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32 the miracles of antichrist
one feels like weeping over them as over kidnapped
princesses.
Now finally he should learn where Monte Chiaro
lay. It shot up from the bottom of the black valley
she had just described. She tried to make her
umbrella stand on the floor. It stood like that. It
stood straight up. It had never thought of either
sitting or lying. And just as black as the valley was,
just as green was Monte Chiaro. It was all palms
and vines. It was a gentleman in a big-flowered
dressing-gown. It was a king with a crown on his
head. It carried all Diamante in its hair.
Now a little while ago Gaetano had a great desire
to seize her hand. But perhaps it would never do ?
He did it however. He drew her hand towards him
as though it were a stolen treasure. But what should
he do with it ? Caress it, perhaps ? Suppose he
tried very gently with one finger, then perhaps she
would not notice it ? Perhaps she would not notice
if he took two fingers ? Perhaps she would not even
notice if he kissed her hand ? She talked and talked.
She did not notice it at all.
There was still so much to tell. And could
anything be more droll than her story of Diamante !
She said that at one time the city had lain at the
bottom of the valley. Then came the lava and
peeped fiery red above the edge of the valley. What,
what, had the day of judgment come? The city
hastily took all its houses on its back, on its head and
under the arms and ran up Monte Chiaro, which lay
quite close at hand.
Up the mountain the city ran zig-zag. When it
was up quite far enough, it threw down a city gate
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