He told them what the Supreme Lord of Inde was doing.Then he told them what the Sultan of Egypt was at;also what the King of the Remote Seas was about.And so on and so on;and with each new marvel the astonishment at his accuracy rose higher and higher.They thought he must surely strike an uncertain place some time;but no,he never had to hesitate,he always knew,and always with unerring precision.I saw that if this thing went on I should lose my supremacy,this fellow would capture my following,I should be left out in the cold.I must put a cog in his wheel,and do it right away,too.I said:
"If I might ask,I should very greatly like to know what a certain person is doing.""Speak,and freely.I will tell you."
"It will be difficult --perhaps impossible.""My art knoweth not that word.The more difficult it is,the more certainly will I reveal it to you."You see,I was working up the interest.It was getting pretty high,too;you could see that by the craning necks all around,and the half-suspended breathing.So now I climaxed it:
"If you make no mistake --if you tell me truly what I want to know --I will give you two hundred silver pennies.""The fortune is mine!I will tell you what you would know.""Then tell me what I am doing with my right hand.""Ah-h!"There was a general gasp of surprise.It had not occurred to anybody in the crowd --that simple trick of inquiring about somebody who wasn't ten thousand miles away.The magician was hit hard;it was an emergency that had never happened in his experience before,and it corked him;he didn't know how to meet it.He looked stunned,confused;he couldn't say a word."Come,"I said,"what are you waiting for?Is it possible you can answer up,right off,and tell what anybody on the other side of the earth is doing,and yet can't tell what a person is doing who isn't three yards from you?Persons behind me know what I am doing with my right hand --they will indorse you if you tell correctly."He was still dumb."Very well,I'll tell you why you don't speak up and tell;it is because you don't know.YOU a magician!Good friends,this tramp is a mere fraud and liar."This distressed the monks and terrified them.They were not used to hearing these awful beings called names,and they did not know what might be the consequence.There was a dead silence now;superstitious bodings were in every mind.The magician began to pull his wits together,and when he presently smiled an easy,nonchalant smile,it spread a mighty relief around;for it indicated that his mood was not destructive.He said:
"It hath struck me speechless,the frivolity of this person's speech.
Let all know,if perchance there be any who know it not,that enchanters of my degree deign not to concern themselves with the doings of any but kings,princes,emperors,them that be born in the purple and them only.
Had ye asked me what Arthur the great king is doing,it were another matter,and I had told ye;but the doings of a subject interest me not.""Oh,I misunderstood you.I thought you said 'anybody,'and so I supposed 'anybody'included --well,anybody;that is,everybody.""It doth --anybody that is of lofty birth;and the better if he be royal.""That,it meseemeth,might well be,"said the abbot,who saw his opportunity to smooth things and avert disaster,"for it were not likely that so wonderful a gift as this would be conferred for the revelation of the concerns of lesser beings than such as be born near to the summits of greatness.Our Arthur the king --""Would you know of him?"broke in the enchanter.
"Most gladly,yea,and gratefully."
Everybody was full of awe and interest again right away,the incorrigible idiots.They watched the incantations absorbingly,and looked at me with a "There,now,what can you say to that?"air,when the announcement came: