The Mistery of Belicena Villca
I still had the silver snake hanging from my neck , this being jealously guarded by Dad , although sometimes , years later , he used to show it to me when we remembered that adventure .
At the time , while listening to Dad and Rudolph Hess talk about the Ophites , all these events piled up my mind .
I had placed myself sideways against the window so that I could only see them talk out of the corner of the eye , but the voice came clear to my ears .
– This is the silver jewel – said Dad – with the image of Ophis-Lucifer . I kept it with the original cord ; take it , now you must watch over it .
It was an extraordinary revelation , – I couldn ' t help turning a little to see better-- because Dad never gave importance to the little idol and I , who did not understand its meaning , neither . Even years had passed since it had been erased from my mind .
And there it turned out that Dad had simulated and downplayed importance to the matter , but he actually attributed some unknown value to the silver idol ! And the strangest thing was that he would have brought it hidden to Germany , offering it in custody to Rudolph Hess . This made no sense to me .
On the other hand , they spoke of the Sign like the Arabs , what Sign ? Years after the kidnapping , I still looked in the mirror looking for the blessed Sign that had led those poor wretches to their death ; and I never found anything abnormal . Nor did I suspect that Dad believed in the existence of that mark --or stigma ? -- .
In my head a whirlwind of ideas spun disorderly , while I absentmindedly watched Rudolph Hess examine the silver serpent .
Suddenly , by inserting the hand into the neckline of the windbreaker , he drew a cord around his neck . Hanging from it was a snake of silver , exactly the same as mine !
Rudolph Hess had gathered them in his hand for the contemplation of my Father , and after a few minutes , he put his on and kept the other one in the pocket . Moments later they both entered the warm livingroom without mentioning the topic of their preceding conversation .
This reserved attitude convinced me of the inconvenience of approaching somehow the matter , because it would reveal the reprehensible espionage committed . I didn ' t give it much thought : I would keep quiet until I was not spoken to directly , but I promised myself to do the impossible to obtain information on the mysterious Sign .
It was two in the morning and Uncle Kurt stood up with the intention of going to his room . I did not blame him for that attitude because he had been speaking several hours , but the story aroused concerns and questions in my Spirit , becoming impatient and inconsiderate .
--Uncle Kurt --I said-- it ' s late , I know it and I also know that tomorrow we can continue the chat , but I really need you to answer two questions before you leave .
– Ha , Ha , Ha , Ha – he laughed with his terrible guffaw – you are just like me at your age : you need to get answers in order to live . It ' s like a thirst . I understand you neffe , what do you want to know ?
– Just two things --I said-- . First : Is there a possibility that this Sign that the Arabs saw in you , is the same as the one Belicena Villca saw in me ?
– Without a doubt neffe --he replied-- . The Sign means many things , but it is also a Sanguine Signum ( 18 ) and we both have the same blood . The Blood is not a determining factor for the appearance of the Sign but it is a " quality condition "; if a sign appears in members of our family it is the same sign .
Until today I had not known that there was another Von Sübermann alive with that mark . Dad , who I finally talked to about it , told me that according to a family tradition , an ancestor of ours " showed " his contemporaries by means of certain signs , " being a chosen one of Heaven ", by virtue of which the King Albert II of Austria granted him the title of Baron in the 15th century . From that Epoch onwards , the family annals were recorded , all of the above being obscure and unknown . In later centuries , the family always devoted itself to the production of sugar , as Belicena Villca says in her letter , and it was attentive to the appearance of descendants with " special skills ". In fact , there were several members of the Lineage who demonstrated to possess supernatural gifts , but no one managed to solve the family enigma . Only the last generations of the Egyptian branch were able to approach the solution of the mystery , by discovering the existence of a mark or sign of cyclical appearance among the members of the family through the ages . But except for this news , obtained thanks to the contacts made with certain ulama , sages of Islam , little could be known with greater accuracy . To my despair Uncle Kurt kept approaching the door , his firm intention to leave . – I ' ll ask you the second question --I said-- . Have you been able to know what the Sign is ? Uncle Kurt made an annoyed gesture .
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