Gruddle paused in his train of thought. Had he just seen movement under the plank? He lifted it up, Fabien watching agog, and noticed Kevin's clenched fist. Wordlessly, he opened it, and took the note out. He read it dumbly and passed it to Fabien who read it. Their eyes met and they both stared at Kevin's corpse.
* * *
Ten years later, Master Fabien took out the small ivory clock passed on to him as it had been to Master Gruddle. He checked the time on it and checked it on the huge clock that he was facing. He nodded satisfactorily and conemplated the new guild. It had been built rather along the lines of the previous one with a few different details. The first, and most striking, was that it was completely made of stone, roof and everything. Then there was the tower at the front, in which they'd placed the clock he'd just checked. The final detail was being put up now. It was a guild motto. They'd never had a motto before, but Fabien had realised that this was perfect for the guild. Infact, he'd realised it first ten years previously when he first saw it.
The dwarfs put up the final dot and he nodded at them. They packed their tools and left. Fabien contemplated the motto. He'd always understood it, but, in huge letters, for the first he... Fabien faltered, he'd never been good with words. Master Gruddle had been, ...realised that it was true. That was right, wasn't it? He sighed and went indoors to visit some classrooms and make the novices feel uncomfortable. Oh yes, Master Gruddle had taught him a lot!
Outside, a small boy walked past with his father.
"Dad?"he inquired, "wassat say?"
The father looked at the motto, moving his lips as he read it.
"Well son," he said,"it says 'Every second that passes ys one less to lyve..." that's philersopholy, that is."
The son looked at his father.
"Oh." he said.
They walked away.
Note from author: For those of you who actually enjoyed this story, I have written and uploaded a poem to go with it called 'Ode to Time', sort of a publicity stunt you might say. Then again, perhaps not.
* * *
Ten years later, Master Fabien took out the small ivory clock passed on to him as it had been to Master Gruddle. He checked the time on it and checked it on the huge clock that he was facing. He nodded satisfactorily and conemplated the new guild. It had been built rather along the lines of the previous one with a few different details. The first, and most striking, was that it was completely made of stone, roof and everything. Then there was the tower at the front, in which they'd placed the clock he'd just checked. The final detail was being put up now. It was a guild motto. They'd never had a motto before, but Fabien had realised that this was perfect for the guild. Infact, he'd realised it first ten years previously when he first saw it.
The dwarfs put up the final dot and he nodded at them. They packed their tools and left. Fabien contemplated the motto. He'd always understood it, but, in huge letters, for the first he... Fabien faltered, he'd never been good with words. Master Gruddle had been, ...realised that it was true. That was right, wasn't it? He sighed and went indoors to visit some classrooms and make the novices feel uncomfortable. Oh yes, Master Gruddle had taught him a lot!
Outside, a small boy walked past with his father.
"Dad?"he inquired, "wassat say?"
The father looked at the motto, moving his lips as he read it.
"Well son," he said,"it says 'Every second that passes ys one less to lyve..." that's philersopholy, that is."
The son looked at his father.
"Oh." he said.
They walked away.
Note from author: For those of you who actually enjoyed this story, I have written and uploaded a poem to go with it called 'Ode to Time', sort of a publicity stunt you might say. Then again, perhaps not.