Read Online Three Arched Bridge by Ismaíl Kadaré - Free Book Online Page A

‘Boats and Rafts’ firm is trying to bring down our bridge,’ said the foreigners, representative. His piercing eyes transfixed the count. His bent spine put even greater suspicion into his glare.
    The count confronted his gaze calmly. It was obvious at once that he was barely interested in this matter. He had been worried all the time about the breach of relations with his Turkish neighbors, and he did not even want to know about what was happening at the bridge.
    â€œIt is obvious that they have been and still remain opposed to the construction of bridges, because of reasons that may be imagined., in other words questions of profit,’ the foreigner continued. “They put forward the idea of destroying the bridge, and then they took action against it. With the help of paid bards, they spread the legend that the spirits of the water will not tolerate the bridge and that it must be destroyed.”
    His head, bent low over the table, turned left and right to gauge the impression his revelation made on us all. I believed him at once. In fact, I had suspected something of the sort before. If the bridge builders, whose representatives were here before us, could at the very start pay an epileptic and a wandering fortune-teller to be the first to advance the idea of building a bridge, then was it not possible that “Boats and Rafts, ’ could pay two wandering bards to launch the idea of its destruction?
    â€œYou must realize, my lord count,” the foreigner went on, “that it is not the spirits of the water who cannot endure the bridge but the grasping spirits of the directors of this gang of thieves called ‘Boats and Rafts/”
    â€œHa, ha!” the count laughed, “They say the same about you,”
    Small reddish spots appeared on the brow of the leader of the delegation,
    â€œWe have never sunk any of their boats,” he said. “Nor have we damaged any of their jetties.”
    â€œThat is true,” our liege lord said. “At least, I have never heard of such a thing,”
    â€œNor will you,” the other man interrupted. “But those others, my lord! You know yourself that they are doing their utmost to obstruct the building of this bridge, And when they saw they were not succeeding, or in other words,, when their despicable schemes were scotched by your lordship, they then produced the idea of destroying the bridge, First they placed their hopes in the fury of the river, but then, when nature did not help them, they sent their people to damage our bridge,”
    He paused again briefly, as if to let his audience take in what he said. It was clear, as I had suspected, that the water people would not give up the struggle easily, They were paying the road people back in their own coin, Apparently a battle over money was more savage than that fight between the crocodile and the tiger that the Dutchman had told me about.
    â€œAnd that, my lord count, is in short the history of the matter,”
    Our count stared on imperturbably at the stooped delegate. At last, when the man had apparently had his say, he spoke:
    â€œSo what do you want of me, gentlemen?”
    The leader of the delegation fixed his gaze on the count’s eyes once again, as if to say. Do you really not understand what we want?
    â€œWe want the culprits punished,” he said in a perfectly dry tone.
    Our liege lord spread his arms. A bluish light filtered through the stained glass of the upper portion of the window, seeming to dissolve you and carry you far away. The count kept his arms open.
    â€œIt’s no use asking that from me,” he said finally. “I have never meddled in your business, and I have no intention of doing so now.”
    â€œAnd so shall we do the murder ourselves?”
    â€œWhat?”
    The pens of the scribes scratched disconsolately in the silence. The dim bluish light seemed to take your breath away.
    â€œWhat?” said the leader of the