Tuesday, June 13, 2006

one fight in a night in twilight, part 1

After days in an errand, a young man riding a black horse, dressed with a long dark cape arrived to a bar in the middle of nowhere to ask for some information he needed for his journey. The bar tender is a man in his late forties, with a big gray moustache, and wavy gray hair, cleaning a glass and watching how four men nad a woman played poker right next to a room which is carefully closed with a special lock that ordinary men cannot break. The men are all dressed differently, one wearing a white shirt with a red tie, with long dark blue trousers and white boots. Two players are brothers, despite they can be easily noticed as such, both dress in totally different manners, while one wears a bright red jacket, the other wears a blue jacket with black spots that are hardly noticeable, and while one usually presents a smile in his face for always winning, the other has always his eyebrows low down as a sort of complaint for his bad luck. The woman player dresses in a rather funny way as she is the only figure that stands out among the group. She dresses in pink, wearing a violet hat that shaded her eyes in order not to allow the others see her next move since her eyes usually denounced her--clear sign of being very concentrated in the game. Finally, the last player is a huge bold man, wearing a woolly hat and a blue feather in his shirt's pocket. He does not have eyebrows, but had a very short beard, which is fully covered in beer.
The young man tries to open the lock in a vain attempt to prove himself that he can break the seal and enter into that mysterious room. After failing, he talks to the bartender.
Young Man: "What does that room contain that its lock is impossible to open?"
Bartender (still cleaning the glass): "What is inside that room, I do not know, but I know the reason why it is kept closed".
Young Man (sort of curious): "What is the reason?".
Bartender (Breathing over the glass): "I think the person locked it that way so that only the most prepared and skilled person could possess what is inside that room".
Young Man: "So only the most capable person will open it, right?".
Bartender: "Yes, that's right. If you want clues of how to open the lock, go and ask that group over there (pointing the group playing cards with his middle finger). They also came here with the intention of opening it, however, they all failed".
Young Man (Coldly). "None of them? and why do they remain here?".
Bartender (introducing the glass into the cupboard). "They are still trying to solve the puzzle, so they thought gathering to share ideas was the best way to advance at the same time they kill time playing cards".
Silence
Bartender: " Go and ask them, perhaps you may find something interesting".
He goes to the table and asks:
Young man:"Does any of you have some information of how can I open that door?".
Red Tie guy: "Mind your own business kid, can't you see we're playing? Besides, don't you have any manners to go and ask us like that without introducing yourself".
Brother 1: Don't get so angry, friend, this is typical of kids in these days, they don't show any respect for their older ones. It's just a matter of getting accostumed, that's all".
Brother 2: "Anyways, he interrupted our game in its most exciting point".
Lady: "Leave the kid alone, guys, he's just a kid compared to us, you must not behave as one of them, assuming that horrible attitude".
Bold Man: "She's right, if you, gentlemen, think you're so educated, why don't you behave as such and treat the kid as he deserves, please?".
Silence
Bold Man: "Well, kid, why do you want to open that door?".
Young Man: "None of your business, just tell me".
Bold Man: "Very well, then, (he laughs) I think none of us can really tell you what is needed to open that door, you see, we were just discussing it".
Brother 2: "When you interrupted us..."
Bold Man: "Please..."
Brother 2 remains silence
Bold Man: "If you want to know more about how to open that lock, have a sit, I think this will make the game more interesting (bringing a chair, the Young man sits down between the bold man and brother 1)".
Bold man:" Ok, my name is Cravret, I am a priest, or at least I used to be one (He laughs). I arrived here three days ago and tried to open that freaking door, but I couldn't, i just couldn't. I tried everything, from a fire arrow to a beam shock, nothing seemed to work. I used all my equipment, from my special keys, to my own beard. (laughing)".
Young Man: "So none of that worked, Ok I'll try to use some ice, then".
Brother 2: "That won't work either, I also tried that, but trying to convert the lock into a block of ice did not work as the thing never froze up".
Young Man: "Hmm...".
Lady: "Don't even think of trying to burnt it also, that thing won't melt even if a volcano made eruption over it".
Bold Man: "That would also burn the place, dear".
Lady drinks a glass of wine, while looking attentively to the Bold Man.
Lady: "I know... it's just that...that damn thing is damned...as if some conjurer had created it".
Brother 1: "Let's not bring conjurers to the conversation, please?".
Silence.
Bold Man: "Oh, damn, I also forgot to introduce the others, young man. (pointing to the Red tie guy). This man is Edgar Van de Burgh. He is a very well known treasure hunter, you know? Despite his bad reputation, he is willing to help to open that ceiling, but he insists that he will to obtain the treasure before us.
Van de Burgh: "And I'm GOING to obtain it. You know that I'm just sitting here in order to figure out how to open that thing. After it's done, is everyone for himself and in your case (pointing to the lady), for herself".
Bold Man (slightly laughing): "OK, ok...Well as you can see, this two gentlemen (pointing to the two brothers) are the Petkolic brothers, one is Sven and the other Slatan, i don't know them very well, but, God, Slatan is very good at playing, while Sven has very bad luck".
Sven: "Leave me alone, next round, please...?
Slatan: "Perhaps this is finally your time".
Sven"Yeah..yeah".
Bold Man: "And finally, let me introduce a beautiful lady from the north region, (directing to the lady) Miss Schmidt".
Miss Schmidt: "Leave the formalities, just call me Laura".
Bold Man: "And what is your name, young fellow?"
Young Man: "I have no name".
Bold Man: "What? you must have one".
Young Man: "Not all people in this world have, I am one of those".
Bold Man: "WHAT?!! Are you perhaps a mercenary?".
Young Man: "No, I'm just one man looking for the most important thing in human's life".
Van de Burgh: "And what's that, boy, if it isn't money?".
Young Man: "I don't know, but is neither money nor women. It is something that I long for, and in order to get it, I must get what is behind those walls".
Silence