Dante V Canto XV Scene I

 Canto XV

Third Terrace; Wrathful

Scene I

“Do you like lambs? Have you consumed any?” Virgil asked of Dante. They were on their walk after understanding envy as in the words of Dante; ‘we have a better understanding now’. Virgil had sighed at that thought. It drove the construct to delve further into its program and posed the question.

“Pardon me, Virgil. I am --- crudely trying to understand your line of inquiry but had it occurred to you that I  didn’t eat anything ---or desired to do so since we are here. I liked lambs as in they are adorable and I had consumed --- the meat.”

“I have not. I am a construct. Technically, I don’t or rather can’t consume any food substance. I am as you said, a construct but my creator, Virgil has loaded in me his food and consumptions, which I find loathing.” Virgil then sounded annoyed. “As if I will sit down for a meal?”

That last line surprised Dante who then looked at Virgil.

“Why did you ask me on the lamb?” Dante had then the thoughts of the lamb stew. Virgil saw the delight in Dante.

“You are thinking of the lamb as in the meal you had consumed? I can see it in your expression. I can see it’s not difficult for a living soul to hide their expression.”

“Excuse me. You asked me of me – the lamb and I expressed my thoughts of it.” Dante looked at Virgil. “Why the ---”

“You know I can’t eat nor even taste it, yet you delighted to show me how you felt. It’s akin to a meat lover telling it to a ---vegetation. It’s an insult.” Virgil defended his view.

“Well, you asked me and I replied. So why the wrath on my reply?” Dante asked. “You don’t ---I mean to say eat it and I did, so why the sudden outburst?”

“It’s ---- It’s the way you replied.” Virgil turned his look away.

“I get it now. You loathe me for being able to taste while you can’t. I don’t ---loathe you because you could ---fly but it does make me envious.”

“Poet,” Virgil taking on the tone of agitation. “You could for you are also a construct but you did not. And why are you envious of me now? I thought we left it all behind there.”

“We did? Or you didn’t? You are envious of me here.” Dante was then getting the agitation. He was distracted by the light that was seen in the distance. It was into his eyes. He raised his hands to cover his eyes.

“I can’t see.” Dante voiced out.

“What is your issue now, Poet?” Virgil reacted to the voice. He then looked to the light. It was the sun seen there, and it was on the setting on the horizon.

“It’s the sun which was near the horizon. It’s probably late afternoon if we are in the real living realm.” Virgil's last words sounded harsh but they were in Purgatory. Or the programmed version of it.

“Well, it hurts my eyes,” Dante said.

“Poet, stop your moaning. You have been doing that since ---” Virgil held back his words. He saw the dark silhouette in the light. “Something is approaching us.”

“What --- is approaching us?” Virgil was asked.

“My tele lens revealed another construct, and from further imprints, that construct is an Angel. And it's arriving.” Virgil took on the role of attending then.  The Angel soon reached them and it descended to the ground.

“Welcome to the Next Terrace. This is the realm where we accessed the sins of wraths.” The Angel looked at Dante. “You have been cleared on the next level.”

“Wrath? Yes, I recall now. God does not condone wrath in us for we are to love and cherish each other. Wrath invites acts that may cause pain or worse death. That was probably why God made his wrath more intense to place the fear in the living that his wrath will be more to fear than the act.”

“The divine wrath; the natural expression of the divine nature, which is absolute holiness, manifesting itself against the willful, high-handed, deliberate, inexcusable sin and iniquity of mankind.” The Angel spoke. “God's wrath is always regarded in the Scripture as the just, proper, and natural expression of His holiness and righteousness which must always, under all circumstances, and at all costs be maintained. It is therefore righteous indignation and compatible with the holy and righteous nature of God (Numbers 11:1-10; Deuteronomy 29:27; 2 Samuel 6:7; Isaiah 5:25; 42:25; Jeremiah 44:6; Psalms 79:6).  (https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/wrath-anger/)

“One thing only can save the sinner from the outpouring of God's righteous anger against sin in the day of visitation, namely, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the divinely-appointed Redeemer of the world (John 3:36; Romans 1:16-18; 5:9).” The Angel went on. “Nor should the sinner think that the postponement or the omission (or seeming omission) of the visitation of God's wrath against sin in the present means the total abolition of it in the future. Postponement is not abolition; indeed, the sinner, who continually rejects Jesus Christ and the salvation which God has provided in Him, is simply `treasuring up' wrath for himself "in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who (one day) will render to every man according to his works: .... to them that .... obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, .... wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil" (Romans 2:5-9; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 6:16,17; 16:19; 19:15). (https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/wrath-anger/)

“Wow!” Virgil cut in. “Are you a rogue program? You talked more than the Poet.”

“I will get to the point now.” The Angel looked at Dante. “You are now in the Third Terrace. You will sample the sins of wrath here.”

“Look to the right and there is a path there. You can take it and it will lead you through the terrace. Let me caution ---pardon the term. I was to say check your emotions if you do have any, for you will find yourself challenged.”

Dante was then distracted by the melodies of singings; “beati misericordes”.