Chapter 1 - To the Archbishop

 

In the very first hours of a cool spring morning of the AD 1543 friar Bernardo, accompanied by his faithful henchmen Etzel and Hugo, riding slowly but surely, is reaching the episcopal palace of Werdensburg, where the undisputed lord of both the spiritual and above all temporal goods of his a vast bishopric, Archbishop Gunter, is waiting for him.

Etzel and Hugo are two ex-soldiers of fortune now in the pay of Brother Bernardo and his "Congregation" where they do a little bit of everything, from the bodyguard, to the jailers and controllers of the females of the "congregation", but also, if necessary torturers and torturer helpers.

Of robust build, like all the other attendants in the "congregation", having seen any atrocity on the battlefields, they are rude, cruel, ruthless men.

You can already see it in the grim faces often marked by scars and marks, memories of the various battles.

They are well paid, eat well, have the opportunity to take what they want when they want from the "sex" point of view, therefore they know very well that it is better for them to be severe and insensitive without ever being pitied, even when it comes to tormenting a victim in the most extremes.

Upon reaching the door of the bishop's palace, Etzel and Hugo stop outside while waiting, while Friar Bernardo is introduced and accompanied through various corridors, stairs to climb, various rooms up to the hall where his eminence Gunter was waiting for him for a private interview.

Left alone, after greeting each other with the usual pleasantries, they immediately move on to the main topic.

"So, Brother Bernardo, what do you have to say?"

"His Eminence, I wanted to inform you that my brother collaborators sent to the streets and the countries of your territory in search of evil and sin and to bring to light the works of the Devil, identified and interrogated 7 female perhaps witches, healers, even wives reported of misdeeds and infidelities from husbands themselves.

The 7 females continued to proclaim themselves innocent even after our standard coercive procedure, that is, the prolonged interrogations followed by the planned "strappado" sessions.

Threatened to be transferred to the "secular arm" dungeons and torture chambers, they finally accepted the alternative of being aggregated to the "Congregation of Penance" and to demonstrate their innocence in the next 5 years of submission. "

Friar Bernardo continues:

"So in the planned general assembly to be held here in two weeks, in your presence, in the presence of guards and orderlies and the scribes who will have to register the acts, at least 7 "novices " will be brought here.

From here they will begin their hard journey in the path of penance and redemption.

They will be completely stripped in the presence of all as the first act of submission, humiliation and degradation and, one at a time, they will have to sign the act of aggregation which contains all the rules of the "Congregation".

It will be their last chance to confirm or to be sent directly to secular prisons "

After a long thoughtful pause, Bernardo tackles the roughest topic:

"Your Eminence, the other reason why I am here, probably the one that is" closest to my heart ", and that my spies in the area told me that" the Devil "would have crept into the walls of the Gertsberg monastery.

A convent gardener would have accidentally witnessed sinful acts between two nuns of extreme gravity and perversion who do nothing but confirm that there is "the hand of the Devil" on all this.

I understand that involving members of the clergy, even if they are female, the topic can be extremely delicate so I want to return to your authority.

I wanted your opinion on the subject and then on your orders on how to behave. "

Archbishop Gunter immediately turns red in his face showing his total anger and irritation.

After a short pause he replies:

"I am totally convinced that the Devil finds his greatest satisfaction when he manages to tempt and conquer the souls of women and men of the Church.

For this I do not recommend but I order you to immediately reach the monastery and to investigate at best.

You have "carte blanche".I write at once to you an act for Mother Superior, Mother Kleopha, with my seal.

You will introduce yourself to the convent as father confessor then secretly agree with her on the actions to be taken to "unmask the Devil".

"Find and unmask the guilty nuns, interrogate them, make them confess their sins, also find other sinners if there are; we will eradicate them from that place of prayer by condemning them to the extreme punishment they deserve or by taking them on the hard path of repentance.

They will disappear, however, and we will officially say that they have been transferred from the bishop to another see. "

Having received the written document, Brother Bernardo takes his leave saying that when and if he has news he will send a messenger from Gertsberg.

Saying goodbye, he still gives him the appointment at the Assenbly of two weeks later.