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“We killed them all!” “Don Roberto and Mauro sacrificed themselves!”
Franco raised his hands. “We’ll unite in mourning, and we’ll go back to Palermo and bury our beloved Don Roberto, Mauro, and our other dead.” Franco wiped his eyes. “We’ll honor them and their memory. We’ll pray for them. We’ll take care of their families.”
“Yes, that’s our oath!” “We take care of each other! In life and death!”
“We’ll be stronger than ever. We’ll go on to greater success, in Don Roberto’s memory. We’ll be better than before, for him and for Mauro. For all the brave Fiorvantis we lost today. We’ll go back to Palermo, a family united!”
“Don Roberto would want that! So would Mauro!”
Franco quieted them. “But we have one last thing to do.”
“What do you want?” “We’re at your disposal!”
Franco pointed at Don Bruno’s villa. “Blow that place to the sky! Find me black powder, men! Don Bruno was a miner, he must have some! Sebastiano, you’re excellent with explosives! Go set it up! Now! Go!”
“Yes, Don Franco!” Sebastiano and the Fiorvantis ran to the villa in a frantic horde. They raced all over the property, bolting into the villa and outbuildings.
Franco reached the villa just as Sebastiano shouted he’d found black powder. The news whipped the Fiorvantis into a frenzy. They ran back to the wall and distanced themselves from the villa, crazed with anticipation. They thronged behind Franco, their emotions at fever pitch.
“Don Franco!” Sebastiano hustled out of the villa with an oil lamp and a spool of fuse line. Quickly he unrolled the fuse line all the way to Franco, then handed him the oil lamp. “For you!”
“Bravo, Sebastiano!” Franco raised the lamp and hurled it down. The glass shattered. The burning oil sparked the fuse line with ahiss.
The spark traveled up the line, setting it aglow centimeter bycentimeter. The Fiorvantis cheered and hollered, reveling in the suspense. The flame on the fuse disappeared into Don Bruno’s villa. The Fiorvantis screamed like madmen.
Boom!
The villa exploded into a massive fireball rocketing into the sky. Red and orange flames shot into the darkness. The ground shuddered like an earthquake, and the noise deafened the Fiorvantis. They covered their ears, shouting and laughing. The percussive wave rocked them as they stood cheering.
The sheer power of destruction thrilled Franco. Fiery pieces of rafters, tables, clothes, and carpets flew upward. Bits of stones, dishware, glasses, statues, and papers blew everywhere. Don Bruno’s villa rained from the sky, falling in flames.
The Fiorvantis exulted in triumph. They fired guns, pumped fists, and danced before the conflagration. The air reeked of fire and ferrous smoke. Birds fled in terror. Thick black clouds billowed into the sky, obscuring the moon and stars.
Franco had absolute power.
Alone.
CHAPTER NINETY
Dante squeezed Lucia’s hand, and Lucia looked over with a beautiful smile, her skin luminous in the night. Gaetano and Alfredo chatted, and the four of them climbed the mountain to Mussomeli, leading thirty deliriously happy boys, dancing, singing, and shoving each other in fun, tireless even though they had worked all day in one of the most hellish places on earth.
The moon shed light like a blessing, and Dante lit the way with his lamp, so they kept their footing on the grade. The breeze was fresh, cool, and mercifully free of sulfur fumes. They left Don Bruno’s mine far below, and Dante and Gaetano were returning the twenty-three boys to their families in Mussomeli and taking the other seven back to Palermo.
Suddenly a thunderousboomechoed in the valley.
Dante looked over to see a huge fireball below. Smoke billowed into the sky. “What happened? Something blew up?”
Gaetano shook his head. “I hope not the mine. It would produce sulfur gas.”
“Not the mine.” Alfredo pointed his knobby finger. “That’s Don Bruno’s villa!”
“Fantastico!” Lucia laughed, and they all joined in.
The church bells rang asthey reached Mussomeli and walked down the street to Madonna dei Miracoli. The doors were open, and Father Casagrandi stood on the steps. Townspeople thronged in the piazza, celebrating the downfall of Don Bruno, drinking, singing, dancing, and playing tambourines, mandolins, and accordions.
“Down with Don Bruno!” they shouted, pumping their fists. “He got what he deserved!” “Thank you, Madonna dei Miracoli!”
Dante felt happiness surge through him, putting his arm around Lucia, who had put on her cap and tucked her hair underneath. Gaetano clapped Alfredo on the back, and Alfredo did a little jig. They watched the boys race to the piazza, and the townspeople cheered at their approach.
