A Bell for Adano Read Free

said was: “Your office?”
    When the two went back into the big office there was an Italian there. He had evidently been hiding in the building. He was a small man, with a shiny linen office coat on, with his collar buttoned but no tie.
    The small Italian gave the Fascist salute and with an eager face said in Italian: “Welcome to the Americansl Live Roosevelt) How glad I am that you have arrived. For many years I have hated the Fascists.”
    The Major said in Italian: “Who are you?”
    The little man said: “Zito Giovanni. I have been well known as anti-Fascist.”
    Major Joppolo said: “What do you do?” Zito said: “I greet the Americans.”
    Borth said in an Italian which was heavily accented: “Idiot, what was your job before the disembarkation?” Zito said: “Zito Giovanni, usher in the Palazzo di Cittá, native of Adano.”
    Major Joppolo said: “You were the usher here?” “Every day from eight to eight.”
    “Why did you work for the Fascists if you hated them?”
    “I have hated them many years, I am well known as anti-Fascist, I have lived under a great suspicion.”
    The Major said: “Usher, I love the truth, you will find that out. If you lie to me, you will be in very serious trouble. Do not lie to me. If you were a Fascist, you were a Fascist. There is no need to lie. “
    Zito said: “One had to eat, one had to earn a living. I have six children.”
    Major Joppolo said: “So you were a Fascist. Now you will have to learn to live in a democracy. You will be my usher.”
    The little Zito was delighted.
    The Major said: “Do not salute me that way.” Zito bowed and said: “The fascist salute, no sir.” Major Joppolo said: “Do not bow. There is no need to grovel here. I am only a Major. Borth here is a Sergeant. Are you a man?”
    Little Zito was getting very mixed up. “No sir,” he said cautiously. Then he saw by the Major’s expression that he should have said yes, and he did.
    The Major said: “You may greet me by shaking my hand. You will greet Sergeant Borth in the same way.” Borth said, and his expression showed that he was teasing the Italian: “First I will find out if he’s a dangerous Fascist.”
    Little Zito did not know whether to laugh or cry. He was frightened but he was also flattered by these men. He said: “I will never lie to you, Mister Major. I am anti-Fascist, Mister Sergeant. I will be usher here.”
    Major Joppolo said: “Be here at seven o’clock each morning.”
    “Seven o’clock,” said Zito.
    A brief burst of machine gun and rifle fire echoed from distant streets. Zito cringed.
    Borth said: “You are perhaps a man but you are also frightened.”
    Major Joppolo said: “Has it been bad here?”
    Zito started jabbering about the bombardments and the air raids. “We are very hungry,” he said when he had cooled down a little. “For three days we have not had bread. All the important ones ran away and left me here to guard the Palazzo. The stink of dead is very bad, especially in the Piazza San Angelo. Some people are sick because the drivers of the water carts have not had the courage to get water for several days, because of the planes along the roads. We do not believe in victory. And our bell is gone.”
    Major Joppolo said: “Your bell?”
    Zito said: “Our bell which was seven hundred years old. Mussolini took it. It rang with a good tone each quarter hour. Mussolini took it to make rifle barrels or something. The town was very angry. Everyone begged the Monsignor, who is the uncle of the Mayor, to offer some church bells instead. But the Monsignor is uncle of the Mayor, he is not the sort to desecrate churches, he says. It meant we lost our bell. And only two weeks before you came. Why did you not come sooner?” “Where was this bell?”
    “Right here.” Zito pointed over his head. “The whole building tingled when it rang.”
    Major Joppolo said to Borth: “I saw the framework for the bell up on the tower, did you?” Then he added