Dante Book IV Canto VIII Scene II

 Canto VIII

Gates of Purgatory

Scene II

“Who are you, old man? Dante asked the guide. “You brought us here when we could have been killed there by the cold or perhaps---”

“Serpents? I have not ---” The old man added on. The mention of serpents added the fright towards Dante. He had encountered many forms of deadly creatures including the serpents that torture the sinners endlessly at the Seventh Bolgia.

“Poet, why do you get so frightened on the mention of serpents?” Virgil asked. “You had encountered them in Hell.”

“I had, Virgil but I kept my fear inside me. Do you know in the Book, the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou ...” Dante quoted the Book. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpents_in_the_Bible).

Dante looked to the two Angels there.

“They guard the gates not from the wandering souls but the serpents. In Isaiah 27:1; On that day, the LORD will punish with his sword— his fierce, great, and powerful sword— Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.” Dante continued. (https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-serpent/)

“There is no sea here?” Virgil looked around. “All I see is ice.”

“As Satan was trapped in ice, Hell was also considered an icy prison for the punishments there were harsh like the icy terrain. What we had seen here in the walk to this gate resembled that terrain. Here the serpent may dwell, and the Angels held the swords to punish it.”

“Let us get to the gate and be safe from the serpent,” Dante called Virgil to move forth. Everything happened then and just as it did, it ended.

Genesis 3:15, NIV: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.'"

In direct response to the serpent's deception and Adam's and Eve's disobedience, God pronounces curses on each of them, as well as on the generations to follow. In the previous verse, God began his curse on both the serpent and on Satan, who took the serpent's form or body. In this verse, the curse is focused entirely on Satan. God promises to make enemies of Satan and the woman. Their offspring—or "seed"—will remain enemies throughout all generations.

The serpent was lurking there despite the ice which was not conducive for its nature but it stayed its course. It was slithering towards Dante, who was standing there and in a flash, the serpent was severed in three parts. The numbers matched for it the pieces fell in front of Dante. He yelped out in fright.

“What the---”

“Its --- dead, Poet.” Virgil looked at the dead reptile. As a construct, Virgil looked at it closely. “It’s not alive, but another construct like many of my kind.”

Dante was to speak when he was identified by another.

“Dante! You learned literary freak. It's me, Nino.” Dante looked to the one who spoke. He knew Nino. The other was a member of the Justice, a strong advocate for the right, and even convicted some high-level officials for siding the other side. Nino was not in touch with Dante for some time, and then he turned up at Purgatory.

“Hey, Nino---” Dante was cut off.

‘Hey, Currado. Its Dante. I was told that he is here. There’s news that he is alive. I heard from the indolent.” Nino called forth another. “Dante, we are all souls here but you are not. We just want you to take the news back to the ones missing us.”

“Heck, even in this version of Purgatory, we have the grapevines for a network.” Virgil sighed.

“Clam it, Virgil. They may know it but we will do the needed for now.” Dante then ignored Virgil and approached Nino.

“I don’t know much. I remember in the Recovery Chamber and next, I was in Hell; a rather long stay and then here. So was Currado?” That was what Dante got to know after the pleasantries. The duo wanted was to send their messages. No one asked to go back or move forward. Dante was biting his lips to tell them of his perception.

“Let the dead remain dead.” It was Virgil who gave the needed approach; discretion was the call. Then he motioned Dante over.

“Who is Nini, and ---”

“Nino is his name. He is a member of the Justice Board. And the Currado is from the nobility family.” Dante explained. “I am not looking for favors from them. They are ---technically dead but I am trying to get more information and why were they were here.”

“Technically dead, I like that.” Virgil contemplated on Dante’s inquiry. Then he added his view. “If you noticed something, those here are persons of interest; left in limbo with the presumption they are dead. It’s the Doctor’s rules of contact. We will come to that we have done through Purgatory.”

“I guess so.” Dante was at crossroads in his thoughts.

“I need to think. Let me alone.”