From everything that comes to my mind and what will also be acknowledged to you, reader, from what is written in these lines, Dominik's faith could have been assumed. Thinking about it day and night, I had created my own truth that I have never spoken aloud. Affirmation that my theory had been right came to me unexpectedly last summer.

I was walking with young Matija about the piazzettas of the town of Svač, whose image in stone was still freshly carved, telling him about Bishop Dominik's avowal that the faith of our forefathers must be preserved. As we perused an inscription on the wall of a house, someone patted my shoulder. I turned around. A young woman, dressed in a clean robe of the town fashion stood in front of us. She was tall, yet gentle looking, and most beautiful were her high brow and intelligent eyes that seemed to hide, yet reveal many things. Among these was a readiness to noble sacrifice and a determination that seemed inherent in her nature, but also fear and a kind of melancholy.

- I know who you are, she told us in a quiet voice, trying to suppress her excitement. Don't ask me anything, but come with me. I have something important to tell you.

I felt that the Lord has prearranged that moment in which, as the first sunbeam dispels the morning mist, all doubts and vain hopes would be dissolved. Matija gave me a look of anticipation as we followed the woman through a passage under an arch. In the shadow, stools were set around a table. The woman from Svac invited us to sit and then brought some bread and cheese:
- Here, there is plenty of everything. Eat, my boy - she caressed Matija gently, gazing at him as if looking for some resemblance in his features. - Marija and I were born to the same mother - she suddenly said. - I've known about that forlorn love since the first day. And I kept the secret.

Then we heard the sad account of unsancti- fied love, the same story that I had been told before by the servant Zagurija, only with less fervor.. Matija listened to her speak with intense attention. It was clear that he would remember this day until the moment he died, and I did nothing to spare him from this painful revelation.

- To you, father - the woman said - I came dressed in monk's robe and passed the letter from the Bishop of Svač.
I recognized the hand that I had seen then from my cell.

- Lately, I have been watching you spend days with him, she continued. - And now that she and he are no more among the living, I live in even greater fear from a sad hearsay of that faithful relationship. Because they-who-must-not-be-named discovered the facts and abducted Marija from Kotor. Then they coerced Dominik with threats on her life. That good-for-nothing Scepan went to the bishop, may the boils afflict him, to tell him the bad news. Ah, there is no justice when such like him still stride under the sun, may the thunder hit them!

- So, that was - I interrupted her ? to make people think that he had cowardly escaped, so that his name would be easily despised and then forgotten.

- I realized that all was lost - she said - when he told me that he had to go to the Virgin's temple in Rudinska parish and sacrifice his life for hers. I pleaded with him not to go, because every word that evil-doer Šćepan says is a deception, and this guarantee will also be broken. I had already given my sister to the dead and grieved for her. He didn't take my advice, but asked the fiend to avow three times on the cross that he would return Marija to Kotor safe and sound, which the rascal immediately swore. Then the bishop sent me off to you with that letter - The woman from Svač stopped here because a sound from outside muffled her voice.

- In the church of St. John - I heard her voice again ? the bishop of Svac gave his last sermon, as if he were saying farewell to his people. His words were full of sorrow, but near the end pride and spirit overcame him, and he again urged Docleans not to give in, to protect the reliquary of blessed Vladimir because the silent terror does not cease, and soon will come the day when the pure Virgin will lose beatus and Docleans their soul. He blessed us all and asked the Lord to forgive our sins. And then he fell silent. He stood there watching the believers as if he wanted to halt time. At the end he took off his miter, placed it on the altar and left. I never laid my eyes on him again.

When she said this, Matija jumped to his feet and run away through the passage. I righted the stool that he'd turned upside down and shouted after him. And then I heard my voice as I stood up:
- Look what you've done with your unthinking
ing soul!

- For God's sake, - she said in tears - please don't take my honesty for evil. I said all that because I thought it was better for him to know about the faith of his mother and father.

I ran after Matija, but instead I found an agitated crowd. Everybody was surging towards the main square. Somebody asked loudly: - What is it, what's going on?
Somebody shouted:
- Somebody's head, it seems, will burn at the stake!

I shivered with horror at the joy in their faces, and then I realized that the wave of people was carrying me along while I was looking around trying to catch a glimpse of my pupil.

On the square, beside a pile of branches already ablaze, stood Šćepan Pervosio, surrounded by men in arms and with a heap of scrolls at his feet. I heard then the well-known, arrogant voice. He was grabbing scrolls one by one, reading their titles mockingly, and then carefully placing them on the fire as the crowd howled its approval. Crazy Perdo, wearing a hood, was kneeling beside him stoking the fire.

There was not yet a head on the stake, but I still felt a pang in my chest. I recognized some of the titles of Dominik's writings that he had hidden in the upper chamber and that I had wanted to take to Bar. I made my way through the mindless mob. Again overwhelmed by sadness, I turned down a deserted street to look for Matija, and there he was, sitting at the threshold of a house. He covered head with his arms.. I sat beside him and we stayed there for a long time, until twilight began coming down on Svač.


Translated by: Jelena Stanovnik