Chapter 44 Chapter Forty-Three

"get up!" "What's the matter? What's going on?" I was terrified, and immediately became agitated. "Shh, be quiet." Ilila leaned on me, dressed as a nocturnal traveler, "Don't ask questions. Just get up and get dressed. Hurry up and be quiet." It was late at night.As soon as I was about to speak, her hand covered my mouth.Then she took my hand and led me to the back of the house, where a door for goods in and out had been opened by her.We slipped into the street.The temperature is very low, and the afterglow of winter has not yet receded from the air.

"Listen, Alexandra. We have to walk, you know? You can do it?" "Unless you tell me where we're going." "No, I told you, don't ask questions. I mean you'd be better off not knowing. Believe me, we don't have much time left." "Then you must at least tell me how far it is." "The distance is not close. The gates of justice." The city gate beyond the gallows?I wanted to say something more, but she had disappeared into the darkness. The two of us are not the only ones walking at night.The farce of the day was over, and the crazy city was full of hooligans looking for fun.We pack our heads and make our way along the darkest side of the street.We passed the barricades set up during the day, headed north toward my father's house, rounded the square, then took the short cut behind Holy Cross Church and turned onto Rue Macontente.The prisoners who were interrogated walked through this gloomy path under the escort of the monks in black.

The baby woke up and was moving around inside me, but there wasn't much room to move in there now.I felt his elbow or knee scratch hard under my belly. "Elila, stop, please, I can't go so fast." She said impatiently: "You have to go so fast! They won't wait for us." Behind us, the great clock of the Holy Cross Church struck three o'clock in the morning.The street suddenly opened up, with the vegetable fields and gardens of the Holy Cross Church on both sides, and the gate in front, surrounded by thick walls on both sides.I remember Tommaso telling me that in summer it was the best place for those who want to have fun.

"God, I hope we're not too late," murmured Ilila.Then, she pushed me behind the shadow of a large tree. "You stay here," she ordered, "I'll be back." She disappeared into the darkness.I was so tired that I was out of breath, leaning against the tree trunk, my legs were shaking constantly.I seemed to hear something coming towards me to the left, and turned around abruptly, but found nothing.There may be guards on the other side of the gate, and their shift is at three o'clock in the morning.Why is this timing so important? There was a dead silence all around, and the empty darkness was more frightening than the streets.There was a sharp pain at the base of the womb, but I couldn't tell if it was fear or the baby moving.A figure emerged from the shadow of the city wall, and Ilila trotted over.

"Alexandra, we have to go back now. Now. I know you're tired, but we have to go back quickly." "but……" "No but. I'll tell you, I promise, but not now. Now we have to hurry." There was a fear in her voice I had never heard before, and I stopped protesting.When I got to Piazza Santa Croce, I stopped, the huge brick front of the church looking down on us. "I have to stop or I'm going to get sick," I said, my voice shaking with exhaustion. She nodded, still watching each path warily. "Then tell me." "Ah! dear Jesus, now is not the time."

"Then let's stay here." She knows what I'm talking about. "Well. Tonight after you went to bed your husband went into the servants' room and spoke to his servants, and I heard what they said. He said he must take a pass to justice tonight. He said it was urgent because there was a man there, a painter, who was leaving at three o'clock and he needed a pass to get out of town." I closed my eyes tightly. "I swear to you, that's what he said. That's why I brought you out. I think..." "You think I can see him there. Where is he then?"

"He wasn't there. Neither was your husband and his servant. They weren't there." "Then it must be the wrong gate. We must go..." "No, no. Listen to me. I know what I heard." She paused and said, "Now I think they meant to let me know." "What do you mean by that?" She looked aside, "I miss your husband..." "No, oh . . . God. Cristoforo doesn't know. How could he know? That's impossible. No one knows but you and me." "Do you believe your brother wouldn't guess like that?" she said angrily. "He saw you in church that day."

"I think he had suspicions, but he never had a chance to tell Cristoforo." I felt panic gushing out of my throat, "Oh dear Jesus! If you're right... if this It's a trap..." "Look at you, I haven't given it much thought. All I know is that if we don't hurry home now, we're going to be found out." I could feel her panic.She has never made a mistake before, my Ilila, and this is not the time for one. We quickly walked back the way we came, so that we could hide in the dark most of the time.The fetus is quiet now, but this rampage is starting to have consequences, and I feel pain in the depths of my stomach.

We were back on the street when I screamed out from a sharp pain in the lower back.Ilila turned, and I could see my own pain in her eyes. "It's okay, it's okay." I said with a forced smile, but my voice was a little trembling. "It's just a spasm." "My God!" I heard her whisper. I hold her hand tightly. "I tell you, I am fine. We have an agreement, me and my child. It will not be born in a city ruled by Savonarola. Now he has not stepped down. Come on, we are almost there, but we Maybe go slower." The house was silent in the dark.We slipped in through the servants' door and went up the stairs.My husband's door was closed.I was so exhausted that I could barely undress myself.Before I fell asleep, I put my hands on my lower abdomen, which was still high up just now and pressed against my chest, but now the fetus has retracted into my uterus, pressing heavily on my bladder.Calculating, the expected date of delivery should be three weeks later, and by then, a wet nurse and midwife should be arranged.

"Be patient," I whispered, "wait until you come out. The whole city and family will be ready for your birth." The fetus seemed to have heard my oath and let me sleep peacefully.