Dieudonat by Edmond Haraucourt

Author:Edmond Haraucourt [Haraucourt, Edmond]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Coat Press
Published: 2019-12-26T00:00:00+00:00

XXII. He surrenders, in favor of his neighbor,

a few meager advantages

Queen Gaude had run to King Gaifer.

“Gaude, my darling, I can see that you’re very angry.”

“I’ve just left Dieudonat.”

“Really? At this hour he’s in his palace playing with the ladies.”

The Queen was not in a mood for pleasantries.

“Sire, people are making fun of you.”

She was not foolish enough to claim that the torturer of amour had solicited her, and had caught her, because the King knew very well that she could have resisted. She said: “Your Majesty is being duped. I suspected as much. I wanted to know. I went. You’re not unaware, I imagine, that a scandalous libertinism reigns in the house of that adventurer, and that his morals are the shame of the realm?”

“That’s frightful,” said the King, tranquilly.

“But you’re doubtless unaware that he’s determined never to make gold again?”

“So he claimed, once, but I’ve been able to change his mind.”

“You’ve only changed his morals.”

“It comes to the same thing, my darling. You don’t understand the affairs of government; I’ve corrupted that man and I have him in my hand, for among a thousand other gifts, I’ve given him the one thing from which one never gets free: needs.”

“Go and see him, handsome Sire, and if you don’t believe me, do as I did, ask him for what you want.”

The autocrat, anxious at first, and then furious, buckled on his sword and hastened toward his adoptive son. He was disagreeably surprised to find his own daughter there, for whom he was not searching.

“What are you doing here?”

“Love, Papa.”12

“We’ll see about that detail later. For the moment, I have to settle accounts of a different kind with this fellow. Is it true…?”

But Dieudonat interrupted him without deference. “Is it true, O King, that I have caused so much woe and despair in this country?”

“It’s not a matter of that. I don’t reproach you for anything to which I consented for your pleasure; I haven’t been mean with the women of my kingdom or the men that were too close to them. Let’s leave those trivia. I’ve supplied the goods in advance, and I’m told that you’re refusing to pay in your turn.”

“The dolor of wounded souls, O King, how does one pay for that?”

“With gold, and you’re going to give it to me.”

“Never again will my wishing produce a gram of gold.”

“For a gram you can rest easy, it’s a mountain that I need!”

“I’ve sworn an oath no longer to give anything except of myself.”

“That’s good for the women, but your King requires something else.”

“The expiation of my sins? I’m ready to submit to it.”

“No speeches, metal! Look out of the window and see that mountain with granite summits: order that it be changed into gold.”

“And at that price, my crimes will be pardoned?”

“Everything you’ve done you can do again, as often as you please.”

The magician hid his face in his hands. “Just God, who sees this base world, you have taught me in my father’s land how gold disorganizes a people, and you have informed me now how it depraves souls.

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