CHAPTER 34
The devil was depicted as a monstrous figure taking up the entirety of hell, with large claws at the tips of outstretched arms, red-tipped horns, small red eyes, a green head, and two long red tongues.
He was shown crouching between two large towers, wearing an ermine loincloth.
Portraits of the devil were a common occurrence in medieval art, but the depiction here stood out for not only its size but also its grotesqueness.
On the opposite folio was a full-page representation of the Heavenly City, shown in tiers of buildings and towers behind red walls.
Its inclusion was most likely there to inspire the ideas of hope and salvation, a clear contrast with the evil nature of the devil.
Taken together, the portrait and city probably were meant to be a reflection on what would await if you lived a good or bad life.
There were many other illustrations throughout the codex, but the devil and the Heavenly City were the only ones occupying full pages. A message of some sort?
Maybe.
And all in a deliberate plan.
The book noted that the issue of whether to return those spoils of war had been raised many times over the ensuing centuries.
According to the most basic legal principles an act must be judged according to the law that prevailed when the deed was done.
So it would be illogical to apply modern legal rules to crimes that were committed in the mid–seventeenth century.
Perceptions of right and wrong shifted. What would be criminal today had not always been thought of in that way.
How many European libraries and museums were full of stolen treasures, all acquired during times when looting, as a consequence of war, was considered lawful and justified?
What was the general argument raised so many times?
All that loot had been given a new home where it could be preserved for much longer than otherwise might have been.
A stretch? Probably. Another argument was that returning spoils of wars could create unpredictable consequences.
Really? Like here?
Unforeseen seemed an understatement.
The Czechs obviously were serious about the return of their cultural treasure.
Enough that they were willing to stop one of the world’s great nations from gaining admittance to NATO.
That showed fortitude. And importance. The deal the Swedes had made seemed like a smart move.
The only entity on earth that would be opposed to that would be the Russian Federation.
No other suspects.
Just that simple.
She’d delayed long enough.
Time to call in some favors.