«We will go to the office only after you explain to me what you mean by the Ravine – advised de’ Risis firmly – I prefer to work in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual trust but remember that I have orders to follow. It is not convenient for you to gamble with me.»
«Captain please, don’t be irritated. It is only that I didn’t think you’d be interested in an old story. I will tell you immediately. The Ravine of Poggio Catino is a cave that is not far from here. Inside there is a deep precipice from which the sound of water comes up together with a very cold stinking wind which takes the breath away. This natural well is so deep that if you throw a stone in it you don’t hear the plop. Our ancestors believed it was one of the doors to Hell.»
«I wonder why Morelli was speaking about it with the others today» murmured Letizia to herself. But she didn’t have the time to add anything else.
«Good morning, sorry, I am a bit late» said a gentle voice.
The three looked in the direction of the opening and they saw a distinguished man in his fifties.
«I am Saverio Tucci, the coroner. Can I come in?»
Letizia looked at him with curiosity. It was the first time they had met but she had heard a lot about him among archaeologists.
Doctor Tucci was considered one of the best coroners in Italy. He was teaching forensic medicine in Turin University and he had started very young dedicating himself to the study of human remains found during archaeological excavations making sharp scientific observations that very often helped the researchers.
Thin, not very tall, pale, ash-blond hair now a bit grizzled, and clear blue eyes, he could have been described as a good looking man even if a little defect on his teeth spoiled his smile a little. Letizia looked at him charmed.
«What a pleasure, doctor Tucci! Your fame precedes you and I am honoured to get to you know personally» said Alessandro.
«I imagine those are the human remains to analyse» he said after the exchange of introductions.
«Yes, nobody has touched them since we found it. I hope you will be able to tell us something that can help us to understand who this person was» answered Letizia.
«There is not a lot of light» commented Tucci nearing the skeleton.
Letizia looked for the torch she had used when she entered in the room with Morelli but she hadn’t yet switched it on before an unpleasant sound reached her ears.
«It will not take long and the wall will be destroyed. You’ll then have all the light you need, doctor.»
It was Musone. He and his hateful subordinate were back.
«Musone, nice to meet you. And this is Mr. Boriello» he went on stopping in front of the opening.
«Nice to meet you» answered doctor Tucci coming out of the prison-room followed by the others.
«Giovanni, do you still need a lot of time for the wall?»
«Half an hour at least.»
«Ok, thank you. I think we better wait in the office. Would you like a cup of tea, doctor?» asked Letizia.
«Yes please. I really need it to warm up.»
The office was in the kitchen, one of the best lit and equipped rooms with two big tables and a perfectly working stove. The palazzo was lived in only by the governess and her husband. The owners, the Biraghi, lived in Rome and that summer, apart from some visits to control the works, didn’t spend any time in Poggio Catino.
Alessandro was preparing tea and doctor Tucci was busy in what seemed serious talks with Musone, Boriello and the captain. Letizia, sitting in a corner, was listening and, at the same time, copying into a new little notebook the strange sonnet she had found with the skeleton.
«Doctor Tucci, please tell us, how did the passion for what I’d call historical medicine start?» asked Musone.
While the doctor was answering Letizia observed Musone. He was in his early fifties, white-haired and carefully shaved. His thin lips were moving fast when he spoke and his prominent nose held a pair of round glasses behind which his dark mischievous eyes showed all his arrogance.
Letizia’s observations were interrupted by Giovanni who arrived to tell them that the wall was destroyed and now it was possible for the doctor to analyse the skeleton in full light. Tucci seemed to be happy to get rid of Musone, at least for a while, but as soon as he collected his bag the other one followed him ordering the captain and Alessandro to go with them.
«I have a lot of work to do and, as you know, I have to prepare the report for Mr. Morelli. The doctor can work better alone» said Alessandro affably.
Musone followed the doctor and so did the captain but, before going, he exchanged an understanding glance with Alessandro and smiled to Letizia who felt slightly reassured.
Boriello didn’t move from the kitchen. He was stirring the tea and looking at Letizia who kept writing in her notebook. Alessandro seemed to concentrate on his papers. The room was pervaded with an oppressive silence irritatingly broken by the noise of the spoon in the cup. Finally Boriello stopped stirring it and spoke.
«Letizia, do you know where the Ravine is?»
«I already told you not to call me by name» she answered without lifting her eyes from the notebook.
Boriello put the cup down vexed.
«Miss Cantarini, would you be so kind to tell me where the Ravine of Poggio Catino is? I’ve heard a lot about it and I’d like to visit it.»
«You should take the street that goes up to the mountain – answered Alessandro – You have to follow it till when you find a path in the woods that leads to a little plain placed just under a rocky wall. Nearby, nearly covered by the vegetation there are the remains of the friars’ houses of San Michele’s hermitage. On the mountain side there is a steep stair that brings up to the tiny terrace in front of San Michele’s cave: this is what you call Ravine. For many centuries they have used the Christian name for it, you know. Excuse me, but why are you so interested?»
Boriello seemed confused. Someone of much higher rank than he had ordered him to look for the Ravine but he didn’t know anything else. And of course, being a mediocre historian, he didn’t look for documentation. He had the impression that Alessandro knew a lot and tried to use him to get all the information he needed.
«I don’t know anymore… someone told me about the legend of a dragon living in a very deep cave and I was wondering if it really existed» he said embarrassed.
«Yes, it really exists. It is a quite interesting cave. The legend says that Pope Sylvester I freed Poggio Catino from a dragon living in such a deep cave, so deep that to find its end you had to go down 365 steps. This cave, before Sylvester’s arrival was called by the inhabitants of these territories the Ravine» explained Alessandro.
Boriello didn’t ask more, so as not to arouse suspicions in the two young researchers. He changed the subject.
«Such a deep precipice is the perfect place to throw our masculine government opponents, don’t you think as well?»
«Masculine government?» exclaimed Letizia lifting her eyes.
«Don’t you agree?»
«It is only that I never heard this definition before» she answered quickly understanding that she was certainly not in the position to criticize the regime. Especially not with someone like this man.
«You should get used to it. Our government is as masculine as our Duce and his strength and virility permeates all our society. And you, Miss Cantarini, you are not very young anymore and you should leave jobs like yours to men. You are born to be a wife and a mother, nothing else. You should have understood it by now.»
Letizia was not far from exploding.
«How deep is this Ravine?» asked Boriello.
«Deep enough to be considered the mouth of Hell» she answered.
«Deep enough to throw in it the inferior races, so that they can go back to where they came from. The Italian spirit has finally understood it can’t mix with inferior races. The mixing of blood and the resulting racial impurity is the only cause of the death of ancient civilizations» sniggered Boriello.
&
nbsp; Alessandro and Letizia looked at each other horrified.
«Don’t you believe me? But it is scientifically proved! Ask doctor Tucci and you’ll see he will tell you I am right. A doctor knows these things well.»
In that very moment Tucci, Musone and the captain came back to the kitchen.
«What is it I should know well?» asked the doctor putting his bag on the floor near Letizia.
«Tell her doctor that, as it says in Mein Kampf, by nature every instance of cross-breeding results in an inferior product. It is clear that couplings of this kind contradict the will of Nature which wants to improve the species not to weaken it. And the Arian race must not be weakened!»
«Yet again these pure race theories? Please stop it. I can’t hear it anymore!» said Musone playfully.
«Listen to your friend, this is the future! The stronger one has to win and not mix up with the weak. If he does, he sacrifices his superiority. We are Arians!»
«Aren’t Arians blond with blue eyes?» said Musone going on teasing his friend.
Actually, looking at Boriello no one would have ever expected to find a drop of that pure blood he was babbling about. He was short, dumpy, olive-coloured and he had black eyes as dark as the few hair he still had.
«I told you already Antonio, we are of the pure Italic Arian race. And the Italic is part of the superior races exactly as the Germanic Arian. And anyone who is not of a good race on this earth is rye-grass. Everyone should be aware of his own blood and greatness and know not to mix it and not to subjugate to Jews. Jews can’t be anything but Lords of mongrel people.»
Letizia and Alessandro couldn’t believe their own ears. They had read Mein Kampf, which had finally been translated into Italian in 1934. In the book Hitler explained the theory that the Jews were the world’s rye-grass. With the latest Italian racial laws it became clear that many agreed with this and supported the same ideas just like the petty person in front of them.
«Therefore, if I correctly understood you, you think that every mix of races weakens the superior race» began Tucci slowly.
«Exactly – Boriello hurried to answer being convinced that an important person like the doctor could only agree with him – Moreover, the mix causes a spiritual degradation not only a physical one…»
«…that ends up with a slow but sure contamination» concluded Tucci for him.
Musone was now listening with interest. The captain didn’t show any emotion, concern was in the eyes of Letizia and Alessandro: they couldn’t believe that someone like doctor Tucci agreed with Boriello.
«There is something unclear – started the doctor again – this theory affirms that the mixing of a pure race, as you just defined it, with Jewish blood causes what you called spiritual and physical degradation.»
«Correct.»
«In this case, contributing to such a disorder clearly means to sin against the Almighty.»
«You read my thoughts.»
«Then you affirm that God lost part of his divinity choosing to incarnate in the womb of a Jewish woman?»
«No, I didn’t say that» stammered Boriello.
«But if the theory you agree with is correct, I really wonder why he didn’t decide to be incarnated in an Arian woman, Germanic or Italic of course.»
Letizia smiled. She wasn’t mistaken about the doctor. She exchanged a glance with Alessandro and looked for the captain’s eyes that now seemed made out of glass.
«These are only philosophical speculations but, in any case, you have to admit that Jews are certainly not like us» intervened Musone trying to help his friend.
«And from what do you deduce this?»
«From the simple fact that they are Jews. And I really don’t like Jews.»
«I am sorry Mr. Musone but hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is?
«…If you prick us, do we not bleed?» thought Letizia.
«Yes, but…» tried to interrupt Boriello.
«If you tickle them, do they not laugh? If you poison them, do they not die?» pressed the doctor.
«Yes, but they still are not like us. They are not Christians» said Musone.
«If someone wrongs us, how do we react?» went on Tucci.
«With revenge!» Boriello answered proudly.
«Revenge. The perfect Christian example I’d say. Doesn’t Jesus tell us to offer the other cheek? But you are right, sorry, I nearly forgot: we can’t take his teachings exactly as they are because his blood was weakened by the one of his mother.»
Nobody dared to say anything. Not even Musone.
After some very long moment Tucci started to speak again as if nothing was had been said before.
«Miss Cantarini, do you already have ideas about who the woman buried alive could have been?»
«A woman!» cried out Boriello «I was sure it was a woman. She had to be one of those that didn’t follow the rules, a witch maybe or some silly woman that believed herself to be equal to a man.»
«I think too much has been already said for today – started Musone trying to dilute a conversation that he sensed would have escalated again – Gennaro, can you please follow me in the other room? I need to speak to you. See you later doctor Tucci.»
As soon as the two went out of the kitchen the air immediately became breathable again.
Palazzo Biraghi, 11.15 a.m.
«What an unbearable pair! – said Alessandro as soon as he heard the noise of their steps retreating – I believe I’ve never met someone more irritating. Speaking with those two is like having a walk naked in a nettle field!»
The joke made Letizia smile.
«I am sorry, but I have to tell you Miss Cantarini, you should be a bit more cautious with those men. You don’t know what they capable of» said Tucci as a father would have done.
«I absolutely agree! – uttered de’ Risis who till that very moment hadn’t spoken – And if you tell her, maybe she’ll take the advice. They are dangerous Miss Cantarini, very dangerous.»
Letizia was quite astonished. First she didn’t have a problem at all with de’ Risis comment and second she felt from his voice that he was sincerely worried and only wanted to protect her. She lost herself easily in his blue-cobalt eyes; she wished his strong arms were around her. She blushed at that thought. And looked away.
The captain understood that she could, at least, feel him near and, for the moment, it was all what he wanted.
«Doctor Tucci, you confirmed what we were guessing. The skeleton belongs to a woman. I was wondering if the anatomical differences are very great compared to the bones of a man» said Alessandro.
«Not really. But if you look carefully there are little differences in the skull bones and of course in those of the pelvis. For example, a man’s pelvis is normally thicker and that of a woman wider.»
«What if it was a teen age boy?»
«This is a very good question. But the pubis bone joins together with the ilium and ischium at an older age forming what we call the hip bone. When a person is around ten or twelve years old, the ischium joins with the pubis and then a cartilage appears that, normally around the age of eighteen, fuses the pubis and the ilium. All the remaining portions join with the rest of the bone in between twenty and twenty five years old. At this point the hip is formed and that of a woman is more obliquely angled. Moreover the angle formed by the upper and part and the horizontal one is in a woman 58-60 degrees, in a man of maximum 54-55 degrees.»
«I am charmed. Bones can tell stories to eyes able to read them» said Alessandro.
«You don’t know how true that is, Mr. Romei.»
«So you are sure it is a woman.»
«Absolutely.»
«Could you guess the age?» asked Letizia.
«Considering the teeth and the bones, she had to be in between twenty-f
ive and thirty-five years old. And I believe she was part of the upper class. She was never starving, her teeth were in an incredible good condition for that time, which can only mean that she always took good care of them and was never in need of food.»
«Did you notice something else that might help us?»
«Two things. But I am not sure they are really helpful.»
«Everything can be helpful, doctor» said Alessandro.
«The low temperature and right percentage of humidity made it possible to preserve the nails and some little remains of hair. The hairs seemed to be very short. But this was not this usual in a noble woman.»
«Unless she was a nun. Or she could have been humiliated by cutting her hair before letting her die in that horrible way» speculated Letizia.
«There is something else. This woman has been chained and walled-in alive; don’t you find it a bit strange that she didn’t try to free herself somehow? Even when we know there is nothing to be done, at a certain point our natural survival spirit takes control over reason and pushes us to do everything we can to live. But this woman didn’t do anything; she doesn’t even have a broken nail. And the position you found her… It is as if she sat there waiting to die, with her arms around her legs, as if she didn’t simply want to move anymore.»
«I wonder what she did to deserve such an atrocity» commented the captain.
«I’d like to ask you one last thing that doesn’t have to do anything with the skeleton. What is the Ravine of Poggio Catino?» asked Tucci.
«What?» answered Letizia and Alessandro astonished.
«The Ravine of Poggio Catino.»
«Mr. Musone asked us if we knew a place called the Ravine of Poggio Catino. He insisted a lot on the topic but we couldn’t give him any answer» explained the captain.
«The Ravine of Poggio Catino is only a very deep cave that, after Christianization was dedicated to Saint Michael and now is now called by his name» said Alessandro.
«Now that you tell me it is the cave of Saint Michael, I think I’ve heard something about it. It is a kind of rocky sanctuary like that of Saint Michael Archangel on the Gargano. It hides esoteric mysteries and very old symbols and it is believed to be standing exactly on one of hell’s entrances, right?» asked Tucci.
The scarlet Lady Page 4