The first rays of dawn shone on the clock tower in Martha’s Square. Several soldiers on duty who had not slept all night were bathed in the morning light. Their bodies, which had been infected by the cold air, slowly regained some warmth and vitality. They let out a sigh of relief, they thought that in another hour, it would be time for the shift to be over at seven o’clock.
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came. They saw more than a dozen knights in bright silver armor galloping over from the avenue outside the square. They rode all the way to the foot of the clock tower. The leading middle-aged knight reined in his horse, he raised his head and said, “Soldiers on duty, listen up. The pope will be holding a blessing ceremony here in an hour. Now, ring the Bell and pray for the rest of your lives.”
