The Lunatic's Curse Read Online Free PDF

folded paper.
He opened it and recognized immediately Robert’s handwriting. With a sinking heart he read:
    My dear Rex,
    This is a note written in haste and I apologize for my penmanship – all those times I complained about yours! Acantha has dismissed me. I can only
suppose she wants to hire a tutor of her own choosing. I will not be staying in Opum Oppidulum – Acantha will not give me a reference – so it is doubtful that I will see you
again.
    I wanted to wish you luck, Rex. I fear you will need it. And I wanted to tell you not to give up hope. I know that your circumstances are not easy but you
are resourceful and you know the value of perseverance. Disce pati, as the saying goes. You are your father’s son, Rex, and I am certain that you can find a way out of your
difficulties. I intend to travel to Urbs Umida, not the most pleasant of places I know, but I should be able to find another position there. You can write to me at the Nimble Finger
Inn until I get settled.
    With very best wishes,
    Robert
    Postscript: I couldn’t leave without saying how good your translation was, about the slave. The verb you were looking for was compungere, to ‘prick’ or ‘sting’.
    Rex folded the letter and put it in his waistcoat pocket. He knew there was not to be a new tutor. Tears stung his eyes. Compungere. He wouldn’t have known
that.
     
5
Article from
A Q UESTION OF B EGGARS
    by
Cecil Notwithstanding
    Although there is little doubt that Opum Oppidulum is a lovely place to live, like most towns it is not without its problems. For some months now there has been growing unrest
about the rather large number of beggars on the streets. Although there is a certain amount of sympathy for these unfortunates, this does not take away from the fact that they are a nuisance and an
eyesore.
    I am pleased to be able to report that the mayor has put together a committee to solve this problem. Cadmus Chapelizod, the superrintendent of Droprock Asylum, is to head the commitee. Among the
other esteemed members is Mrs Acantha Grammaticus, the wife of the renowned engineer Ambrose Grammaticus (unfortunately in the asylum at present owing to mental illness). Mrs Grammaticus is quoted
as saying:
    ‘Both Mr Chapelizod and I are committed to achieving a satisfactory resolution to this problem. We have much sympathy with both parties involved, beggar and citizen alike. Mr Chapelizod
and I fully intend to find a solution to ease their respective misery and if possible to put them out of it completely.’
     
6
The Great Escape Plan
    Ambrose Oswald Grammaticus turned over slowly in his incredibly uncomfortable bed – if a pile of straw on the rocky floor of a cell not big enough to jump in could be
called a bed. He groaned as his bones creaked. On the wall beside him was a tally, sets of four parallel lines crossed with a diagonal; over a hundred days crossed off.
    ‘Here, Ambrose, have a bit of this,’ said a voice close to him. ‘You’ve got to eat, for when we get out, you’ll need energy.’
    ‘Get out?’ Ambrose managed a laugh. ‘Tell me, Hooper, how are we to do that? Are we not locked in all day and all night?’ He looked over at the cell door. Yes, as he
expected, the rusty iron-barred door was firmly closed as ever.
    ‘Don’t be like that,’ said the cheerful voice.
    Ambrose had grown used to his companion’s unrelentingly sunny nature, but he still marvelled at the fellow’s ability to see the silver lining not just on some clouds, but on every cloud, no matter how black it might be. If it had been a century or so later the fellow would have been diagnosed with Felix Semper syndrome, a disease characterized by the sufferer
being in a permanent state of happiness, gullible and trusting to the extreme, and completely incapable of relating to the real world. But, ironically enough, being permanently happy, Hooper was
able to take his imprisonment in his stride.
    ‘And is that really such a bad thing?’