Dante Book 1 Canto VII Scene III

 Scene 3

 

The walk came towards a stream. It was like many other streams crossed by Dante in his lifetime; foul of contents due to pollution. The living world had caused many paths of the planet to be filled with its excrements, and to find a pristine stream was to go deep into the forests or up the mountains.

“The water there is dark like the ones we have in the living world. Its water dark from the source yonder.” Virgil looked at the dark river. “Its river flowed from there.”

“We will follow it.” Dante led the way without waiting for Virgil’s decision. They walked along the stream banks and soon find it reached the stony surfaces. Then they saw beyond it was the marsh.

“Unusual to see marsh here,” Virgil muttered.

“Unusual may not be peculiar here. You saw them wade in the mire and what is a marsh next?” Dante was still in his mood. He saw there were souls in the marsh screaming. He looked to the marsh surface and saw it was boiling with vents of steam seen.

“I guess that is one mud bath the ladies will not attempt to relax in,” Virgil recalled the ladies he knew had told him of the many splendors of the mud bath.

“I wonder where are we? Another circle of Hell perhaps?”

“Another one escaping!’ The call was heard and Dante looked to his left. He saw a soul with boils on the frame partially covered by the marsh contents had climbed out of the marsh. He saw the soul was pushed back by others who were standing at the side. The soul was flung back.

“Rot in Hell as we did in the Living.” The one who pushed the soul back was another covered in the marsh contents. Dante approached the soul there.

“Where are we?” Dante asked. The soul he addressed looked at him and sneered.

“I do apologize. I was to say please tell us of this place?” Virgil stepped forth. “Why are they immersed in the hot …”

“Wrathful souls they were, and now their own here? We were once oppressed and now they feel our oppression.” The souk there replied. “You don’t look like one who is like them. You should pass onto the next level. You are not welcome here.”

“And this level is …” Virgil pressed on.

“The level for those who were evil and have no regards for the living. Now they will suffer for an eternity.”

“No wonder, some of the vicious leaders of the living chose to stay in Limbo where they are safer,” Virgil whispered to Dante. He then asked of the soul the name of the Marsh.

“It's Styx. Or here we called it the river of hate. We too hated the place here. It's hot and uncomfortable but compared to what we had endured before, this is Heaven.”

“Styx? I thought Styx was a river. Charon sails on it.” Virgil was baffled.

“Styx is also called the River of Hate. It may have ended up here in the marsh area here, accumulated the vibes of the souk sent to Hell, and it ends here.” Dante explained. “There are souls in anger here including the ones who sent them back. They all hold anger in their souls. See those bubbles, they are from the ones submerged calling out in their cries.”

“Can we move on? I am feeling sick.” Virgil took the walk on. Dante laughed at the other.

“Virgil, your soul is not cleansed of the senses. You are still a living soul like a part of me.” Dante then caught up with the other.

“Virgil, you asked me earlier about my … behavior? I did not reply to you. Perhaps I should.” Dante said.

“I took on this task to find Beatrice whom I still harbor a love for. Here as we progressed through the Circles from Limbo to Wrath here, I was given a vision of …sinners. We are all in the living world, but to what depth have we sinned, or rather could sink into, may be seen the retribution here. I was initially inquisitive but the last two Circles drew on my theology learnings that I shall not shed any tears on them. They are getting what they deserve here. Sinners have to pay their dues not in the living world but here upon death.”

“You are getting…” Virgil looked at Dante.

“Heartless? No, it’s more like being objective or in the words of your profession, precise. I am still a poet by soul. We are not precise in our words but our delivery of the words is at the end of the words. What you have seen are the levels of sins and the weight of the sins are reciprocated in kind by the level of punishment. It's just …justice, I guess.”

“Let us move. Perhaps I may change your mind later on.” Dante told Virgil. Their walk was short before they had the marsh left behind.

“Behold, a tower.” There was a narrow stream by the tower and it flowed from the marsh and from there back to the marsh. It was like a moat around the tower.