Читать книгу The Journey: How an obscure Byzantine Saint became our Santa Claus - David Price Williams - Страница 37

even know if it’s gathered in the same way as my terebinth resin, from a tree and if so what kind of tree. And how come it grows in the desert? There’s so much I don’t understand about it.”

But Eugenios was in his cups by now and he wouldn’t let the matter rest. He took a large quaff of his wine.

“You should go and see the family in Telmessos, Aquila. Why don’t you go and ask them where it comes from? They’re Lycians like you and me after all and when they know you’re in the incense business I’m sure you’ll have a lot to talk about. Who knows, they may even open up and let you into a few of their secrets?”

My father gave a shrug and there for the moment the matter rested. But even if Eugenios had not managed to impress my father, he had sown a seed in my mind and I thought a lot about it over the coming years.

* * * * *

My father was considered to be moderately wealthy by now and as I entered my adult life he felt he owed something to the city which had given him his livelihood. So when someone from the Pataran trade association came to him to ask him if he would stand for election to the boulé, the city council, I think he felt it his civic duty to accept. We had a magnificent bouleterion in our city where the council met once or twice a week. It was not too far from the

DAVID PRICE WILLIAMS