Belladonna of Sadness Page #2

---

I'll give it to you,

if it will save Jean.

But not my soul.

I will never give you my soul!

Very well then. Hang onto it

for a bit longer.

What, Jeanne?

Jeanne put on her green dress

and went straight into town.

They say green is the color of power,

the color of the devil.

The greedy old moneylender

who had even refused

to lend money to the lord

took one look at Jeanne

and loosened his purse strings.

Later he grumbled,

"That woman must be

possessed by the devil."

Men love war in every age.

The lord marched off in splendid array

with his soldiers and conscripted farmers.

Women are always the

ones left behind to suffer.

The men were gone for a long time.

Several years passed.

Jeanne had become a moneylender

and gained control of the town.

People feared and revered Jeanne

more than the lord's wife

and obeyed her gladly.

Who is in charge of this land while

his lordship is away?

Me or that woman?

You, of course!

I didn't ask you.

You're right to be angry, milady...

But the war has been prolonged.

Without her help,

even we wouldn't have enough to eat...

Silence!

That witch will pay for this.

However, despite his newfound stature,

Jean spent his days drinking.

Suddenly, the lord

returned from the war.

Women and men were overjoyed

to find each other again.

The Lady rarely left her castle

to avoid seeing Jeanne,

but that day she went to the church

on the plaza to greet her husband.

Jeanne was there, too.

I've never seen that woman before.

Milord, things have been turned

upside down while you were away.

What?

That farmer b*tch is in

league with the devil.

The devil?

The villagers respect her

more than anyone now.

More than you, even.

Is this true?

Yes.

Satanic fiend!

Jean! Open the door! Hurry!

Help!

Jean!

So you... didn't kill her.

Even better.

We'll burn her alive at the stake!

That's the best medicine for

witches in league with the devil.

Heresy must indeed be

nipped in the bud.

However, if we burn her body

while her soul belongs to Satan...

What will happen?

If we set her body aflame

on the mountain of tinder

only for her soul to survive the flames

in its haughty pride,

then, though her body had died,

Satan would live on in her soul

and might spread like sparks

from a fire to those all around.

What do you suggest?

Milady, you must lock her

deep in a dungeon

and hold onto the keys.

Then scourge her body

until the light of God

shines into her soul

and teaches her meekness.

Very well. I'll see to it.

Bring her to me!

What is burning

In the dark judgement?

Not grief,

Not penitence,

But the silhouette of one exhausted.

Or could it be...

A woman's strong resentment.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes