Eleven Fingers

The story narrated is a modern reinterpretation of the Faustian legend and the relative pact stipulated with the Devil. Fausto Valandi, the protagonist of the story, was born on a farm in southern Italy during the last years of the Fascist period. Third son of a landowner and a bigoted woman, suffering from mystical hallucinations. The religious education, rigid and deleterious, negatively influences the life of the Valandi siblings, especially that of the second son Emilio, whose death is the driving force behind the developments of history.

Emilio, suffering from albinism, oppressed by hamartophobia, and with a great talent for music, is unjustly accused by his mother for having committed impure acts. The enormous sense of guilt fueled by the phobia of committing sins wears him out in body and soul. He devoted himself completely to music, his only reason for living, deciding to compose a musical work, entitled Infernus, originating from the obsession with sin and its infernal punishment. Emilio dies, completing eight of the nine planned musical movements. The mother blames Fausto for the death and punishes him, forcing him to study as a priest, entrusting the indoctrination to the rigid methods of the exorcist uncle who lives in a small town in Benevento province. During his years as a seminarian, Fausto suffers due to the wickedness of his educator uncle. Having become a priest, he leads a sad life, marked by pusillanimity that curbs the desire to rebel against the fatal fate. After the death of the hated uncle, one evening by renouncing the holy scriptures he attracts the interest of the devil, who through three hellish ambassadors, Miphes, Lepes, and Thos, Mephistopheles, presents him an advantageous offer to obtain the demonic pact: redeem the life of Emilio through his own. To deserve the agreement, Fausto must commit all the sins indicated in Dante's Inferno over the span of twenty-four years. He abandons the priestly habit and flees to Rome. Later he moves to Holland, travels to Tristan da Cunha and lives for almost two decades in London, leading an extravagant and depraved life, marked by a sinful escalation. During the early London years, he has a chance encounter with Freddie Mercury. At the end of the twenty-four years, the signing of the pact is done with the severing of the index finger of the left hand, a representation of the detachment from God in reference to Michelangelo's fresco of the creation of Adam. After the conclusion of the pact, Fausto understands that his conscience is imprisoned in a body that has the appearance of Emilio but is possessed by the Devil who determines the actions.

On April 20, 1992, the Freddie Mercury Tribute is scheduled at Wembley Stadium in London. Towards the end of the show, a bizarre metal guitarist who has the features of Emilio appears on the scene and plays the opera Infernus performing all nine movements. It is a great success recognized by the public, which is bewitched by the incredible performance. The guitarist has six fingers on his left hand. The supernumerary finger compensates for the one cut off during the stipulation of the pact. The devil kept the promise even if in his own way. Emilio got the fame he wanted, Fausto redeemed his faint-hearted life and the Devil got his soul in exchange.