Chapter Thirteen

His wife was appalled when he told her,

‘No, no, non puoi condannarla così Antonio, ha appena diciotto anni e lui è un animale.’ [No, no, you cannot condemn her like this Antonio she is barely eighteen and he is an animal.]

His young daughter had become hysterical, screaming and sobbing begging him not to do this and he had hung his head in shame,

‘Perdonami, non abbiamo scelta. Deve farlo o moriremo tutti. È questo che volete entrambi, che quei tre ragazzini muoiano?’ [Forgive me, we have no choice. She must do this or we all die. Is that what you both want, those three little boys to die?]

He pointed to his young sons aged eight, six and three and to her credit his daughter had lifted her head,

‘No, Padre, mi sacrificherò per i miei fratelli ma non ti perdonerò mai e poi mai. La mia morte è nelle tue mani.’ [No Father, I will sacrifice myself for my brothers but I will never, ever forgive you. My death is on your hands.]

They were stood at the back of the church as he had commanded,