Era notte a Roma (Blackout in Rome) Page #5

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He used to be a priest.

Hurry! Get them down here at once!

Come on, move it!

Reverend fathers,

you must excuse

our having to wake you.

We are good Catholics

but we haven't had

the time to educate ourselves.

For this reason we would like

to ask you a few questions,

to benefit from your education.

I've brought with me a friend

who understands Latin well.

The lesson will be of use to us all.

We're ready, sir.

Who said the words,

"Quid autem amo, cum te amo?"

Bring in the others.

A learned father such as yourself

doesn't know whose words they are?

Who said,

"Quid autem amo, cum te amo?"

Your questioning is an insult

to this place and to our calling.

I order...

yes, I order you all not to respond.

What a beautiful voice.

You, take them away.

Him and him.

Tell me, Father,

is the active intellect part of the soul?

What, you don't know if the active intellect

is part of the soul?

Perhaps it's a case of amnesia,

ask him another one.

Could you tell us whether free will

is or is not distinct

from a man's free agency?

No, he's completely lost his memory.

We'll have to send him back to school.

Would you mind reciting

the Adoration of the Cross, Father?

"My people, what have I done to you?

"How have I burdened you?

Answer me.

"Why did I draw you from the earth?

"Have you...

"Have you prepared the cross

"for the Lord?"

"Holy God, holy mighty One,

holy immortal One, have mercy on us."

"Because I guided you for 40 years

in the desert.

"l fed you,

I brought you to the Promised Land,

"and made a cross for your saviour".

"Holy God, holy mighty One,

holy immortal One,

"have mercy on us....

That's enough! Take them all away! Out!

Out!

Who is it?

It's me. Michele.

Just a moment, I'll open up.

Can you help, l...

My dear.

You must excuse me.

I spent the night in the attic.

I didn't want to disturb.

Last night...

I escaped from San Salvatore in Lauro

because...the Fascists arrived...

invaded.

They took...

many people.

I want to...

tell you something.

Do you remember...

How do you say...

The man with the limp,

that you saw in church.

He was there.

He was asking the questions,

and all that didn't know

the responses to the prayers...

arrested.

Tarcisio.

I don't know his name.

The one...

with the limp, whose foot...

Yes.

Now I see.

The swine.

I'm sorry.

My God.

But...

you won't have had anything to eat,

poor thing.

Come here.

- Who is it?

- Friends.

What friends?

It's me, Tarcisio.

What a surprise!

I thought you'd forgotten about me.

If only.

I'm joking.

I've been busy.

Listen, Esperia, the Germans are removing

the wounded from the hospitals.

They're packing their bags

at the German embassy. I'm leaving.

Some friends with a car

are giving me a lift to Florence.

From there I'll find a way north.

Do you want to come with me?

- Me?

- Of course.

That's what I came to ask.

Esperia...

it's going to be the end of the world here.

They'll be fighting street by street,

house by house.

Rome will be demolished,

stone by stone, and rightly so.

This city should be

wiped off the face of the earth,

these poor cowards, traitors,

spies.

You'll come with me.

Let's go. We'll go to Venice, eh?

I've many friends there.

Important people.

You'll see who I really am.

I...

have some money put aside.

You won't want for anything.

I cared about Renato, you know.

I'd known him since he was a boy.

I did everything I could to try and save him.

I told him to stop,

not to mix with those people.

To watch out,

that Giacinto was being watched

- but he wouldn't listen...

- Swine!

- Don Valerio isn't there.

- Where is he?

They don't know.

Go back and wait until he comes back.

Tell him that I'm waiting at home

and to come immediately.

OK.

Looks like the Germans are leaving, eh?

Don Valerio wasn't there.

The little girl's waiting for him.

It looks like the Germans are going.

Who is it?

It's me, Don Valerio.

Good evening, Father.

Ah, you're here.

Yes.

Good evening.

You wanted to see me.

Yes.

The man with the limp,

do you remember him, Father?

Tarcisio.

Yes.

What about him?

He's dead.

But...when?

- This morning.

- And how?

- I did it.

- Both of us.

It was me.

And what's more...

he was unarmed.

Look.

Don Valerio, help us.

We need to get rid of him.

No.

We need to give him a Christian burial.

My God, the light's come back on.

Turn it off!

No...

No, you don't know...

You don't know.

I'm one of them,

I'm a spy as well.

I told the Germans to come and look here.

While I was standing there with Renato

they beat him on the soles of his feet

with a lead pipe.

I told them...

what he wouldn't say.

I told them everything,

that you were hiding here.

I would rather you had been killed,

if it could have saved Renato.

But...

that's not how it turned out.

But that wasn't spying.

What is it then?

There's no point making excuses,

Don Vale'.

I'm a wretch.

I disgust myself.

Everything disgusts me. Everything.

Oh, God.

I should have told you earlier.

It would have been better.

Better for everyone.

I can't take it any more.

Your men have arrived.

What's going on?

Who's here?

The Americans...

the English, the Allies are here.

I'll be back.

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