Читать книгу The Journey: How an obscure Byzantine Saint became our Santa Claus - David Price Williams - Страница 92

“I saw him where you are standing right now, young man, as large as life!”

Then I remembered that Chronos had purloined my father’s books with all his contacts listed in them. He had obviously used the information to get his hands on this old man’s supplies and presumably sold them again to make money. After all this time I was stunned by his audacity.

“My apologies,” I began hesitatingly, “this man stole my father’s office books and incidentally his young wife too; he would have stolen his life savings as well had he managed to find them. Alas my father is dead. He died two winters ago. I’m so sorry if you are out of pocket. Is there something I can possibly do to help?”

The old man thought for a while and then stroking his chin he said, “You will no doubt say you don’t have the money to pay me directly. But you are young and strong and full of adventure no doubt? Might I ask a favour from you? I need someone to go on a journey for me, a long way from here, into the depths of Arabia in fact. I need someone to go to the Frankincense Mountains of Sheba to buy some of their perfumed gold, as we call it. Would you be prepared to do that for me, to arrange a consignment for me? You must have worked with your father. You know something about qualities and harvest times.”

THE JOURNEY