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  • The Bishop's Aunt - L.E. Jones

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    Ânderson Martins
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    © All Rights Reserved
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    287 visualizzazioni9 pagine

    The Bishop's Aunt - L.E. Jones

    Caricato da

    Ânderson Martins
    Short Story

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Scarica in formato PDF o leggi online su Scribd
    Segnala contenuti inappropriati
    di 9
    L. E, JONES The Bishop’s Aunt A ricrote of peace and happiness, Tht how mon of ur who are iXainca to think in simple erm would have described dhe appear nce a the compact at atcient town of ad we been ing at sein May day in the year 1048, fom dhe calé terrace aves the fiver ‘The warm brown rots hung inti, a i a mamive rug bad ‘bon thrown acre the dexcending dg; a the top ofthe wn ose the cane and the thin Bache ofthe ble eahedal (or P. wat an ls Catholic see) sound which the swift swooped and shrill Serween the river and the town a tow of cesta ees, sil in fall ‘loom, drew, wich thei conti shadows, ald dark ie, The Nay sunsine, bright sed beneficent ay ove al ‘But in the town Hell was neither peace nor happiness. Por svat in Eastern Europe; the Red Army was occupying the cOUnEY, Shu raged ad come to this quiet file place "Toso days ealicr a Rossan elder, siting unarmed in & café on the tall cobbled square, had been ataninated, stabbed nthe tuck by a asalant wo had escaped Even today the edges of (hin, papercike crust of ied blood and dust ited and fl in he cree teow the iron chair in which the dead soldier had bee ising, The general ofthe Division occupying the district had Tmmetiatey sresed gwenty ofthe leading’ eitiens, inluding the CCattste Bishop and the Mayor, and ad issued a proclamation “Senvencing that, les he assasin surrendered or was given uP wikis freight hour the twenty Hostages would be abot Tha Deve had copied ateewen eelock on tis lovely May morning, Rrhalepas leven the Buhop and the Mayor were brought, under quad. fom he Caste othe small Gothic Tonal. Herc, i the Stayovs padoue, aa the General, witha HS of the hostages pon the able etre him. There was nating typical of Ruslan gener ir powographs can be (usted-—an BS appearance. Mis face hut ve been that of thought, energetic and ficient senon tice in any Western army; Ht ax strong, but not hard and he Ihe thes uncommon in general of Being capable of listening 25 frets of speaking” Al the same, he cold shut hist ih Fusaneroae Ms indeed. At the moment his expression was ter, ut hie grey eyes sere mot happy: The two prnoners who Woe xd before him, the Bishop andl the Mayor, had nothing, 30 fae as appearances, in common. The Bishop wo mas i caseck and akall-gp, was a slight wisp of 2 veces hin fies, with uch the petaane about ims ein fice wa untemarkable exept forthe tandour, the eames of Hn wide-open bu eyes He sol there very much at hisense; even Ihara a peasant, he mised, stood and spoke like a bitop. ‘The ‘Mayor the contrary, wa 2 great ull of man with ange eyes. Habla ha was bone over a creed forehead; he bad 9 fbi of jering back his head and moving his heavy shouldees Tider his Knee alpaca jacket, that came fom is aad mps- dene with stupid pope —among whom he placed she Bishop. For the Mayor war an aggresive ide ‘When the guards had finshed with all hore noiy stampings and simemarkings, ending withthe thump, as they grounded arms, “ihichponctstes military justice everywhere, the General spoke: "Wel, genemen, Tam ory eas comet this. "The ime i up ‘you have no given up your man: you know the con "Naturally we have not given anybody up. saith s.touch of sndighation in is rather Bat vote Fi “Tkvow who hes sid the Mayor. “Oh you do, do you" said the General, but ‘more the Bishop had treed on 4 be joes Bat the war it over, interrupted the Bishop. ‘We capitulated, Ang the man was unarmed—stabbed to death, while drinking amie Teves a cowardly, as wal asa che urter ‘Cowardly! The Mayor began to shout. "My dear Bisho shold ike to know if ju would have the guts to allow twenty of Sour felow-ciizens, incuding my worshipol self, to be executed, ‘ther than let the General here gee away wih thi futile game of tage Te ein rol “The Bishop smiled. "agree that T might never have had the rere to let jx be shot, my son. The thought of your almost certain Ste im the next world would be too much fr me. But when your ‘man assassinated that poor fellow i the eal ‘The General cut hit she jou can sve your sympathy (oF the “poot” fellow, Bishop. His GO. tells me be wae suspected of Trotsksam, andr better dead. And of course the Mayor is right. If you ave going 10 have a Resistance movement, there cam be ao rules But my butiness, gentlemen, sto suppres the Resistance movement" “Which remains unsuppresed, said the Mayor. “Our man has ‘Don’t be foo sare, Me. Mayor,” said dhe General. ‘For one hero, 1 you call him, there willbe ty others eho will hinktwie before ‘ending a Bishop to paradie and a Mayor to—vhere did you Bint thatthe Mayor may by before sx o'clock, Bishop?” I never claimed Paradise, Genera said the Bishop hastily.“ shall be fontunate if by Divine Grace, it proses to be Purgatory T'm in Purgatory on, Genera said the Mayor. T's this sentry ot yours 1 cant abide garlic could he stand a ite farther off “But ofcourse said the Genera, with a glance at the NCO. in charge of the guard, There was a Barky = rae; some more “Samping, andthe sentry retreated wo pace. “Thank you. suid the Mayor ‘Don't mention it, said the General. °No, Mr. Mayor he continued, "cannot admit that my system of hostages has file. Ate same time T agree that i this particular case things might fave gone beter, Perhaps Tarreted the wrong people. In a town lke thes there are bound to be individuals whom public opini ‘Our Mayor” said the Bishop, is enormously—and fom my Poin of view I must add deplorably—popular” IsHor's aux 5 “Our Bishop, sai the Mayor, ‘mudleeaded though e is eniversaly Beloved “Were some of the other hostages thought so be expendable perhapr? asked the General Thy are all oat highly sexpecte sid the Bishop. “Teamay have been a mistake to inch the Inpertor of Taxes’ calcite “1 see said the General. Do you think that iT released the Inspector of Takes your man would surrender to sve the reat os hope sail the Mayor ‘Actually Be exc dhe point with se la ight” “The General for sect oF 0, lok reer sterld then & several shoul "are yo telling me’ he repli, that you have ben in touch vith ht man since sour arrest” "The Mayor spoke sothingly. Our Reitsnce not an amateur eee ‘tTaues is one grain of comfort him in is heroic wap “Ah Soe a unbappy?™ “Undoubtedly” sant the Mayor “But then Be avery sense type: For mot oa there shootings yours have become jst 5 thing that happens. IFT many ayy you make them too common General? interesting that you shou say that said the General “because it ie exactly what T have: been thinking myself: An announcement that 0 many notables have been executed at dawn it's prsonyard-—i has become rather swrsen Ou capacity fo being howe x strangely ited, don't yon agree, Bishop "Alas only too true? aid the Bahop. “Compassion, the mest Alivne ores, i toby far the mest fatiguing. Tes pep te Supreme horror of atrocities that i the end they cease to exe ieee “Tien it loks sa the General af you may thf a any rate an inteleteal sympathy with oy decom” deison which Save come wo sine t appeared prety certain thatthe murderer was ‘ot ging to be given op. I secre to me that Im do someting ‘hort horn, more peter, eter calcd ores than ‘mere routine execution. So Tam going to make you am ofr Bishop, shall no sot upon yon rele: but yom 46 ones electro be publi cried inthe mathe omer, ite heater ire gots, intung en Sslobe Ser Tec shee Me on whe fs ee Se Src, sapped on the Genera ‘az pening! Be ee so the Bboy. Tek ceca oa ale ‘premion The tere enecunsent fi eig hee waters eerie ene Doce ycbel ahora peterpan Tomereune eee eek ic on rig ee ‘hal one eames ‘The Conca Waked Wie purse Wtnever Unie hy of conser ihn agent deat td id the Bishop ‘Now could pouty ttre epee See eee Soar let nett y Cones eso ec Paeiileeipey aie ee ‘Eaves mene hve tne payer anc mcd enor ‘ihc T's ota omal ing you ats me, Gee And yo {ut etme go bometnighunder gar ofcourse” Ts Re gti eer Bhool the Gener "Yow may go Fen wo Sader gure and te con val bea som accep your flr sd the Bishop “The! Mayor eo had been listening (0 the Bishop's words wth ‘his mouth as wide open as his eyes, again broke: ete aware er he The Bishop looked shocked scecsn The Baby nd a ge Bre ern sd he Gent Tous wee ween eat pina ew ile more boron indi Fee ee Th allows thing inthis own ME Mayo Ma jut one quesion, General sai the Bip, shone hy don't yo ea she Mayr Common see, ¥ suppose sid the General “If on com. yelp destin. ewe euros mat Sages "The Mayor actualy laughed ‘Dangetous? Our good Bishop the moet haamles perion ave ‘why; he even wanted cur brave Resistance ger tovgive himself “That said the General“ the reason why he x20 ride

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