Page 56 - The Grotesque Children's Book

been the archway through which he had walked, at second glance was but a
portion of a corner of a large magnificent palace. Also made all of gold, except
for some brightly colored cloths and banners hung high near the tops of
porticos.

A thin line of saliva formed at the corner of the Emperor's mouth and
dribbled down his chin. “I want that.”

“This? You want this palace? You can't have it! It's mine. It's just I -- I
can't keep it standing.”

It was true; the palace was wobbling. Its pillars were too thin for the
weight of the roof; too thin almost for wind. Diavolo was literally holding up a
corner of the building with his shoulders.

“If I can't have the palace,” ventured the Emperor, wiping his chin, “can
I -- can I have your golden sand? I could melt it together to make gold bricks
for my own palace. I wouldn't need yours. But I myself, I find I'm just recently
run out of gold. What will you give me for your golden desert, Diavolo?”

“Oh. Never had anybody ask me that before. Let me think. Do you
know what I need more than anything? Some able bodies to hold up my
palace. I need -- let me think -- one, two, three...it's not very easy for me to
count as I don't have any fingers...four, five...I see eight, eight corners to my
palace. It's an octagon, you see. So give me eight of your finest citizens to hold
up my palace, and you shall have all the gold you want.”

“All the gold I want?”

“I have an infinite amount. You can have whatever you want.”

“Deal!” said the Emperor.

“Deal.”

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