“We go up to the convent. […] To the right of the entrance, some letters of a mysterious language are traced on the wall. We are told that Michetti invented this language for his personal use. Why? Prison inmates use a secret language among themselves so as not to be understood by their jailers. Obviously, Michetti considered humanity to be totally composed of jailers. […] To show how difficult it is to read this introductory epigraph, we are told that not even Gabriele d'Annunzio succeeded in interpreting it. […] "Who do you think you are — Dante Alighieri?" According to the most reliable version, the epigraph goes as follows: "Whoever brings evil into this house, may he be buried in shit.” It is a legitimate wish and one that, for all we know, Providence has thus far fulfilled. But why not express it in a clearer way? […] The visit to the convent continues. Rooms and corridors are of a virginal whiteness. In the hall where the convent elders assembled for their meals, the credenza has been replaced by a small harmonium. A painting by Sartorio in his "early manner" hangs over a console. [..] The painter has signed with only his initials, without realizing that the initials for “Giorgio Aristide Sartorio” spell the word "gas.”