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no answer. She put her ear to the door, but she could hear nothing. The sun
sank lower and lower in the sky and time was running out, but still Licia had
not the slightest guess how the Demon made his transformations. Oh, why
had she been in such a hurry to leave the octagonal room when she had been
in it? Now all its secrets were hidden from her. Licia realized with a terrible
sourness in her stomach that she was not going to come up with a logical
guess how the Demon turned objects into gold.
“Time's up! The sun has set,” said Diavolo, appearing suddenly at her
shoulder. “Got a guess?”
“Not a good one, no, I'm afraid.”
“What a shame. On the other hand, how terrific for me! You're going to
make a very beautiful pillar, my dear.”
“Let me have another look at the octagonal room.”
“Well, now that would be cheating, don't you think?”
“Please.”
A sneer snaked across the demon's lips. “Oh, please, is it? And you
think just by adding the word 'please' to your unfair and unreasonable request,
that I'm somehow obligated to grant it? While you're at it, why don't you ask
me whether you could watch me turn a horse's shoe into gold?”
“Very well, I will. Signore d'Oro, might I watch you turn a horse's shoe
into gold?”
“Might you watch me, wh-what?”
“Please!?”
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