musicians of old

Chapter 796 Sister's Summoning

"Witch. Who can tell?"

The strange pink bruises on Nancy's neck reappeared in Fanning's mind. The detention file he read in the dungeon yesterday stated that this person had "Lucifer's scales" on his neck to convict him.

As for whether Pogre really judged this way or just imposed a crime to comply with the bishop's criticism of the "Esterhazy family", who knows.

"By the way, why do you make such a guess?" Fanning looked at the rain curtain under the eaves. "I mean, why did you think of burning at the stake when you received a job to restore or adjust the color of the murals?"

"You know, the fire used to light the stake is not ordinary fire." Vincent unscrewed the kettle, tilted his head back, took a sip, and swallowed the black bread.

"I know, that's 'God's will'." Fanning nodded.

He recited the verse from the Book of Ezekiel, which judges sinners: "You will be like wood for fire, and your blood will be shed among the land; you will no longer be remembered, for my Lord has spoken."

Not everyone was worthy of being burned at the stake by the Inquisition. Last year and the year before, Fanning also went to the scene of public trials, and no one was burned at the stake.

Conventional forms of execution, unless they were extremely "tortured", mainly involved hanging and beheading, or being sent to the front lines of the battlefield to serve as cannon fodder.

The form of burning at the stake is not only a punishment and destruction of the body, but also means eternal judgment and thorough purification at the soul level!
The execution of burning at the stake does not involve simply nailing the criminal to a cross, placing firewood and gasoline underneath, and lighting the body with a torch. In fact, Fanning had heard before that burning at the stake does not involve the "reaching out and lighting the fire" process as one might imagine.

Instead, the monks consulted God's will in a complicated ceremony. If God deemed something unclean and extremely sinful, the flammable materials below would burn out of thin air!
Vincent chuckled as he listened to Fanning reading the Book of Ezekiel:

"Little scribe, you are a smart guy. You should be able to distinguish between 'metaphor' and 'reality'. Speaking of the matter, do you think it was really 'God's will' that ignited the firewood and the music sheet in the case of the burning at the stake?"

Fanning hesitated and finally shook his head.

He remembered the record in the Scriptures: when the Son of God and his disciples sailed to the region of Damanuta, the Pharisees questioned him and asked him to show them a sign from heaven, in order to test him. But he sighed and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation."

Could it be that God decides the course of history and judges good and evil in the world so simply and directly for every individual, “no matter how big or small”?

Moreover, Galatians says that "God does not judge by appearance," and James warns that "if you show partiality, you commit a sin and are convicted by the law as a transgressor."

But why was it that most of the burnings at the stake throughout history were still ignited as scheduled under "God's will"?

Fanning pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "When I was a kid, I noticed that if you shine some specific shapes of glass on hay, it will catch fire. Hmm? Dome? Skylight? Lighting pavilion? Mosaic?"

Before Vincent could speak, Fanning seemed to have caught something.

"Little scribe, you have grasped the essence." Vincent laughed, "I am not questioning or blaspheming the Almighty Father. The people of the Inquisition lit the stake through the mosaics on the dome and the stained glass windows. In essence, they were still gathering 'sunlight'. The sun is the image of the Father in our eyes. They still prayed for the power of God, there is no doubt about that."

"But the question is, are they the only ones who can invoke the power of God? Did God say that he chose them as his spokespersons? Are their judgments on good and evil definitely God's decrees? Do they have a better grasp of the scriptures than you, and their faith must be firmer than yours? Or do they have a deeper understanding of art than you?"

Vincent asked five questions in a row.

Although this was just a casual chat about the "principle of burning at the stake", it made Fanning fall into deep thought. Is there any connection between it and a series of things that have troubled him in recent days?
As dusk fell, the towering outline of the monastery gradually became clear at the end of the field of vision.

"I have to go and mix some paint in advance. Put me in the guest quarters, scribe." Vincent said.

"You have to adjust it in the dark?"

"Of course, the deadline is tight, so light the candles."

"Shall I go and join in the fun?" Fanning felt a little sleepy. He yawned, but was still thinking of a series of key words such as murals, stained windows, and daylight.

"It's up to you, as long as you can be patient and don't fall asleep. Hmm?" Vincent just finished speaking and suddenly pointed in the direction of the front door. "Little scribe, it's too early to talk. I'm afraid you have other plans tonight!"

Fanning looked in the direction he was looking and saw a group of knights and several carriages parked there. The knights were not carrying weapons, but their armor still shone brightly in the twilight.

And on the carriage was a complex family emblem that resembled a "starry sky pattern"!

The motorcade of Fanning’s own Nissimmee family!
The leading knight galloped over on his horse, took off his helmet, jumped off his horse, knelt on one knee, first introduced himself, and then performed a standard family eunuch salute:
"Dear Scribe Fanning, Miss June wants to call you back for a talk now, and Dean Pogre has agreed."

"Sister is looking for me? Now?" Fan Ning looked a little surprised. It was the first time he was called back by his family at night.

This eldest half-sister has absolute authority in the current Nissimi family, and some people even give her the title of the future "Matilda of Motraun" to correspond to the legendary Italian noblewoman "Matilda of Tuscany" who is famous overseas.

Fanning felt that this title was indeed a bit exaggerated. Matilda actually ruled the Tuscany region and could even participate in mediating the conflict between the Pope and the Holy Norman Empire. Joan's current level of power is not that high, but it makes sense to say "trend" or "similar to".

The eldest sister's mother died of illness at an early age, and the mercenary contract of 200 people has been inherited by her. After her father was seriously injured in the battle five years ago, she quickly divided and controlled the family's 300 private armies, and finally began to manage the territory as the "guardian of the family seal."

In recent years, she has also made great achievements in the management of the family business. She donated the entire west wing of the Guida da Lezzo Monastery, and the bishop granted the family a series of judicial privileges including "sinner redemption".
"See you tomorrow." Fanning turned around and greeted him with a wry smile. Vincent spread his hands and shrugged.

The Knight Commander led the way respectfully and opened the curtain of the carriage for Fanning, allowing him to sit in alone.

Why did my sister suddenly summon me at night? Did the family have anything to say about the upcoming Easter Mass? Or was it about the debate I had with the monks yesterday? Fanning pondered inwardly.

The night is passing by quickly outside the curtain, and the cool breeze blows in.

It should have been quite refreshing.

But maybe the "clatter" of the horse's hooves was too repetitive and monotonous, or maybe he was a little tired from walking around the market during the day, so after such a long journey, Fan Ning felt his eyes gradually become tired.

It was unknown how long it had been before he slowly woke up, and at that moment the carriage slowed down and stopped.

They should have arrived at the family castle. Fan Ning held his sore neck and jumped out of the car.