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After having them tied up, Torres approached the condemned men. He asked Teodoro if he repented for his sins and his evil ways. With tears in his eyes, Teodoro said he repented and asked for forgiveness and mercy. Torres then signaled to one of the guards and a garrote was placed around Teodoro's neck so he could be strangled.
Torres then walked past Leonardo and said nothing to him.
"Will you not ask me the questions you asked Teodoro, you son of a bitch?"
"Not to you. You will get what you deserve at the stake with all the fire's intensity.
Teodoro was spitting with rage.
"I curse you again, you worthless scum. Don't forget that you will be following me into hell, I assure you that!" spat Leonardo.
"In a while, you'll be on your way," said Torres. "I can't say it was a pleasure to meet you, but the smell of your burning flesh will surely be pleasing to my nostrils!
The archbishop walked away. A guard lit the three fires. The mob yelled their approval at the spectacle. A few women knelt in front of them praying for the souls of those who had already departed and for those who were on their way.
Barbara walked with Juvenal to the execution site. Fatima went to her house to prepare for her trip. She was to leave on the same day. She said goodbye to Barbara who gave her a goodbye kiss on the lips, which left her somewhat bewildered.
Barbara kept her face hidden with the veil. She could not risk being seen by the archbishop. Slowly the smoke began to rise and the flames begin to burn Leonardo's feet. At this moment, she stood right in front of him in the midst of the throng watching the dismal spectacle and she lifted her veil so he could see her. The noise of cries and praying was deafening. Suddenly, Leonardo recognized her through the smoke. The flames had already reached his legs and the pain was unbearable. He looked at her and she smiled at him. She then began to laugh, loud shrieks of laughter. He screamed for Torres to see but his voice would not carry. While he could, he cursed her as well.
"You will also be in hell with me for everything you've done and for everything you will do, you damn whore!"
Barbara eyes bore into him, she watched him scream and inhale large amounts of smoke. His eyes were swollen and red, he spoke and coughed. He was suffocating.
Leonardo could no longer breathe; the smoke had filled his lungs. Leonardo died, suffocated. The flames leapt around his fat body. Blisters began forming on his skin, the melted fat trickled down his body and fueled the fire. He had turned into a candle.
When she noticed that Leonardo no longer breathed and the flames had reached his face, Barbara took a deep breath. The smell of his burning flesh gave her pleasure. She screamed.
"Die, you heap of dung. Go to hell and may the demons not stop ripping off your flesh for all eternity!
No one heard her because everyone seemed to be in a trance, breathing rapidly, the feeling of frenzy heavy in the air, as if it were a religious ceremony. Staring eyes, smiles, screams and cries. All at once.
She turned to Juvenal who had seen it all. He was shocked by Barbara's behavior.
"Let's go," she said, "we have nothing else to do here!"
She had time enough to see the archbishop retching in the corner. He was being held by those around him and then he collapsed. He was hurriedly removed unconscious and was not there to see the final moments of Leonardo's capitulation.
"Look at the archbishop," she said to Juvenal, "he can't stomach death! He is a great coward! He can only act from behind shadows!"
The two walked away, turning their back to the fires. Barbara's laughter would haunt Juvenal's dreams for the rest of his life.
They returned to the tavern. Juvenal was still upset by everything he had seen and heard. He beelined to a jug of wine and poured it down his gullet.
Vidal walked over to Barbara.
"So, was Leonardo among the condemned men?"
"Yes, he was. He is still burning at the fire fueled by his fat. He is now on his way to the Kingdom of Shadows. Teodoro was by his side but was fortunate enough to be garroted first."
"What about Alicio? What happened to him?"
"Five years of hard labor. I am sorry Vidal."
He noticed how radiant she was. She was bursting with happiness. The tavern was empty, only the three of them were inside, everyone was out watching the executions. They could speak freely.
"Is there any chorizo here? I'm hungry, the smell of meat has opened my appetite!" said Barbara smiling. Both men could not believe what they were hearing. Juvenal felt a sudden nausea, the bile rising in his throat. The scent of their flesh on the pyre had not yet left his nostrils and he doubted that it ever would.
"I'll go prepare it in the kitchen. Serve yourselves to whatever you want."
Vidal grabbed a jug of wine and walked over to Barbara.
"So you got what you wanted. The biggest problem now is the consequences."
"Yes, I did. That monster will never bother me again. As for Torres, he fainted when the fire began to rise up around my father's legs and had to be removed because he lost consciousness."
"What about us? What do you plan to do now?"
"Let's do what we agreed upon. We'll stay together. I need you to take care of me." She embraced Vidal.
They kissed and drank wine. Barbara drank as if she were dying of thirst. She was celebrating Leonardo's death with an unusual amount of joy. Her happiness was bothering Vidal. Even though he had abused her, he was still the man who had raised her. Vidal was expecting her to regret what she had done. More so for the punishment she had inflicted on men who had nothing to do with her story. He still disapproved of what had happened to Alicio.
"Did you see Alicio? What state was he in?"
"Haggard. It was not easy for him. They forced him to carry a doll that represented his father. It was burned with the others. But he looked at the doll with great sadness. It is a pity!"
Both remained silent for some time. Barbara continued.
"Vidal, I've been thinking, I think we should stay here for a few more days. I found the archbishop's fainting spell very strange. As for the other bishop, the one from Lisbon, he looked unwell also and didn't even attend the burning at Alfama. I would like to know what is wrong with them.
"Do you not think it's too risky to stay here? As the daughter of a condemned man, you could suffer some kind of persecution because of him."
"As I told you, Vidal, he tried to help me. I do not think he would harm me."
Vidal is taciturn. The woman had a dark soul and he did not understand her goals, her motivations, her actions. He began thinking of what the gypsy had told him. To get away from her but it was too late now. She was quite a woman and she was carrying a vast fortune. It was worth the risk. He feared she would turn against him some day. These thoughts filled his mind like black clouds gathering for a storm.
"Whatever you say, Barbara. It doesn't make a difference to me. Let us go back to the ship and deal with this change of plans. We may have to stay hidden here until the ship that will take us to the colony arrives."
"Let's go then. We can stay at Fatima's house which is empty now. Let's go there before she leaves. We will talk to her about our stay.
Juvenal brought to the table a dish of hot chorizo. He looked like he was about to vomit. He put the plate on the table and left quickly.
"Do you want more wine?" said Juvenal from behind the bar.
"A little more, Juvenal. My throat is still dry after everything that happened," said Vidal.
Barbara ate the dish with relish and Vidal watched her. He wondered how she could eat after seeing her father roasted like a pig.
"Barbara, did you have so much hatred for Leonardo to the extent that the smell of his flesh made you hungry?"
She continued chewing and looked right into Vidal's eyes. She swallowed the meat, drank a gulp of wine and said,
"Darling, were you ever forced by your father to do something you did not want to do?"
"Yes, I did, dear," Vidal answered wryly.
"And did this thing involve having sex with you?"
"No! Never! Who do you think my father was?"
"Alright, do not attempt to judge me then. You do not know what I have been through. I don't even know how I endured it without cutting my wrists or jumping into a river. Do you know what it is like to be afraid of going to sleep, knowing you can be violated at any moment? Do you know what it is like to see the sun going down and being terrified of the arrival of the moon? Do you know how long I had to endure this torture? Do you know that nobody in this world helped me? That I had to do it all alone?"
Vidal lowered his head. He could not look at Barbara.
"Forgive me. I know it must have been difficult for you."
"Difficult? You can't imagine the torment. The person who cares for you, who is the source of your admiration, and the one you turn to you when you are in trouble, the only person you truly trust in the world, suddenly begins to abuse you. Let's stop right there Vidal! As for the chorizo that I am eating, I would enjoy it more if it were his flesh that I was tearing apart with my teeth."
"Calm down, Barbara! Juvenal, where's the wine?" He turned his back to Barbara to avoid looking into her eyes because he was disgusted by her meat-filled mouth. The idea of the flesh being Leonardo's filled him with disgust.
"Just one more moment, sir Vidal, I'm opening a new barrel, this one is empty," said Juvenal.
"Look, Vidal, I know that what he suffered was little compared to what he made me suffer and that is why reason I am hungry, I am rejoicing with the death of that scoundrel. I hope I never forget the moment when his soul left his body and descended into the depths of hell, where it will continue to suffer, that wretched man!"
After Juvenal handed them a new jug, they both drank. Barbara to celebrate and Vidal to help him swallow the bile in his throat. They drank in silence. Vidal watched her. She seemed absorbed in thought. He thought she must be going over the scenes she witnessed in Alfama. After their meal, they went to Fatima's house.
Fatima allowed them to stay in the house for a while, along with two servants who were not going to accompany her on the trip back to her family. They then went the ship's captain and informed him of their change of plans. He provided them with a space in the warehouse of the port administration to store most of their trunks during their stay in Lisbon. He also informed them that the next ship to America would sail in twenty days. They would remain in the city for this period of time.
