“And what was this like?” I asked him.
“Well,” says Father Theodorus, “to our eyes ’twas but a bundle of fish-bones and stones of fruits, with threads out of the mats, and feathers of birds, and divers other such common things; but there could be no doubt but that the devil had invested it with magical power, for so soon as it was removed, the fever ceased to spread.”
“And what was done with the fetizo?” said I.
“Sure I’ll tell ye,” says he. “His grace the lord Archbishop yonder ordained a special ceremony in the square before the cathedral, for to exorcise the evil spirit, and thereafter they did burn the fetizo with much solemnity. And as it burned it did send forth an extraordinary nasty stinking smell, showing to all that ’twas the devil’s own handiwork. And all the negroes that were present and saw it cried out that ’twas a mighty great fetizo.”
“But who lay in this cell before the fetiscero?” says I, trying to shake off the remembrance of the tale, though I won’t deny that I had been right glad had the fetiscero been lodged in any other cell than this of mine.
“Some poor wretch of a New Christian, as we call those Jews and Moors that adopt our holy faith,” says he. “They accused him of consorting with others of the like sort, and truly, since all his kin were like himself, and no others will company with ’em, he could not well avoid it, but ’twas said that they did practise among ’emselves Jewish ceremonies. He was in the Holy House for four years, and then was delivered over to the secular power,—ye know what that signifies. ’Twas said that the galleys should have been punishment enough, but he had been one of the richest persons in Goa, and his wealth was all come to the Holy Office. So ye see they could not let him go.”
I had heard before of the heavy trials of these New Christians, but I had never thought they should come so near to me as this. I would fain have asked Father Theodorus more concerning ’em, but he could not leave his tale of the fetiscero, and told me many more tales touching him, each one more horrid than the last, so that I was much disturbed and troubled in my mind, the more by reason of my sickness, which he seeing, made haste to say—
“ ’Tis well for ye that this fellow is dead now, and can’t return hither for to continue his evil deeds. If he had been a fetiscero of the common sort, they’d not have burnt him. The powder-mills should have been punishment enough. Ye have seen those convicted of practising magic working there, I wouldn’t wonder?”
“Those that bear gowns of yellow stuff, with a red cross before and behind?” asked I.
“They do so. But ye see, he was too great a person for that. The Holy Office must needs put him to death, and he is dead now, so he needn’t trouble ye.”