260. I was becoming anxious to be on our way. The reader may remember after all this time, that my purpose was to drive across the Alps and down into Italy in search of artifacts to make molds and casts from, but I had been sidetracked by the desire of the Duck to visit the monastery. Not only had we visited the Shrine, but his purpose in coming here had seemingly been fulfilled with the miracle of his legs being the same length.
261. And you also know that I did not think any "miracle" had taken place, it was just a matter of perception and expectation on the part of the Duck. Since our business at the shrine was concluded I was getting ready to depart, but the Duck begged me to remain just through lunch with the Abbot. What that Duck's motive was soon became clear, he wanted to pump the Abbot for more information about the Nigerian, and that is just what he did.
262. Over lunch the Abbot told the Duck what he had been able to find out about the Nigerian. The first and most important fact about him was that he was a French citizen because his mother was a French woman who had married a wealthy Nigerian banker. Shortly after the marriage the husband and wife moved to Lagos, where they lived in style until the boy was about five at which time both mother and father were killed in a plane crash.
263. At this point in the story Buboni let out a low groan, and the Duck adjusted his posture in a way indicating great skepticism, but the Abbot corrected them immediately. "No No No", he said, "it is not some e-mail scam involving unclaimed funds in a Nigerian Bank, please, we my live in a remote world, but we know all about that sort of thing." There are no millions in an account, but their was a trust fund which paid for his education in a Nigerian religious institution.
No comments:
Post a Comment