He abandoned himself to brutal enjoyment. The three servile ruffians held their sides and guffawed, and my ox’s eyes learned to weep.
“Well,” said the sorcerer, as if replying to the rush of my thoughts. “Well, yes, you are Jupiter, but you have a right to ask me more.”
“Here is your birth certificate. You were born in Spain, in a celebrated ganaderia, and you come from famous parents, whose male posterity falls gloriously with a sword at their throat, on the sand of the bull-rings. I rescued you from the bandarillos of the toreadors, your pedigree suiting my purpose, and paid a high price for you—you and the cows. You cost me two thousand piastres, exclusive of carriage.
“You were born five years and two months ago, so you can live as long again—no more; if we let you die of old age.
“To sum up, I bought you in order to try some experiments on your organism. This is only the first one.” My facetious relative was seized with an attack of uncontrollable laughter. When he had exhausted his superfluous gayety, he went on:
“Ah, ha! Nicolas! you are all right aren’t you? You are not at all uncomfortable? I am sure your curiosity, you son of woman, your infernal curiosity, must be keeping you up and I bet that you are less annoyed than interested. Come! I am a kindly chap, and since you are discreet now, my dear ward, listen to the information which you desire.
“Did I not say to you, ‘The time is drawing near when you shall know all?’ Nicolas, you are now going to know all, and indeed it would not please me to pass as a devil—a miracle-monger, or a sorcerer. I am neither Belphegor, nor Moses, nor Merlin—I am just Lerne, tout court! My power does not come from the outside, it is my own, and I am proud of it. It is my science. All that one could say by way of correction, is, that it is the science of humanity, which I have continued in my day, and of which I am the most advanced pioneer and chief master.
“But, do not let us be conceited! Do the bandages stop up your ears? Can you hear me?”
I made a sign with my head.
“Well, listen, then, and do not roll your eyes about—all will be explained.”