Atlas Sucks

'Then don't be that yourself,' said he with elven ears, 'That drunken fool you laugh at is truly the greatest sage.'

'Surely you jest!' replied his neighbour, 'He must be three sheets to the wind, if not more. And I dare say those winds would make a nasty knot!'

The neighbour had a laugh, but the man with elven ears just shook his head and frowned.

'I don't kid you,' he said, 'And don't mistake a fool for despair.'

'Despair?' replied the neighbour, 'What nonsense is that? And now I know he is a fool. So don't conjure that old relic to this world.'

The elven fellow sighed, defeated. 'Yes, I know. What you say is true. But I still can't doubt his wisdom. At least not enough to leave me undisturbed.'

The neighbour only scoffed. 'Well don't be disturbed. That's just your mind playing tricks. Leave that relic in the past as well. Now look, over there, at this so-called sage. He's drowning from the empty glass. Blames it on despair you say. I do scoff. Indeed I do. It sounds suspiciously like an excuse to me. An excuse to indulge himself while holding a more comfortable illusion.'

A third man, who had been speaking to an overappetized maid while keeping tabs on the discussion, now piped up.

'Its a lazy man who calls it despair. In my eyes that crushed soul is a pity of waste. I for one will not condone it with doubt.'

'Hear, hear!' cried the neighbour, and then, looking over at the sage, 'Look at him. He's trying to get up. He can barely stand. He must have been here since noon.'

With that the three fellows all turned on their own stools, on which they had sat themselves since almost noon, and watched as the old sage staggered to the exit. The only other who gave him notice was the bartender, and he did not like the company and was glad to see him go. He would tell his door to be more discerning tomorrow, even at only noon.

The door slammed shut and briefly let in snow. A cold breeze swept by and sent the patrons back on their stools.

and then, a few minutes after the old drunk left, following a flurry of discussion, a slight argument by the elven man, the three patrons were quick to pay their tab, uncheck their coats, and then they too made their way unforgivingly into the desperate night.

- posted by Sigurd12/21/2004 08:45:00 PM