Dante Book II Canto V Scene I

 Canto XV

The Seventh Circle: Violence IV

Scene 1

 

Virgil at the figure he was leading into Hell; not for sins but a journey of love to seek the one Dante loved; Beatrice. Is love so powerful that Man will do the ultimate to be involved in it? He knew not to love such except his works. There was devotion like what he had for Beatrice as the Empress. While she lay on the soft bedding at her chamber, she had asked that he meet Dante and send him her love.

“If he so desires, ask him to meet me at the Afterlife. I will await him.” The Empress told Virgil or his real identity, Aeneas.

“I doubt he could make it there unless you decreed his …death.” Aeneas had defended Dante in case he was to out to death.

“Dead? No, I---- I want him to living when I see him. I am still living but know that death awaits me soon. I doubt I will see Dante before I die but if there is a way for Dante to see me after I am. Would that not be the essence of true love?” Beatrice then at the edge of dying, looked towards Aeneas.

“If there is anyone who can do it, it will be you my loyal Aeneas.” Beatrice put on the affectionate smile for her faithful servant. “You have done wonders in my life where Dante was not present. You read me the books and explained its contents where I may be baffled.”

“I do try to serve you, my Empress,” Aeneas replied. “I will…”

It was the Empress passed on and Aeneas was left with a task that he had yet to complete. The Empress had decreed a quiet funeral lest the enemies knew of her death, and the morale of the Army was affected. The death of the Empress was kept then a quiet one and the appointed Councillors ruled in her name.

Aeneas himself was alone then, with a quest to locate one named Dante Alighieri.

“He is in the Volunteers, Sir.” Aeneas was told by his staff. “His unit is assigned to the Front Line. We will try to get him but with the offensive of the Army, the communication lines may be delayed, or lost.”

Aeneas understood that the war was the main concern of the Empire. Added to that, the Volunteers are recruited in haste and their records are scant, while the postings are random; where is needed, they are sent.

“Find him, and used my name or even the Empress if need be.” Aeneas had requested the staff. He was then ill with fragile health. He knew that his living days were numbered then, and he had constructed a mechanical orb to share his thoughts. He had named it Virgil after himself. The latest model was 3.0.

“Hail, creator. What shall we discuss today?” The orb was programmed with threw ability to think, which up to then, was still not allowed. The Council on Robotics and Intelligent Lifeforms have made the rule after the clone technology termination, that all of their creations can be designed to the specific tasks but the logic of thinking was not allowed.

“We shall abide by the rules set by Asimov. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.”

“God can create Man to think so that he can think freely. I shall have not the creation of mine be stifled.” Aeneas had his own on the matter.

“Alas, I am of the wonderment if I was suited to do the task here.” Aeneas then keeping pace with Dante sighed. The poets begin walking along the high banks of the stream, protected from the snow-like flames by the steam that the boiling brook emits. The steam hissed high and thick, forming a wall-like the dyke at the water lines to hold itself against it. The steam high and mighty cooled the air there where the water absorbs the heat of the flaming flakes and gave the two travelers east of comfort.

“It’s lonesome here?” Dante commented. “Where are the souls?”

“There are some, I think.” Aeneas had reverted to his other ego as Virgil. “I see some there but they looked tormented which is what we had seen ever since we arrived here in Hell.”

It was the sight of some who was showered by the burning flames that fell from above. Their soul burned there and the wails of pain could be heard. Unlike others, they stood there to accept the punishment. It baffled Dante and he soon finds himself staring at a group of souls stepping in his direction. The company of wandering shades comes into sight and they stare closely at the poets. There were more than two dozen of them shuffling their feet with their arms on the other shoulder to carry on the walk.

One of the shades recognizes Dante and is overjoyed to see him.

“Dante Alighieri! When have you arrived? And so young?” Dante heard the voice. He need not searched his mind for he knew that voice well.

“Brunetto Latini.” Dante bit his lips. “I meant to say Ser Latini.”

“Hush your greetings, Dante. I am ever pleased to see you even if you called me any other name. I am thus named after the great writer who was in my family tree, but I prefer to be known as the V for I was the fifth to be renamed as him.” The man called Brunetto walked to Dante. “How did you end here? So young and ---”

“I am --- not dead but a living soul. I came here to ---understand the Afterlife.” Dante replied.

“Living? Dante Alighieri, I am or rather your Guardian for many years, I knew you well. Your sense of humor is as bad as the last drops of wine in the barrel, so tell me the truth, my young son.”

While Brunetto speaks, his legs were shuffling on the ground, stomping as if he was on a march. Dante saw the others in the pack at the rear was doing the same.

“I speak the truth, Guardian. I will never speak of the untruth to you. You taught me these virtues when young. I looked to you as I would of my father.” Dante looked back at Brunetto. His curiosity got the better of him.

“Why do you move about as we speak? And the=y ---- are stomping the ground as if they are marching. To what ails all of you?”

“Come with me, Dante Alighieri. I will speak to you as you will tell me more of yourself.” Brunetto turned to the group that was with him. “Run on without me. I will see you perhaps on the next round.”

Brunetto then took to the walk along the bank where the heated steam held itself like a curtain.

“Why can’t we sit like many civil persons? As we would do on the street at Florence. There are no cafes here but a mound we can sit on will suffice.” Dante asked.

“I have to walk, for if I don’t, I will be lit aflame for another hundred years,” Brunetto explained. “I am a sinner like my forefather and this is my punishment.”