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I, Bernardo Cirillo, was sent to this place by the Council of Ten. The Venetians wanted to acquire the manuscripts Leonardo da Vinci had been hiding from them, manuscripts they considered their rightful property, given their generous -- if secret -- patronage of the Florentine. If I could not acquire these peacefully, I was to torture and kill Leonardo, in order to obtain these manuscripts. I never questioned this mission. I had heard the rumors about Leonardo, that he was close to death, that the Shadow of Death had been seen behind him, in the piazza, at high noon. Old wives' tales, I had thought.
The Shadow of Death has shown me things. What he will make of Italy...of Europe...of all Christendom...it is a devil. It... God, help me! It is, it is, it is a devil, I am a devil, the Council of Ten are all devils, we are all devils, and we will all groan under the yoke of Satan and fight his battles and do his unearthly labors, and God may punish me for taking my own life, but I cannot see a worse punishment than the vision Death has shown me. Take heed. Avoid Leonardo da Vinci. I write this in the Year of Our Lord 1502, Bernardo Cirillo.
