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"Precisely so."
"Such are the ways of the world," said Nisbet. "Still, you have much of your
life ahead, with many great deeds to do, while I look back on life with my
deeds already done, and none of them greatly significant."
Cugel said: "When the sun goes out, all deeds, significant or not, will be
forgotten together."
Nisbet rose to his feet and broached another jug of wine. He refilled the
goblets, then returned to his chair. "Two hours of loose philosophizing will
never tilt the scale against the worth of one sound belch. For the nonce I am
Nisbet the quarryman, with far too many columns to raise and far too much work
on order. Sometimes I wish that I too might climb a column and bask away the
hours."
The two sat in silence, looking into the flames. Nisbet finally said: "I see
that you are tired. No doubt you have had a tedious day." He pulled himself to
his feet and pointed. "You may sleep on yonder couch."
In the morning Nisbet and Cugel breakfasted upon griddle-cakes with a conserve
of fruits prepared by women of the village; then Nisbet took Cugel out to the
quarry. He pointed to his excavation which had opened a great cleft in the
side of the mound.
"Old Tustvold was a city of thirteen phases, as you can see with your own
eyes. The people of the fourth level built a temple to Miamatta, their
Ultimate
God of Gods. These ruins supply white-stone to my needs. . . . The sun is
aloft.
Soon the men from the village will be coming out to use their columns; indeed,
here they come now."
The men arrived, by the twos and threes. Cugel watched as they climbed their
columns and composed themselves in the sunlight.
104
In puzzlement Cugel turned to Nisbet. "Why do they sit so diligently on their
columns?"
"They absorb a healthful flux from the sunlight," said Nisbet. "The higher the
column the more pure and rich is the flux, as well as the prestige of place.
The women, especially, are consumed with ambition for the altitude of their
husbands. When they bring in the terces for a new segment, they want it at
once, and hector me unmercifully until I achieve, the work, and if I must put
off one of their rivals, so much the better."
"Odd that you have no competitors, in what must be a profitable business."
"It is not so odd when you consider the work involved. The stone must be
brought down from the temple, sized, polished, cleaned of old inscriptions,
given a new number and lifted to the top of a column. This entails
considerable work, which would be impossible without this." Nisbet touched the
five-faceted amulet that he wore around his neck. "A touch of this object
negates the suction of gravity, and the heaviest object rises into the air."
"Amazing!" said Cugel. "The amulet is a valuable adjunct to your trade."
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"'Indispensable' is the word. . . . Ha! Here comes Dame Croulsx to chide me
for my lack of diligence."
A portly middle-aged woman with the flat round face and russet hair typical of
the village folk approached. Nisbet greeted her with all courtesy, which she
dismissed with a curt gesture. "Nisbet, again I must protest! Since I paid my
terces, you have raised first a segment to Tobersc and another to Cillincx.
Now my husband sits in their shadow, and their wives gloat together at my
discomfiture. What is wrong with my money? Have you forgotten the gifts of
bread and cheese I sent out by my daughter Turgola? What is your answer?"
"Dame Croulsx, give me only a moment to speak! Your 'Twenty' is ready for the
raising and I was so about to inform your husband."
"Ah! That is good news! You will understand my concern."
"Certainly, but to avoid future misunderstanding, I must inform you that both
Dame Tobersc and Dame Cillincx have placed orders for their 'Twenty-
ones'."
Dame Croulsx's jaw dropped. "So soon, the andelwipes? In that case I too will
have my 'Twenty-one', and you must start on it first."
Nisbet gave a piteous groan and clawed at his white beard. "Dame Croulsx, be
reasonable! I can work only to the limit of these old hands, and my legs no
longer propel me at nimble speed. I will do all possible; I can promise no
more." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]