you." " No." " Watch out." "By god, am I dreaming?" " My friend, look there." " Leave me be, please." "Have you all become pillars of salt?" " All ends well." " How can you say that?" "Life has lost all taste for me." "The girl, rest assured, did not burn." " She is here, alive, a few steps away." " Where?" "Here." "Impossible." "It is her." "God and all his angels must be watching over you." "How did you escape?" "I do not know, my lord." "The castle was here, and you inside." "What happened, as it crumbled?" "I do not know, my lord, what became of me." "And you got the portrait too?" "What is this?" " Is this all?" " Isn't that what you wanted?" "That's all you got, you stupid creature?" " I told you I wanted the case." " Why the case, for god's sake?" "The case, yes." "You had your name engraved on it." "There are surely more precious things in life." "It is up to me, not to you, to judge its value." "Lady, you leave me speechless." "Idiot." "Why did you take it out of the case?" "Why did you, my child?" "I did not take it out, my lord." "I found the portrait next to the case." " You ape, you..." " Cunégonde." " Should I have put it inside?" " No." "No, dear child, it was just a worthless case." "May the devil take you." "Go to hell." "Rest assured, child, she does not mean what she said." "As long as you are not the one who hits me." "Here she is." "She follows us everywhere." "Although, when we left the cinders of Turnec yesterday, in the company of lady Cunégonde, to settle here, in the Strahl castle, the count gave her a horse to take her back to Heilbronn." "She did not take it." "She wanted to search in the rubble after the fire." "She found this." "The case." "Unscathed, as if made of stone." "What's inside?" "'Act of donation of the lands of Staufen, by the count of Strahl.'" "The devil." "That is why she sent little Catherine into the fire." " We must take it to the count." " She's been walking all night." " I'll take her to the cave for a bath." " Once he wakes up, I'll tell him." " Good morning, Rosalie." " Good morning, miss Brigitte." "Where to?" " I'll have a bath with Catherine." " Who?" "Little Catherine of Heilbronn." "She arrived at dawn." " She walked all night long." " Miss Cunégonde is in there." " Is Catherine not inside?" " No, she is not." " I assure you she isn't there." " Impossible" " Yes." "Perhaps you didn't see her in the dark." "Heavens." "Catherine, have you bathed?" "See how fresh she looks." "Look how pretty she is, as white as swans parading on the Olympus." " Quick, let's leave." " What's wrong, child?" "Confess, you were hiding in the dark." "Brigitte, please, let's leave this place." " Where are you?" " I am coming." " You saw her, admit it." " What is this?" "Tell me." "What happened, child?" "You're pale." "If you speak, you will wish your eyes were torn out of their sockets." "Understand?" "What happened?" "Why is she angry?" "Why is your whole body trembling?" "Had Death appeared before you, with its scythe and hourglass," "you wouldn't be more shaken." "I will tell you, but..." "Yes, speak." "I am listening." "Promise me that you will never repeat it." "No, not to a soul." "You can trust me." "I had sat down in a corner of the cave, shielded by a pillar." "The fresh water was reinvigorating me." "I heard people arguing near me." "Thinking it was you, I got closer, and I saw..." "You saw what?" "Why did you stop?" "You must find the count immediately," " and tell him all." " But tell him what?" "If only I knew." "Do not reveal that I told you." "Better not say anything." "He'll find out soon enough." "It is not my place to open his eyes." "God, will you leave him blind for much longer?" "I don't understand." "You speak in riddles." "Let's go." "You will catch cold, Catherine." "Go back to your shelter by the wall." "I will bring you a bowl of fresh milk." "There, on my dresser, under the mirror," "you will find the powder in a black box." "Pour it in her wine, her water or milk, and say:" "'Here, child." "Drink, my little chick.'" "And if you have to, hold her between your knees." "Poison, vengeance and death." "Use tender words, or any other means," " to make sure she drinks it." " But, my lady..." "Do not argue, scum." "Silence her." "And you better stay silent as well." "She will lie in her tomb, putrefied, pulverized like the wood of her coffin, to which she can relate what her eyes saw, to her heart's content." "When it is done, you can come and talk of pardon, gentleness, duty and laws, of heaven and hell," "of repenting, and of the righteous path of conscience." " She already spoke." "It's useless." " Poison, pestilence, plague, chaos." "There is enough powder to kill the whole castle, including its dogs and cats." "She wants to steal my Friedrich's heart." "He is not indifferent to her ape's face." "She must disappear, the sooner, the better." "The world is not wide enough for the both of us." " What is it?" " A fly." "They're bad today." " She won't let me be." " Must be the stormy weather." " I see it." " Where?" " Here." "No." "There." "She is on your back." "Turn around." "Make sure you do not move." "You really hurt me." "Hell and damnation." "What is it?" "This is the witch's doing." "She tried to poison our little Catherine." "What witch?" "Rosalie, or rather, her mistress." "What are you saying?" "Weigh your words carefully." "Rosalie, while my back was turned, poured poison in the milk." " Where did you get this milk?" " I got it myself." "I tell you..." "She poured poison behind my back." "Why would the lady of Turnec want to poison Catherine?" "Catherine saw her bathing." "What's that?" "What?" "She saw her bathing, and left in a panic." "She said nothing, but I understood." "She is a witch." "She saw her forked feet." "Nonsense." "A witch?" "Lady Cunégonde?" " She is too pretty to be a witch." " Pretty?" "Do you know what the Burgrave said about her?" "That she is a mosaic of all the reigns of nature." "The red of her cheeks, she owes to the mines of Hungary." "Her hair comes from France." "Her teeth used to belong to a lady from Munich." "And her waist, much admired, is the work of an iron corset, forged with the purest Swedish steel." " Do you understand?" " No." "That's for the best." "I do not advise you to visit her room, when all her charms are scattered on the chairs." "Who is it?" "Make sure the door is locked." "My god." "It is the count." " Who was that strange lady?" " Where?" " On the chair." " I though I recognized the voice of..." " Whose voice?" " Miss Cunégonde." " Are you joking?" "It's old Sybil, my godmother." "She followed us from Turnec." "You must have scared her." "The door was open." "I thought it was fine to enter." "Please sit." "I will get my lady." "She is still in bed." "God all mighty." "How could my soul be so misled?" "When a storm hits the land, I'll take my horse, put on my iron helmet, and offer this head, that mistook such a monstrosity for beauty, to lightning." "What a nice surprise it is to receive you this morning." "Excuse me, my lady." "I wanted to make sure you didn't need anything." "Nothing, count." "Your hospitality is exemplary." "Everything is perfect." "Except that I am impatient" "and can't wait for the blessed day of our marriage." "The impatience is no less vivid in me." "But..." "I did know I scared you so." "Pardon, my count, a distressed victim, still shaken from an attempt on her life." "I hope you do not begrudge my modesty shying away from you." "No." "I am the luckiest of men." "However, I am afraid I come bearing sad news." "The death, unexpected and sudden, with no reason, of Catherine of Heilbronn." "The one who saved your portrait from the fire?" "Why did they let her sleep with no blanket, exposed to rain, wind and cold?" "How unjust is the fate of some." "Do not accuse the sky or me, lady." "Pardon me for disturbing your toilette." "Damnation." "He knows everything." "We must run away." "She sleeps, oblivious to danger." "When I see her, her cheeks rosy from sleep, hands crossed on her chest, woman's sensibility washes over me, like a wave," "and brings me to tears." "I would die if she doesn't forgive me raising my whip at her." "What am I saying?" "She must have fallen asleep praying for me." "Are you sleeping?" "No, my dear lord." "Your eyes are shut, however." "My eyes?" "What are you saying?" "Do you claim that your eyes are open?" "They're open as wide as they can be, my dear lord." "I see you, there, on your horse." "The red one?" "No, the white one." "Where are you?" "In a beautiful green field, enameled with flowers of a thousand colors." "Forget-me-nots, and Chamomiles." "Look there, such pretty violets." "I will dismount, Catherine, and sit by you in the grass." "May I?" "My dear lord, do as you wish." "Gottschalk, hold my horse." "Gottschalk, where are you?" "Leave it be, it won't run away." "You think?" "Well then, here I come." "My dear Catherine." "Oh, most high lord." "Do you love me?" "Yes, with all my heart." "What about me?" "I don't." " Naughty boy." " What, me, naughty?" "You, little one..." "Yes." "You love me, my lord." "You are at my feet, like a small insect." "An insect?" "Who, me?" "Yes, just like an insect." "I can't convince her otherwise." "Fine." "I admit defeat." "However, Catherine, how will all this all end?" "By Easter or a little later, you will marry me." "Marry you?" "What an idea." "Who told you that?" "Marianne told me." "Who is Marianne?" "The servant in our house." " And how does she know?" " She saw it in the lead that she secretly melted for me, on saint-Sylvestre." "What are you saying?" "She predicted..." "That a tall, handsome knight will come and marry me." "And you think that's me?" " Yes, lord." " My child, I'm certain it's someone else." "Flamberge, or some other one." "What do you say?" "No." "No?" "No." "Why not?" "Tell me." "I'll tell you." "When I went to bed, the lead already poured, the night of the new year," "I prayed very hard to god if what Marianne said was true, to show me the knight in my dream." "That's when you appeared to me, at midnight, as alive as I see you now," "to greet me, your dear fiancée." "Perhaps I did it, but only in your dreams." "When, you said?" "On the eve of Saint-Sylvestre, almost two years ago." "Strange." "On new year's eve." "Give me more details." "Was I alone?" " No, my lord." " Who was with me?" "Do you not recall?" "A cherub, my lord, was next to you, with wings white as snow on his shoulders, and light glowing all around him." "He took you by the hand and led you to me." "By god, you are right." "Yes, my lord." "Your head rested on a white pillow, and the wool of your covers was red." "Yes, that is right." "You shouted: 'Marianne'." "I shouted: 'Marianne'." "And you looked at me, eyes wide open." "Yes, because I thought it was only a dream." "Then, trembling all over, you got out of bed, and collapsed at my feet." "Whispering:" "Whispering:" "'Most venerable lord.'" " And the angel showed you..." " The mark." "God above, protect me." "Do you have it?" " Yes, of course." " Where?" "On the neck?" "You may look." "God almighty." "When I held you by the chin, to take a look at your face..." "Right then, the fool Marianne came with her lamp," "and all disappeared." "I was on the floor, by my bed, and Marianne was mocking me." "Mighty god, lend me a hand." "I am confused." "I am a spirit wondering in the night." "What felt like a dream was in fact real." "In the Strahl castle, I was bedridden with fever, but, escorted by a cherub, my spirit traveled to Heilbronn to visit her." "Dazed by this wild light, my soul teeters on the edge of lunacy, but the revelation that she is the daughter of an emperor," "what to make of it?" "Count Wetter of Strahl, you have, three months ago, during a trip, passing through Heilbronn, struck, like lightning, the heart of a mad girl," "and helped her escape from her home, and instead of restoring her to her old father, you kept her in your own castle, against all decency." "Then, to deaden the repulsive nature of your act, you spread ridiculous and vile rumors." "A cherub, you claim, appeared to you in the night, and assured you that the young lady is the descendant of my imperial blood." "This dubious tribute you make me," "I despise it, and you may in my honor, even put the crown on her head." "But here stands a man burdened with shame." "And you, not content with seducing his daughter, you want to make his wife an adulteress, when in fact she was always faithful, and he is the legitimate father." "Per his pressing complaint, we call on you to appear before the throne and wash away these odious doubts from these people." "Accept the combat." "You, the darling of angels." "You must agree to a duel" " to prove that their claims are true." " My emperor." "You have before you an arm vigorous as a trunk, hard as steel, ready to confront the devils of hell." "How would I raise it against a Grey head I can flatten in one strike?" "Spare me, my lord, from repeating this confused and absurd child's tale, which, inspired by strange events, formed a strange mass and cast a spell on my naive mind." "Treat, I beg you, my Saint-Sylvestre dream, as a mere feverish hallucination." "I would rather that you treat me as a Turk, than believe that I dreamed that this man's daughter was your child." "Miserable hypocrite." "Do you dare deny it?" "That your soul is possessed by the belief that she is his bastard child?" "Didn't you look up her baptism in the registry, in order to guess the date of her birth?" "Didn't you employ your vile energy to discover that his majesty the emperor, sixteen years ago, passed by Heilbronn?" "Oh, you, monster born from a god's kiss on a fury's mouth." "You parricidal soul, sapping the granite columns of nature's eternal temple." "Offspring of hell, my sharp sword will unmask you." "Otherwise, turned against me, may it send me to my dark tomb." "So be it." "Cursed man, spread your poison, strike a soul that did you no wrong." "You're forcing me into a confrontation I don't want, you foolish swordsman." "A cherub, basking in light, appeared to me in my illness." "He told me the truth." "Why challenge the wisdom emanating from the divine heavenly fountains?" "God be my witness, I affirm this, and shout it clearly into your ear." "Catherine of Heilbronn, whom you pretend is your daughter, is the emperor's child." "You cannot" " convince me otherwise." " Fraud." "Sound the slanderer's death." "Were my sword a blade of grass attached to my hand with soft wax," "I'll still cut you in half, like a poisonous mushroom, to prove to the world, you villain, that you lie." "Were my helmet transparent, thin and fragile as glass, your sword will still shatter in pieces, throwing sparks in all directions, as if it hit a diamond," " to prove that I say the truth." " Put on your helmet." "Strike." "Your helmet, I said." "My mere gaze paralyzes you." "What prevents me, in the heat of the battle, from crushing your skull?" "Only the a sphinx can explain this, but there is no denying that Catherine is the emperor's daughter." "The angel, who affirmed to the count of Strahl" "that Catherine was my daughter was right." "She must be 15 years old now." "And..." "A little under sixteen years ago," "I was presiding in the honor of my sister, countess Palatine," "over a tournament in Heilbronn." "It was eleven at night." "Jupiter sparkled in the east, when, tired of dancing," "I slipped away, incognito, to the gardens of the castle," "among the crowd, to take some air," "and..." "Gertrude." "That was the young lady's name, with whom I retired to a secluded part of the garden," "in the dying glimmer of the lamps, and the fragrance of lime," "and the distant echo of music traveling from the dance hall." "Catherine's mother is called Gertrude as well." "She who is friends with angels makes an emperor proud to be her father." "You must hand her to me." "She shall be named Catherine of Swaab." "It is to me that one must ask her hand in marriage." "I implore you on my knee, then, give her to me." "Aren't you marrying the lady from Turnec?" "My heart beat for her for a mere second, whereas I've loved Catherine forever, even if I didn't know it." "What says Theobald?" "Will you give her to him?" "Whom god has united, man cannot separate." "Take her, then." "On one condition." "You will speak of this to no one, not to today's fiancée, nor to tomorrow's." "Prepare your marriage for the selected date." "I want to humiliate the lady of Turnec on that day," "for disturbing peace in my empire." "It will be done, as your majesty desires." "I have something to say." "Speak, my lord." "Get closer." "First, my sweet child," "I must tell you that I love you with every fiber of my being." "The deer, tortured by the heat, gallops through the forest, and does not yearn to jump in the fresh water of the stream as much as I, now that you are mine, desire to tread in the sensuality of your young being." "Jesus." "I understand nothing of what you say." "Pardon me if my words sometimes wounded you, if my violent behavior sometimes hurt you." "When I think how cruelly I pushed you away, sadness swells inside me, and I can't hold back my tears." "Heavens." "What's wrong?" "What troubles you?" " When did you ever hurt me?" " Oh, dear child." "Before day breaks, I will cover this foot with gold, for causing it pain while chasing after me." "A silk hat for this head, so often tortured by the heat." "Arabia will send its most noble steed, decked in gold, so that my beloved rides it when duty calls me to combat." "And there, where the titmouse built her nest, chirping," "I will build a summer lodge, with high ceilings and vast rooms, in order to house, forever," "my Catherine." "My Friedrich, my adored, what must I think of this?" "Nothing." "Nothing?" "Nothing." "I mean nothing." "I'll be silent until tomorrow." "But I must ask you for a favor." "A favor?" "What favor?" "Catherine," "tomorrow, I marry," "and all is ready for the ceremony." "At noon, I take my bride to the hotel, and I thought of a game, where I want you to be disguised as a goddess." "You will need to throw away these rags, and wear a pretty robe, all white," "all ready for you." "Would you do that?" "This..." "Yes, my lord." "Why are you crying?" " You cry?" " It's nothing." "Something stuck in my eye." "You don't understand." "I want you to be the prettiest tomorrow," " even prettier than Cunégonde." " Cunégonde?" "What?" " Isn't she pretty?" " No, my dear lord." "Then... we no longer hold secrets from one another." "Will you take me as your husband?" "Yes, my sweet lord." "SUBTITLES BY KANAFANI"