Page 268 - The Grotesque Children's Book

“Honest. Fell asleep. Very comfortable.”
“No, I mean about you’re not caring that I’m growing older. I'm afraid, my love, that one
day you'll look at me and say with a scream which will wake the whole palace, ‘My God! My
wife is three hundred years old! Someone roll her out of here!’”
“Never,” he said.
“Maybe.”
“Never,” he repeated.
“Maybe.”
“Very well, maybe.”
“Hah! There is someone else. Already! Who is she? What's her name! I'll scratch her
eyes out!” Bianca playacted.
“The someone else’s name is Bianca. And don't you dare scratch her eyes out, or they
won't be able to see how much I dote on her.”
“Aww, that's adorable.”
“I'm adorable. Always have been,” said Francesco. “You're just now noticing.”
“Cesco. My Cesco.”
“My little seashell.”
“Your big seashell, you mean.”
“I do. My great big oyster bed.” He again buried his head in her bosom, bosom, bosom.
She pulled him back out. “Stay awake! I have something else to ask you, and then you
can go back in.”
“Talk fast. Faster.”
“I'm serious now, Cesco. I want you to go find some elixir, or some balm or salve or
something which will keep my skin and face looking young for you.”
“Darling --”
“Laugh at me for being paranoid, I don't care,” said Bianca, seriously. “I cherish you, I
love you, and now you're mine, I don't want anything to jeopardize that. I want everything to
stay the same. I don't want anything to change. So for me, for us, will you look for that balm?”
“You mean one of those elixirs of life?”
“Oh, no, that's the stuff of fairy tales and magic spells. No, I want medicine, not magic.”
“Don't get your hopes up, my seashell.”
“Just knowing you're trying, that will be enough to keep me young.”
“Very well,” said the Duke. “I'll begin a search tomorrow. Now, may I --”

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