The Wimshurst's Machine: Music

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THE ALCHEMIST
modern suite in 8 parts
1-Intro: the call of adventure
2-Philosopher's stone
3-Intermezzo: captured
4-Prisoner
5-Meditations
6-Intermezzo: the torture machine
7-Torquemada
8-The Escape (Finale)


THE TELL TALE BEHIND THE TRACK
(Italiano in coda all'inglese)
THE ALCHEMIST
original story written by Duilio Chiarle
translation by Fabrizio B. Maracich

VIII)-FINALE: THE ESCAPE
No food or drink was given to him, because abstinence would allow him to reflect with a clear mind. He just took a couple of sips of water, that drop after drop was falling from the ceiling forming a sort of small pool on the floor. Every other person would have spent the night awake, in terror, but not the alchemist, for his soul was pure and in the light. He fell asleep like a free man after a hard day of work.
He hoped to dream of God, but that was definitely not the case.
When the dawn came the guards opened the door and the alchemist awoke from the deep sleep he fell into the previous evening. He looked astonished the disoriented faces of the two soldiers, searching for him in the room, trying to use their torches to find him. “He is not in here” they were saying, “how he escaped?”
He was lying down in a corner and many times the two men passed just centimeters from him. They weren’t able to see him, to find him!
“Alarm!” they were screaming all around, “the prisoner escaped!”. They run away leaving the door wide opened.
The alchemist was probably more incredulous than the guards themselves: how they possibly miss him, he was right in front of them! He left his prison and found himself in a hallway. Guards were running and shouting “find the Inquisitor, call him now” and “alarm, a prisoner has escaped, call the other guards, the wizard has used his magic spells!”. He carefully avoided all the guards, but in the confusion many of them struck him, unaware of his presence, and he went completely unnoticed.
He regain his thoughts, his mind was racing to understand what was happening, why he was invisible. He run faster and faster, steps, hallways, rooms came and went and he was suddenly outside the monastery in which he was held prisoner. The song the monks were singing was fading in the distance. He met many people and few were known faces: he took all the courage he had left and gave them a greeting. They all run away praying God, after few moments of disorientation. The alchemist left the city.
When he reach the sea he went to the shore, found a suitable pool of standing water and… he was certain of his invisibility!
Stone had the expected effect, his prayer had been granted. A good man, at least one good man, had escaped an unfair sentence.
He spent some time looking at the absence of his image on the water pool, until his soul was in peace. After regaining control over his emotions his image returned. The alchemist went to a nearby city. He heard that three ships were going to leave for an impossible adventure, lead by an Italian, Colòn was called. Rumors also said that no sailor was eager to board his ships…
He walked for a long time. The Grand Inquisitor was doubtful and left this little incident of the escape to fade away, not to be mentioned anymore.
But the word spread out, and even today there is people who remember the story of the unnamed alchemist that uncovered the secrets of the philosopher’s stone.



VIII)-FINALE: LA FUGA DELL’ALCHIMISTA
Nulla gli era stato dato da mangiare e da bere, poichè il digiuno e l’astinenza lo facessero meglio riflettere. Egli bevve così soltanto l’acqua calcarea che gocciolava dal soffitto in una piccola pozza della cella. Chiunque avrebbe vegliato terrorizzato ma l’alchimista, la cui coscienza era pura, sprofondò invece nel sonno del giusto. Sperava di sognare ancora Dio, ma non fu così.
Quando al mattino le guardie aprirono la cella, l’alchimista si svegliò dal sonno profondo in cui era precipitato. Guardò stupito le facce incredule delle guardie che perlustravano la cella alla luce delle torce. “Non c’è” dicevano “Com’è scappato?”. L’alchimista, rannicchiato in un angolo venne sfiorato più volte dalla fiamma della torce. Eppure le guardie non riuscirono a trovarlo.
“Allarme!” gridarono allora le guardie “Il prigioniero è fuggito!” e se ne andarono di corsa lasciando la porta spalancata.
L’alchimista si stupì: come potevano non averlo visto? Uscì nel corridoio pieno di grida preoccupate. “Chiamate l’inquisitore!” “Allarme!” “Guardie!” “Il prigioniero è fuggito!” “Lo stregone ha lanciato un incantesimo!”. L’alchimista decise di alzarsi ed uscì timidamente. Schivò più volte le guardie, fu urtato più volte da loro, ma nessuno pareva accorgersi di lui. Cominciò a farsi strada in lui la coscienza di ciò che era accaduto e di quale fosse la ragione della sua invisibilità. E così, un gradino alla volta, correndo sempre più forte, l’alchimista uscì dal monastero in cui si trovava la sua prigione, sentì allontanarsi il canto dei monaci. Incontrò molte persone che conosceva, alcune, fattosi coraggio le salutò. Queste si guardarono attorno smarrite e poi si segnarono terrorizzate. Allora l’alchimista uscì dalla città.
Arrivato in riva al mare, si specchiò in una pozza d’acqua dietro gli scogli. Fu allora che ebbe la certezza di non essere visibile.
La pietra, aveva sortito il suo giusto effetto, le sue preghiere erano state esaudite. Un uomo giusto, almeno uno, aveva evitato una pena ingiusta.
Restò a specchiarsi a lungo, sino a che il suo animo fu sereno ed egli tornò a vedere la propria immagine. Poi si allontanò verso la città vicina dove si diceva che tre navi stessero partendo per l’impresa impossibile di un italiano, un certo Colòn, e ai cui ordini si diceva che nessun marinaio volesse imbarcarsi...
Camminò a lungo con passo sicuro.
L’inquisitore restò con i propri dubbi e fece si che non si sapesse mai nulla.
Eppure, la voce trapelò. Eppure, ancora oggi, la gente narra la leggenda di quell’alchimista misterioso che scoprì la pietra filosofale...