CHAPTER 17
PROFESSOR OF Ancient and Medieval History at New York University, Matheo Rossi, stared at the two police officers who remained apprehensive. The teacher's gaze rested for a long time on the photo on the table.
— Semper plus metuit animus ignotum malum!
— What did you say?
— It's Latin — Nicole interjected — it means:
— The unknown evil is the scariest!
— What I mean, gentlemen, is that I don't have an answer that can lead directly to the possible perpetrators of this barbarism. All I know about this terrible symbol is that it belongs to a dark past, unrecorded by most history books.
— Okay, professor, we're here just to listen to you, tell us what those inscriptions are.
Matheo Rossi looked at them and sadly replied:
— Unfortunately I don't know the meaning of these inscriptions, the only person knowledgeable about Sumerian mythology was Professor Hulmann...
Pietro Ferri relaxed his muscles when he heard those words, discouragement took over him.
— And I believe that no scholar, from any existing university in the world, will be able to answer your question; I'm an expert on ancient languages, and this symbol looks to me like a variant of ancient Sumerian cuneiform script, nothing more.
— About that symbol... — said the young woman, indicating the drawing — I think I can help you, detective.
The old professor took a deep breath, as he had to be condescending to the young girl.
— I'll give you an example — said Nicole and drew it on a piece of paper and showed it to the two policemen:
— What does that mean?
— Peace and love? — Said Pietro raising his hand and showing his index and middle fingers extended as if he were a Hippie and everyone in the room laughed.
— By the way — continued the young woman —, not only with him, the whole world thinks that this is the symbol of peace for the simple fact of someone saying that it is and others believing that it is.
So he decided to be diplomatic:
— Well, I can say that yes, in theory you are not one hundred percent wrong, Agent Ferri, since the entire humanity has decided to identify you as such.
Pietro Ferri showed surprise:
— Are you saying then that this symbol is not actually the symbol of peace?
— Unless you think of it as a symbol of the peace that comes from imperial subjugation and enslavement.
The two policemen looked at each other in surprise.
The old professor smiled seeing the effect his student had caused and then continued:
— This symbol that modernity has decided to identify as a symbol of peace is actually called Cruz de Nero.
— Cross of Nero... You mean the Roman emperor Nero?
— Exactly! This was the mark used by Nero to brand his slaves in the Roman Empire. Already in the Middle Ages it reappeared, now as a sign used in witchcraft to invoke demons. It was customary in these magical ceremonies to offer the sacrifice of virgin girls to Beelzebub.
— That explains — Nicole continued — that since ancient times symbols have been used in human and animal sacrifices.
— Exactly. Now look — continued the professor — we all know that in the Middle Ages thousands of men and women were killed by the Inquisition because of their involvement in witchcraft. There was, on the part of historians and scholars, a certain repugnance towards that period, even considering it as the century of darkness. However, what people don't know is that, despite these regrettable episodes, witchcraft practices involving the sacrifice of girls to evoke evil spirits were not very rare.
— But how did this symbol come to be the symbol of peace? — asked Pietro Ferri.
— There's a historical reason for that. At the time of the cold war, when the world was divided into two poles commanded respectively by the Americans and the Soviets, an atheist philosopher named Bertrand Russell, fearing a new world war, now with the potential to destroy the world due to the existence of bombs nuclear weapons, declared that all of Europe must accept communist rule. From then on, in demonstrations promoted by him in England, the Cross of Nero was adopted as a symbol of Europe's disarmament and surrender, accepting submission to Soviet rule. His motto was — better red than dead.
— And as for this boy, he was then to be sacrificed in a witchcraft ritual?
— That's what it seems to me...
IN SILENCE, MATHEO ROSSI watched through the windows of Professor Joseph's office dozens of university students passing by downstairs. — Literatures and science are multiplying at a vertiginous rate in our century, and a madman trying to practice a disgusting medieval sacrifice!
— Things don't fit! — Said coming back from the dive in his own thoughts.
— Like you said, Greg? — asked Pietro Ferri.
— You said there's a problem here.— This kidnapping involves much more than we realize. If we look around us, what do we see? Science multiplying, civilization advancing rapidly in all areas of knowledge. This seems to me absurd in the midst of modernity!
— But, Greg, that must be the act of a mad misfit!
— No, Pietro, that's what I initially thought, but unfortunately things are not that simple, see: first, the boy is kidnapped. If we were to focus only on this detail, here alone there would already be significant problems to be circumvented by a simple individual: getting a vehicle for the kidnapping, hiding it, transporting it to New York and keeping it hidden for a few hours. Add to all this a series of knowledge that would be impossible for a single person, see — he said pointing to the photo — we would add incredible knowledge of history and ancient symbology, not to mention these inscriptions which, as Professor Rossi said, are close to cuneiform writing of the Sumerian civilization.
— Do you mean to say…
— We're looking, not a madman, but an organization.
Pietro was surprised:
— An organization?... a criminal organization, then!
— Yes, an incredible criminal organization, with enough power to kidnap a boy and bring him to New York, and with secret knowledge, which surpasses the knowledge of our best scientists and historians.
— But that's terrible, Greg, and what's your point anyway? — Why sacrifice a boy?
— I don't know yet, Pietro... but we'll find out!