The Last Valley Page #4

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20,000, 30,000.

And then we burned the lot.

- Why?

- Vengeance.

You know,

that was vengeance for one of our cities...

which was vengeance

for one of their towns...

for one of our villages,

for one of their hamlets...

which was probably destroyed

in the first place...

to give some fat little princeling...

a better view of the Rhine.

Magdeburg is that simple.

My family were there.

My father, mother...

my wife, and my son.

Then they have been dead for 12 long years.

We all have things we would like to forget.

Magdeburg is mine.

What is yours, Vogel?

Gruber.

Good.

He'll wish he stayed in the mountains.

Captain, the shrine is settled.

The women, well, that's settled.

Leave the valley in peace for a while.

If I do that, he'll gain the initiative.

Does that matter?

It matters very much,

because then he will kill us.

Captain, I've been to the road.

There are fresh tracks, many horses.

I know.

Tomorrow, we search

the village very thoroughly...

for secret hoards of food.

Soldiers. They do nothing but loot,

and are never satisfied.

Gold, silver, and jewelry, you keep.

But the food we put in a common store

and guard it.

If the food is to be in one store,

better the soldiers are, too.

- I'll find a big enough house.

- Better leave them where they are.

Then any trouble will be small.

Yes, very wise.

So.

No!

Please not here! Please, Hansen.

The next time I see you, Vogel,

I'll tear out your eyes.

Captain?

It's me, Hansen.

There's trouble.

Vogel's got the Hoffman girl

up at the shrine. He's raped her.

Graf told me to fetch you.

Don't.

Who is with you, Hansen?

No one, Captain.

Hurry!

Claus, come on!

Captain, are you all right?

Captain, are you all right? It's Graf.

- It was Hansen. Who was with him?

- They were too far off. I don't know.

Get them. Alive if you can.

Geddes, Tub, Czeraki, go with him.

There's nothing to say, is there?

Yes, you're safe.

You are safe, and you're not hurt, Inge.

You'll marry Andreas and live in peace.

No, I won't do that.

Thank you.

You must go home now.

How do I know that is the truth?

She's told you,

and I've told you a dozen times.

- Father, it wasn't Vogel.

- Shut up!

She wouldn't lie.

She's never told a lie in her whole life.

She may be protecting him now.

It would not be the first time a girl did that.

Maybe he's put a spell on her.

You are a sorcerer.

That explains everything.

No. But you are a bigot

and a god-cursed witch-hunter.

Satan.

But you do conjure up dreams.

- Why did you follow her? Why?

- Satan.

We caught him just outside the village.

He attacked Inge.

- I heard.

- It's witchcraft.

- He led the soldiers here, and now...

- Be silent.

Before God, did this man attack you?

No, Father.

- Before God, has he lain with you?

- No, Father.

- Swear by Our Lady.

- I swear by Our Lady.

May I burn in hellfire forever. It was Hansen.

Vogel stopped him.

She tells the truth.

It was Hansen.

This matter is ended.

"Bear not false witness

against thy neighbor."

I did not, Father. I was mistaken, I'm sorry.

As a penance,

you will eat no meat for three months.

And you will give a generous gift

to Our Lady.

You will sweep out the church daily,

and you will feed Vogel as one of your own.

Beg God's forgiveness.

Only the guilty need fear His wrath.

What are you doing?

Playing a game.

You're not his real father, are you?

We lost them, Captain.

We followed them for miles

down into the valley.

Then we lost their trail.

How many will Hansen tell?

About us and the valley?

Enough for an effective attack.

If he tells too many...

he'll have his throat cut

and the valley stolen from him.

How many?

There are 17 of us.

He'll bring 30. Experts.

What's your plan?

This battle is very simple.

To win, Hansen must kill me.

Then my men will join him.

For us to win, we must stamp them out.

All of them.

So, I am the bait for the trap.

Good. Get it covered and hidden.

Yes, Captain.

Get it covered.

Come on, hurry up.

Satan, lord of light, kill Hansen.

Kill him as I destroy his likeness.

Kill him and the others

before they tell about our valley.

Tell me...

what do you think of witchcraft?

Both religions burn witches, Captain.

Catholics, Protestants.

Luther was violent against them.

Calvin equally.

Why?

Can witches cast spells?

My sister was accused of witchcraft,

by whom we never knew.

She confessed that the devil was her lover

and came to her bed every night.

She was 6 years old.

Her trial was legal.

The unspeakable things they did

to her, before and after she confessed...

legal.

Her burning...

legal.

Of course witches cast spells.

I have to believe it.

How else could a man remain sane?

If they can't, then 10,000 to 20,000

innocent men, women, and children...

are falsely accused,

brutally tortured till they confess.

Then murdered, each year,

in Germany alone.

All in the name of God.

Nations are murdered in the name of God.

You are so naive.

You want to look under the plate

they put the food on.

There's no need for that.

Nothing's hidden.

Why did you marry?

It was Gruber's way of protecting me.

Who from?

The harpies of the village,

and other men, and the priest.

Him, too!

If popes and bishops

can have families, why not priests?

They're all men.

It's foolish to pretend otherwise.

He's not a bad man.

He takes care of his woman and children

better than most.

Why haven't you had children?

Some women are barren.

They say that spells

can sometimes make a woman barren.

Yes.

Was there ever a witch in the village?

Old Martha Vorfeld confessed to being one.

I don't want to talk about it.

There's no need to be frightened.

Witchcraft is nonsense.

It's just a legend.

You shouldn't say such things.

They could denounce you, burn you.

- Everyone would turn against you.

- Don't worry.

The valley and all it contains

will burn before I do...

or you do.

Captain!

There are soldiers on the Rheinfelden road.

- How many?

- Andreas says 32.

Stoffel, sound assembly.

Hoffman, tell Gruber.

Hurry up with these animals.

Faster! Faster!

Who is guarding the church?

You are, Father.

Vogel, down to the mill.

Pirelli, come with me.

Remember, once we've killed him,

the valley is ours.

Rethman, flank right.

Claus, go ahead, I'll flank left.

There they are. Follow me.

The poor, weak bastard.

He's left the fighting to his men,

and put himself right in a trap.

Get under cover!

Get back to the mill! Get out! Out!

Come on!

Here they come!

Pirelli.

Quick! Run!

Come back!

Julio!

Vogel!

Give me a knife.

Quick!

Don't leave me alive. Please, Vogel.

Father, help me. I'm Catholic.

Please.

God.

He's the devil incarnate!

Graf.

I prayed for you.

Prayer, you know, is an illusion.

None escaped.

You're safe now, that's all that matters.

It's about time

you and Andreas were married.

I don't want to marry yet, Father.

Daughter, it's time I had grandchildren.

You are old enough.

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