making
Don Miguel wait. But Don Miguel waved his protestations aside.
"I should have sent ahead to say you must expect me," he declared.
"But I've not regretted the time I've spent browsing here. It's given
me excellent insight into your tastes as a collector, both of curios
and of books."
Don Arcimboldo dropped into a chair that was the twin of Don Miguel's
and snapped his fingers for the Guinea-girl to fetch him wine. "What
taste I have, to be candid, is dictated by little more than the desire
to surround myself with beautiful objects. However, if my self-indulgence
affords pleasure for others, I see no reason to deny it." He gave a soft
chuckle and sipped his drink.
"Incontestably you have a remarkable collection," said Don Miguel.
"Tell me, did you acquire all of these things here in Jorque?"
"Very many of them, including most of the best. Our great market --
you've seen it, yes? -- is a splendid hunting-ground for rarities.
As a matter of fact, I bought most of the gold and silver from Higgins,
who's a specialist in that area. I wonder: have you any news of him?"
"He sticks to his uneonvincing story of having acquired the Aztec mask
from a stranger."
"Poor fellow!" Don Arcimboldo murmured. "I wonder what can have possessed
him!"
There was a pause, during which the Guinea-girl came to see whether their
glasses needed replenishing. Having spilled a symbolic drop into each,
she would have returned to her corner, but her employer dismissed her
from the room.
"An interesting choice of phrase," Don Miguel said, as soon as the door
had closed behind the slave.
Don Arcimboldo blinked at him. "I don't think I quite . . . ?"
"Your saying you don't know what possessed Higgins," Don Miguel amplified,
turning his wineglass between his fingers. "The term is almost too literal,
you know. The inquisitors beileve him to have been enchanted."
"Villainous!" Don Arcimboldo exclaimed. "What a foul trick to play on an
honourable tradesman!"
"Yes," Don Miguel agreed, and once more there was a short silence.
"By the way," Don Arclmboldo resumed at length, "there's something I
suppose I should have said to you in Londres."
Don Miguel inclined his head and looked politely alert.
"I hold no grudge against you for acting as you did in this matter.
Of course not. I fully understand how seriously any question of temporal
contraband must be regarded."
"I'm pleased to hear it," Don Miguel murmured. "Some people seem to treat
the dangers over-lightly."
"I'd never do so! Oh, I'm hardly one to talk, of course -- I confess
I should have made inquiries about the mask, in view of its perfect
condition. But as you know that's not my speciality . . . Tell me,
though, if you're free to do so: how was it that the mask got brought
to the present? Surely only Licentiates are permitted to travel in time,
and one can hardly imagine a Licentiate being corruptible!"
"It would appear," Don Miguel said after a moment's debate with himself,
"that certain -- ah -- outsiders have contrived to grease the necessary
palms and get taken on visits to the past. Doubtless one of them brought
the mask back."
"Terrible!" Don Arcimboldo widened his eyes. "And yet . . . Well, I could
find it in my heart to envy such outsiders." He grinned with engaging
frankness. "You wouldn't appreciate the urge which someone like myself
feels to walk among the people to whom the rare and beautiful objects I
collect were modern -- virtually commonplace! Do you suppose, Don Miguel,
the day will come when private applicants, properly indoctrinated against
the risk of interfering with the past, will be permitted to share the
marvel of time-travel?"
"If you're wondering whether I am one of the Licentiates whose palm is
open to being greased," said Don Miguel coldly, "I assure you I am not."
"No -- no, of course not!" Distressed, Don Arcimboldo half-rose. "I had
no intention of implying . . ."
"Then shall we change the subject?" Don Miguel
Don Miguel wait. But Don Miguel waved his protestations aside.
"I should have sent ahead to say you must expect me," he declared.
"But I've not regretted the time I've spent browsing here. It's given
me excellent insight into your tastes as a collector, both of curios
and of books."
Don Arcimboldo dropped into a chair that was the twin of Don Miguel's
and snapped his fingers for the Guinea-girl to fetch him wine. "What
taste I have, to be candid, is dictated by little more than the desire
to surround myself with beautiful objects. However, if my self-indulgence
affords pleasure for others, I see no reason to deny it." He gave a soft
chuckle and sipped his drink.
"Incontestably you have a remarkable collection," said Don Miguel.
"Tell me, did you acquire all of these things here in Jorque?"
"Very many of them, including most of the best. Our great market --
you've seen it, yes? -- is a splendid hunting-ground for rarities.
As a matter of fact, I bought most of the gold and silver from Higgins,
who's a specialist in that area. I wonder: have you any news of him?"
"He sticks to his uneonvincing story of having acquired the Aztec mask
from a stranger."
"Poor fellow!" Don Arcimboldo murmured. "I wonder what can have possessed
him!"
There was a pause, during which the Guinea-girl came to see whether their
glasses needed replenishing. Having spilled a symbolic drop into each,
she would have returned to her corner, but her employer dismissed her
from the room.
"An interesting choice of phrase," Don Miguel said, as soon as the door
had closed behind the slave.
Don Arcimboldo blinked at him. "I don't think I quite . . . ?"
"Your saying you don't know what possessed Higgins," Don Miguel amplified,
turning his wineglass between his fingers. "The term is almost too literal,
you know. The inquisitors beileve him to have been enchanted."
"Villainous!" Don Arcimboldo exclaimed. "What a foul trick to play on an
honourable tradesman!"
"Yes," Don Miguel agreed, and once more there was a short silence.
"By the way," Don Arclmboldo resumed at length, "there's something I
suppose I should have said to you in Londres."
Don Miguel inclined his head and looked politely alert.
"I hold no grudge against you for acting as you did in this matter.
Of course not. I fully understand how seriously any question of temporal
contraband must be regarded."
"I'm pleased to hear it," Don Miguel murmured. "Some people seem to treat
the dangers over-lightly."
"I'd never do so! Oh, I'm hardly one to talk, of course -- I confess
I should have made inquiries about the mask, in view of its perfect
condition. But as you know that's not my speciality . . . Tell me,
though, if you're free to do so: how was it that the mask got brought
to the present? Surely only Licentiates are permitted to travel in time,
and one can hardly imagine a Licentiate being corruptible!"
"It would appear," Don Miguel said after a moment's debate with himself,
"that certain -- ah -- outsiders have contrived to grease the necessary
palms and get taken on visits to the past. Doubtless one of them brought
the mask back."
"Terrible!" Don Arcimboldo widened his eyes. "And yet . . . Well, I could
find it in my heart to envy such outsiders." He grinned with engaging
frankness. "You wouldn't appreciate the urge which someone like myself
feels to walk among the people to whom the rare and beautiful objects I
collect were modern -- virtually commonplace! Do you suppose, Don Miguel,
the day will come when private applicants, properly indoctrinated against
the risk of interfering with the past, will be permitted to share the
marvel of time-travel?"
"If you're wondering whether I am one of the Licentiates whose palm is
open to being greased," said Don Miguel coldly, "I assure you I am not."
"No -- no, of course not!" Distressed, Don Arcimboldo half-rose. "I had
no intention of implying . . ."
"Then shall we change the subject?" Don Miguel
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