iancaldwell&dustinthomason.theruleoffour-第56部分

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　your　patrons。　Your　philosophers　preach　to　the　poets；　whose　works　are　widely　read。　You　contaminate　the　painters　with　your　ideas；　and　their　paintings　hang　in　the　palaces　of　princes；　while　their　frescoes　crowd　the　walls　and　ceilings　of　every　church。　You　reach　dukes　and　kings；　because　they　surround　themselves　with　your　followers；　demanding　guidance　from　the　astrologers　and　engineers　who　are　indebted　to　you；　hiring　your　scholars　to　translate　their　books。　No；'　he　says；　'I　will　not　let　pride　and　profit　govern　Florence　any　longer。　The　truth　and　beauty　you　love　are　false　idols；　vanities；　and　they　will　lead　men　into　wickedness。'
　〃Francesco　is　about　to　leave；　knowing　his　cause　will　never　be　reconciled　with　Savonarola's；　but　in　a　last　second　of　anger；　he　turns　and　tells　Savonarola　what　he　intends　to　do。　'If　you　will　not　accede　to　my　demands；'　Francesco　says；　'then　I　will　show　all　the　world　that　you　are　a　madman；　not　a　prophet。　I　will　carry　each　book　and　painting　from　your　pyramid　until　the　fire　destroys　me；　so　that　my　blood　will　be　on　your　hands。　And　the　world　will　turn　against　you。'
　〃He　prepares　to　leave　again；　when　Savonarola　says　something　Francesco　never　expects。　'My　mind　cannot　be　changed；'　he　says；　'but　if　you　are　willing　to　die　for　these　convictions；　then　I　offer　you　my　respect；　and　I　look　on　you　as　a　son。　Any　cause　that　is　true　in　God's　eyes　will　be　reborn；　and　any　martyr　who　is　true　to　a　holy　cause　will　rise　from　his　own　ashes　and　be　transported　to　heaven。　I　do　not　wish　to　see　a　man　of　your　convictions　perish；　but　the　men　you　represent；　who　own　the　objects　you　intend　to　save；　are　moved　only　by　greed　and　vanity。　They　will　never　be　reconciled　to　God's　will；　except　by　force。　It　is　sometimes　God's　design　to　sacrifice　the　innocent　to　test　the　faithful；　and　perhaps　it　is　just　so　now。'
　〃Francesco　is　about　to　contradict　him；　to　argue　that　knowledge　and　beauty　shouldn't　be　sacrificed　to　save　corrupt　men's　souls；　when　he　thinks　of　his　own　men；　Donato　and　Rodrigo；　and　sees　the　truth　of　what　Savonarola　says。　He　realizes　that　vanity　and　avarice　are　even　among　the　ranks　of　the　humanists；　and　he　understands　that　there　will　be　no　resolution。　Savonarola　asks　him　to　leave　the　monastery；　because　the　monks　must　prepare　for　the　ceremony；　and　Francesco　obeys。
　〃When　he　returns　to　his　men　with　the　news；　they　begin　preparing　for　their　final　acts。　The　four　men；　Francesco　and　Terragni；　Matteo　and　Cesare；　go　to　the　Piazza　della　Signoria。　While　Savonarola's　assistants　prepare　the　fire；　Francesco；　Matteo；　and　Cesare　start　removing　texts　and　paintings　from　the　pyramid；　just　as　Francesco　promised。　Terragni　stands　by；　watching　and　writing。　The　assistants　ask　Savonarola　if　they　should　stop　their　preparations；　but　he　says　they　must　continue。　As　Francesco　and　the　brothers　make　trip　after　trip；　carrying　armfuls　of　books　out　of　the　mound　and　putting　them　in　a　pile　at　a　safe　distance；　Savonarola　tells　them　the　bonfire　will　be　lit。　He　announces　that　they　will　die　if　they　continue。　All　three　men　ignore　him。
　〃The　entire　city；　by　now；　has　gathered　in　the　square；　waiting　to　see　the　fire。　The　crowd　is　chanting。　The　flames　begin　at　the　base　of　the　pyramid；　and　grow。　Francesco　and　the　two　brothers　are　still　making　trips。　As　the　fire　gets　hotter；　they　wrap　cloths　around　their　mouths　to　keep　from　inhaling　the　smoke。　They　wear　gloves　to　protect　their　hands；　but　the　fire　burns　through　them。　By　the　third　or　fourth　trip；　their　faces　are　dark　with　smoke。　Their　hands　and　feet　are　black　from　rummaging　through　the　fire。　The　men　sense　that　death　is　approaching；　and　at　that　moment；　the　architect　writes；　they　realize　the　glory　of　martyrdom。
　〃As　their　pile　grows；　Savonarola　orders　a　monk　with　a　wheelbarrow　to　return　the　objects　to　the　flames。　As　soon　as　the　men　drop　the　books　and　paintings；　the　monk　scoops　them　up　and　brings　them　back。　After　six　or　seven　trips；　everything　Francesco　has　pulled　from　the　fire　is　already　burned。　Matteo　and　Cesare　have　given　up　on　paintings；　because　the　canvases　are　destroyed。　All　three　of　them　stamp　at　the　covers　of　books　with　their　hands　to　put　out　the　flames；　so　the　pages　won't　burn。　One　of　them　begins　to　call　out　in　agony；　crying　to　God。
　〃By　now　there's　no　hope　of　saving　anything。　All　of　the　artwork　in　the　pyramid　is　ruined；　most　of　the　books　are　blackened　through。　The　monk　with　the　wheelbarrow　is　still　pushing　everything　from　their　pile　back　into　the　fire。　Every　one　of　his　trips　undoes　what　all　three　of　them　do　together。　Slowly　the　crowd　grows　quiet。　The　whistles　and　catcalls　die　out。　The　people　who　yelled　at　Francesco；　calling　him　a　fool　for　trying　to　save　the　books；　bee　silent。　A　few　people　shout　for　the　men　to　stop。　But　the　three　of　them　continue　their　trips；　back　and　forth；　throwing　their　arms　into　the　flames；　climbing　into　the　ashes；　disappearing　for　seconds；　then　reappearing。　By　now　the　loudest　sound　in　the　square　is　the　roar　of　the　fire。　The　three　men　are　gasping。　They've　inhaled　too　much　smoke　to　scream。　Every　time　they　go　back　to　their　pile；　the　architect　says；　you　can　make　out　the　red　flesh　of　their　hands　and　feet；　where　the　fire　has　burned　their　skin　off。
　〃The　first　of　them　collapses　into　the　cinders；　facedown。　It's　Matteo；　the　youngest。　Cesare　stops　to　help；　but　Francesco　drags　him　away。　Matteo　doesn't　move。　The　fire　crawls　over　him；　and　his　body　sinks　into　the　pyramid。　Cesare　tries　to　call　out　to　him；　to　tell　him　to　stand　up；　but　Matteo　doesn't　answer。　Finally；　Cesare　stumbles　over　to　the　spot　where　his　brother　fell。　When　he's　almost　standing　over　Matteo's　body；　he　collapses　too。　Francesco　watches　all　this　from　the　edge　of　the　bonfire。　When　he　hears　Cesare's　voice　calling　for　Matteo；　then　listens　to　it　fade　under　the　fire；　he　realizes　he's　alone　and　falls　to　his　knees。　For　a　second　he　doesn't　move。
　〃Just　as　the　crowd　takes　him　for　dead；　he　forces　himself　to　his　feet。　Reaching　one　last　time　into　the　bonfire；　he　takes　two　fists　of　ashes　and　staggers　toward　Savonarola。　One　of　Savonarola's　assistants　blocks　his　way；　but　Francesco　stops　short。　He　spreads　his　fingers　and　lets　the　ashes　fall　between　them　like　sand。　Then　he　says；　'　Inde　ferunt；　totidem　qui　vivere　debeat　annos；　corpore　de　patrio　parvum　phoenica　renasci。'　It's　from　Ovid。　It　means；　'A　little　phoenix　is　born　anew　from　the　father's　body；　fated　to　live　the　same　number　of　years。'　Then　he　falls　at　Savonarola's　feet　and　dies。
　〃Terragni's　narrative　ends　with　Colonna's　burial。　Francesco　and　the　two　brothers　are　given　almost　imperial　funerals　by　their　families　and　humanist　friends。　And　we　know　that　their　martyrdom　succeeds。　Within　weeks；　public　opinion　shifts　against　Savonarola。　Florence　is　tired　of　his　extremism；　his　constant　doom　and　gloom。　Enemies　spread　rumors　about　him；　trying　to　bring　about　his　downfall。　Pope　Alexander　exmunicates　him。　When　Savonarola　resists；　Alexander　declares　him　guilty　of　heresy　and　seditious　teaching。　He's　sentenced　to　death。　On　May　twenty…third；　just　three　months　after　Francesco　burns　to　death；　Florence　sets　up　a　new　pyre　in　the　Piazza　della　Signoria。　Right　there；　on　the　very　spot　of　the　two　bonfires；　they　hang　Savonarola　and　burn　his　body　at　the　stake。〃
　〃What　happened　to　Terragni？〃　I　ask。
　〃All　we　know　is　that　he　honored　his　promise　to　Francesco。　The　Hypnerotomachia　was　published　by　Aldus　the　following　year；　1499。〃
　I　rise　from　my　chair；　too　excited　to　sit。
　〃Since　then；〃　Paul　says；　〃everyone　who's　tried　to　interpret　it　has　been　using　nineteenth…　or　twentieth…century　tools　to　pick　a　fifteenth…century　lock。〃　He　leans　back　and　exhales。　〃Until　now。〃
　He　stops　himself；　breathless；　and　falls　silent。　Footsteps　shuffle　in　the　hallway；　muffled　by　the　door。　I　look　at　him；　stunned。　Slowly　the　things　of　reality；　of　the　true　outside；　begin　to　penetrate　again；　returning　Savonarola　and　Francesco　Colonna　to　a　bookshelf　in　my　mind。　But　there　remains　an　uneasy　interaction　between　the　two　worlds。　I　look　at　Paul；　and　realize　that　somehow　he　has　bee　the　crossroads　between　them；　the　ligature　binding　time　to　itself。
　〃I　can't　believe　it；〃　I　tell　him。
　My　father　should　be　here。　My　father；　and　Richard　Curry；　and　McBee。　Everyone　who　ever　knew　about　this　book　and　sacrificed　something　to　solve　it。　This　is　a　gift　for　them　all。
　〃Francesco　gives　directions　to　the　crypt　from　three　different　landmarks；〃　Paul　says。　〃It　won't　be　hard　to　find　the　location。　He　even　gives　the　dimensions；　and　lists　everything　in　it。　The　only　thing　that's　missing　is　the　blueprint　of　the　lock　to　the　crypt。　Terragni　designed　a　special　cylinder　lock　for　the　entrance。　It's　so　airtight；　Francesco　says；　that　it　will　keep　robbers　and　moisture　out　for　as　long　as　it　takes　someone　to　solve　his　book。　He　keeps　saying　he's　about　to　give　the　blueprint　for　the　lock；　and　the　instructions　for　opening　it；　but　he　always　gets　distracted；　talking　about　Savonarola。　Maybe　he　told　Terragni　to　include　it　in　the　final　chapters；　but　Terragni　had　so　many　other　things　to　worry　about；　he　didn't　do　it。〃
　〃And　that's　what　you　were　looking　for　at　Taft's。〃
　Paul　nods。　〃Richard　says　there　was　a　blueprint　in　the　portmaster's　diary　when　he　found　it　thirty　years　ago。　I　think　Vincent　kept　it　when　he　let　Bill　find　the　rest　of　the　diary。〃
　〃Did　you　get　it　back？〃
　He　shakes　his　head。　〃All　I　got　was　a　handful　of　Vincent