will, and declare that weeds and death SHOULD conquer because the gilded and graceful SHARE the streets with poverty and disease.
A glare in my direction left no doubt about Houbert’s opinion of me.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, with an article on his postwar comedies.”
“That’s the one. I haven’t read it yet. It’s packed in my carry-on so I’ll have something to read on the transport.”
Consider us here on this last night of a century, the deathless, the eternally beautiful, in all our comfort and felicity. Yet even WE shall scatter like leaves before the wind, and who can know when we shall meet again? This gorgeous pavilion will vanish with the dews of morning; yet our more PERMANENT halls shall prove no less insubstantial!
Houbert buried his face in his hands, smearing his golden paint.
“Well, don’t miss the ‘Coming Attractions’ section. Personally,I’m thrilled by the potential uses. I can just see myself sitting in some London salon with my lice-ridden peruke, eavesdropping on Doctor Johnson!” Lewis rubbed his hands together.
“How colorful.” Mendoza moved her elbow as a Mayan waiter put down a silver ice bucket containing a champagne bottle. “What’s this? We didn’t order champagne.”
“The Father of Heaven (who is, by the way, giving a beautiful speech to which everyone ought to be paying attention) gave orders that this beverage be served to all His immortal children,” replied the Mayan primly. “Whether They deserve it or not.”
“Oh yeah?” Mendoza glared back at him. “Well, you can go jump in the nearest fountain, pal.”
Houbert continued:
Now, you will ask, my children: What are we to do? How are we to live, knowing that ALL beauty is ephemeral? And I shall tell you to dance! DANCE, and express the sorrow in your perfect and unfailing hearts! RENEW in your beautiful dance the pattern of the cosmos itself! Dance, my children, even as you hear the bell tolling and know it shall NEVER toll for thee!!
And the spotlight went out, causing him to vanish.
“Certainly,” said the waiter, drawing himself up in injured dignity just as the tolling of a very large, very loud bell reverberated through the place. “I’ll obey the Daughter of Heaven immediately. I’ll go right out to the nearest fountain, even in these clothes which require pressing and starching, and I’ll just leap in.” He turned to push his way through the crowd on the mezzanine, which had become pretty dense by this time, so I was able to grab his arm.
“What are you, nuts?” I demanded, and Lewis joined in: “Now, now, let’s not lose our tempers.”
“Look, you stupid bloody Indian—” Mendoza yelled in exasperation as a frenzied waltz began to play.
“Mendoza—”
“Why, of course this slave is stupid. But not so stupid that he has forgotten he’s under oath to obey any order whatsoever given him by a Child of Heaven, no matter how unpleasant or irrational. But stupid most assuredly. The Daughter of Heaven has said so.” The waiter jutted his ferocious nose in the air.
“Aw, come on, you don’t have to go jump in any fountains,” I told him.
“No, with all respect, Son of Heaven, I must obey.”
“Not if both he and I countermand her order,” Lewis proposed. “That would satisfy your oath, wouldn’t it? Two Children of Heaven surely overrule one. We both order you
not
to go jump in the nearest fountain. Don’t we, Joseph?”
“Yeah, we do, and not only that”—I looked sternly at Mendoza—”the Daughter of Heaven is going to reverse her order too. Aren’t you, Mendoza?”
She got an evil gleam in her eyes.
“And she’s not going to order you to do something painful and difficult with the champagne bottle, either!” I yelled.
“The Daughter of Heaven reverses her previous order,” Mendoza enunciated clearly. I released the waiter’s arm. He shook out his bar towel with a crisp snap, refolded it, and draped it over his wrist.
“Thank You. If You have no
A glare in my direction left no doubt about Houbert’s opinion of me.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, with an article on his postwar comedies.”
“That’s the one. I haven’t read it yet. It’s packed in my carry-on so I’ll have something to read on the transport.”
Consider us here on this last night of a century, the deathless, the eternally beautiful, in all our comfort and felicity. Yet even WE shall scatter like leaves before the wind, and who can know when we shall meet again? This gorgeous pavilion will vanish with the dews of morning; yet our more PERMANENT halls shall prove no less insubstantial!
Houbert buried his face in his hands, smearing his golden paint.
“Well, don’t miss the ‘Coming Attractions’ section. Personally,I’m thrilled by the potential uses. I can just see myself sitting in some London salon with my lice-ridden peruke, eavesdropping on Doctor Johnson!” Lewis rubbed his hands together.
“How colorful.” Mendoza moved her elbow as a Mayan waiter put down a silver ice bucket containing a champagne bottle. “What’s this? We didn’t order champagne.”
“The Father of Heaven (who is, by the way, giving a beautiful speech to which everyone ought to be paying attention) gave orders that this beverage be served to all His immortal children,” replied the Mayan primly. “Whether They deserve it or not.”
“Oh yeah?” Mendoza glared back at him. “Well, you can go jump in the nearest fountain, pal.”
Houbert continued:
Now, you will ask, my children: What are we to do? How are we to live, knowing that ALL beauty is ephemeral? And I shall tell you to dance! DANCE, and express the sorrow in your perfect and unfailing hearts! RENEW in your beautiful dance the pattern of the cosmos itself! Dance, my children, even as you hear the bell tolling and know it shall NEVER toll for thee!!
And the spotlight went out, causing him to vanish.
“Certainly,” said the waiter, drawing himself up in injured dignity just as the tolling of a very large, very loud bell reverberated through the place. “I’ll obey the Daughter of Heaven immediately. I’ll go right out to the nearest fountain, even in these clothes which require pressing and starching, and I’ll just leap in.” He turned to push his way through the crowd on the mezzanine, which had become pretty dense by this time, so I was able to grab his arm.
“What are you, nuts?” I demanded, and Lewis joined in: “Now, now, let’s not lose our tempers.”
“Look, you stupid bloody Indian—” Mendoza yelled in exasperation as a frenzied waltz began to play.
“Mendoza—”
“Why, of course this slave is stupid. But not so stupid that he has forgotten he’s under oath to obey any order whatsoever given him by a Child of Heaven, no matter how unpleasant or irrational. But stupid most assuredly. The Daughter of Heaven has said so.” The waiter jutted his ferocious nose in the air.
“Aw, come on, you don’t have to go jump in any fountains,” I told him.
“No, with all respect, Son of Heaven, I must obey.”
“Not if both he and I countermand her order,” Lewis proposed. “That would satisfy your oath, wouldn’t it? Two Children of Heaven surely overrule one. We both order you
not
to go jump in the nearest fountain. Don’t we, Joseph?”
“Yeah, we do, and not only that”—I looked sternly at Mendoza—”the Daughter of Heaven is going to reverse her order too. Aren’t you, Mendoza?”
She got an evil gleam in her eyes.
“And she’s not going to order you to do something painful and difficult with the champagne bottle, either!” I yelled.
“The Daughter of Heaven reverses her previous order,” Mendoza enunciated clearly. I released the waiter’s arm. He shook out his bar towel with a crisp snap, refolded it, and draped it over his wrist.
“Thank You. If You have no
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