Elisa moved from her look-out immediately and silently bounded down three flights of stairs, onto the main floor, no one awake, everyone asleep, even the two agents positioned by the front door and the two against the back entrance, quickly into the library, tugged the swinging arm of the grandfather clock, closed it after her, and headed down the thin, cement steps to the basement. She’s got to get to him before he gets too close, tries to come in through a window or door and gets caught. She walked briskly through the labyrinth, through the dusty cases of brutality, down a corridor, and to a brick wall. She moved a candelabra and winced as the old hinges creaked, the brick grates against the foundation, and the hidden door opened to the outside — how much fun it was as children, for hide-&-go seek, for cowboys & Indians, for all sorts of other juvenile sport…
She leaned out carefully, surveyed the surrounding area, no sign of him, no agents, lights all still off, a faint figure way out by the pond, probably one of his men, groped along the side of the house, towards the back: “joseph, joseph,” whispering, slightly intoned, but as quiet as can be, “joseph?” around the corner, the garden empty, no sign of him. Elisa turned back, back towards her lair, quietly moving along the house, eyeing the agent in the distance, slowly moving towards the secret brick entry…
* * *
E ’n la sua volontate é nostra pace.
We return you to regularly scheduled programming, already in progress…
“A little while and me ye shall not meet;
And yet a little while”, again she said,
“And ye shall look upon me, sisters sweet.”
Purgatorio, Section 27: The angel descends to greet his poetry Beati mundo corde. She urges the traveler to cross the river of fire (a chimney that provides secret access to the basement) because there is no other way to the bedroom. Joseph, irrational, refuses Elisa’s invitation, fearing he’ll be burned alive. But she encourages him by quickly parting her nightshirt and speaking in the voice of a lyricist. It is night, as the two retire onto the steps.
“I have learned all I can from the fires and the rest stop.”
“I saw you crossing the lawn, I didn’t want you to get caught.”
“He was supposed to say: ‘I crown and miter you over yourself’ but he didn’t.”
“What are you doing here Joseph? I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again.”
“Obviously he feels he has brought me as far as he can as a teacher.”
“I’m so pleased to see you again, I missed you. I’ve been thinking about you.”
“You are picking flowers for garlands. I would prefer to look at your eyes in the mirror.”
“There’s agents everywhere Joseph. They know about the mission.”
“I am almost finished. Just a few more steps through the forest with Statius.”
Purgatorio, section 28: Such a sweet odor, the breeze of her breathe against his skin. He is followed by the spirits of the ancients. He spies her making his bed.
“No sooner had you reached the point where the night’s waves could bathe the grass, than you gave me this gift of lifting your eyes.”
“Are you talking to me Joseph?” Elisa asked as she folded another blanket. “What did you say?”
“How is it that every breeze carries me to you and every stream flows towards you?”
“I guess you just followed the stars and I happened to be in the middle.”
Purgatorio section 29: Elisa leads Joseph through the caverns of the basement with her voice. Joseph keeps pace with her around a sharp bend in the wall.
“Look at this.”
Joseph peers through a pinhole in the rock and sees the woman of the house preparing for bed, humming to herself as she removes a chemise and exposes her breasts, unaware of the visitor. He regrets she has to be his prey.
Seven lighted candlesticks in the distance. The twenty-four elders are crowned in white lilies, moving the candles forward slowly.
“Joseph? You still with me?”
Four creatures with six wings amongst them and forty thousand eyes lead a gryphon pulling a golden chariot amidst the four beasts. Three ladies, red, green and white, dance like harlots while four others (all in purple) conservatively sway their hips. A mercenary and his pharmacist follow the chariot ahead of the moneylenders and the captured god of thunder.
Purgatorio section 30: The long line halts and sings “Veni, sponsa, de Libano”, as a group of fairies (although Joseph is not homophobic) drop the phantom petals of prehistoric flowers over the chariot, singing “Benedictus qui venis.”
A lady wearing only a white veil over her body appears from the darkness of the cavern. Joseph recognizes her finally.
“Joseph, why are you crying? I’m right here.”
“I’m so pleased to see you Elisa. He left me and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again.”
“Where have you been?”
“You don’t have to tell them about me, do you? You won’t say anything Elisa, please?”
“To who Joseph?”
“It’s against their plan, I know. I loved you, I have learned from the torments and the torture of the lost souls, I swear it. I am not unfaithful.”
Purgatorio section 31: “What are you talking about Joseph? I don’t understand.”
“It’s true, my dear. After you died, I was fucking anything that walked and then, then, she came along, that little lecherous flower. She was always toying with me. It was like she could read my mind. I’m so sorry.” Staring up into Elisa’s eyes, Joseph collapses. He is led to the recently made bed and Elisa removes her dress, but doesn’t lie down. She places his hands on her skin.
Joseph cannot find words to describe his experience thereafter.
Purgatorio section 32: Transfixed by Elisa, Joseph emerges from his trance only by the dancing ladies. As the procession begins to move again, he takes a position at the wheel of the chariot. The marchers circle a tree and, after Elisa places one foot onto the ground, they connect the bed. He sees the bursts of beautiful blossoms springing from the tree. Joseph’s fall disappears within the bed. When he awakens, he finds himself alone with her and her maids. An eagle emerges from the sky and attacks the tree, dropping feathers onto the covers. She scares off a fox that tries to enter then a dragon emerges from the ground and breaks the bed. Feathers cover the remains that sprout seven horned heads. A whore takes a seat upon the bed then a giant joins her. The giant kisses the harlot passionately but then beats her when he sees her attention turn. Angrily, the giant pulls the bed away from the wall.
Purgatorio section 33: “From that most holy wave I now return to you; remade, as new trees are renewed when they bring forth new boughs, I was pure and prepared to climb the stairs.”