Miguel turned back to Dorn, but the tavern owner didn’t meet his gaze.
“That’s all I know”. Dorn said, walking back around the bar.
Miguel sat back down at the bar, and stared blankly at the floor considering his next words carefully.
“You shouldn’t have upset him.” Dorn set to scrubbing the bar vigorously. He had found that seeming to set ones mind on a menial task projected anger and fear. He was hoping Miguel was picking up on it. “He’s been a friend for a long time. His father and I were close.”
Miguel did get the hint. He watched as Dorn whipped the same spot on the bar several times with no improvement.
“Well, sir, I believe I will leave ye’ to your cleaning.” Miguel dropped several pieces of silver on the bar as payment for his meal and left.
As he stepped outside, Miguel stopped and sighed. As he stepped off the front veranda, Miguel looked around at the village square. In front of him lay the fountain. He saw no signs of the beast that Dorn said had been hung there.
Miguel walked up to the fountain, and began his examination. Miguel had been born into the church to God fearing parents. He feared God and believed God had ultimate power, but he was no fool. Miguel had never heard of a time God had struck down a man since Ananias.
The fountain was a simple design nearly 30 feet in diameter. It had obviously been constructed decades before out of rocks in a rough circle sealed with pitch. The fountain was fed by a nearby hilltop reservoir that caught rain water and pumped it down to the village. Miguel was surprised to find this level of engineering in such a small village. The fountain itself was crude at best, and to the uneducated eye was nothing impressive. But Miguel was anything but uneducated.
The fountain was a simple tower in the middle of the basin that stood roughly 15 feet in the air. A single pipe run up to the top from which the water poured down into the basin. The top of the fountain was thicker stone so that the water fell down into the basin providing a steady splashing that echoed around the square.
Miguel looked around the square again to see who might be watching. Being the stranger in town, he stood out from the crowd and was watched by everyone who walked by. The square was rarely empty and now was no exception. Miguel shrugged; he’d rather be seen in broad daylight than caught sneaking around at night.
Miguel sat on the edge of the fountain and began to remove his shoe. This definitely caught the eyes of many walking by.
After rolling up the bottom of his trousers, he set his boot next to the fountain and stepped inside. He walked the short distance to the middle of the fountain and looked up.
He saw nothing extraordinary, and as he ran his hands over the surface felt nothing out of place. It was a well built stone standard. Miguel circled the fountain several times but found nothing. The traveler resigned himself to defeat and turned to wade his way back out of the water. As he approached the edge something new sought his eye. In the roiling water, a slight shimmer reflected the sunlight. Miguel bent down to pick up what he thought must have been a coin but he couldn’t. His face turned to confusion as he felt a slim metal wire lying on the bottom of the fountain. Miguel pulled on the wire but it held fast.
Still bent double, Miguel followed the wire back to the middle of the fountain where it ran into the base of the tower. As he felt around he found dozens of wires protruding from the base all leading out to the edges of the basin. He followed the wire back, and found the end tucked up against the side of the basin. Miguel stood and now noticed an ever so slight shimmering of the wires all around the bottom of the basin.
Now there was no mistaking the attention he had drawn as a few dozen townsfolk were now watching him as he stepped out.
He was completely soaked having been drenched by the water splashing down on top of him. Miguel picked up his shoe, cleared his throat, and tried to appear as dignified as he could as he walked wet and dripping back out of the village.
“That’s all I know”. Dorn said, walking back around the bar.
Miguel sat back down at the bar, and stared blankly at the floor considering his next words carefully.
“You shouldn’t have upset him.” Dorn set to scrubbing the bar vigorously. He had found that seeming to set ones mind on a menial task projected anger and fear. He was hoping Miguel was picking up on it. “He’s been a friend for a long time. His father and I were close.”
Miguel did get the hint. He watched as Dorn whipped the same spot on the bar several times with no improvement.
“Well, sir, I believe I will leave ye’ to your cleaning.” Miguel dropped several pieces of silver on the bar as payment for his meal and left.
As he stepped outside, Miguel stopped and sighed. As he stepped off the front veranda, Miguel looked around at the village square. In front of him lay the fountain. He saw no signs of the beast that Dorn said had been hung there.
Miguel walked up to the fountain, and began his examination. Miguel had been born into the church to God fearing parents. He feared God and believed God had ultimate power, but he was no fool. Miguel had never heard of a time God had struck down a man since Ananias.
The fountain was a simple design nearly 30 feet in diameter. It had obviously been constructed decades before out of rocks in a rough circle sealed with pitch. The fountain was fed by a nearby hilltop reservoir that caught rain water and pumped it down to the village. Miguel was surprised to find this level of engineering in such a small village. The fountain itself was crude at best, and to the uneducated eye was nothing impressive. But Miguel was anything but uneducated.
The fountain was a simple tower in the middle of the basin that stood roughly 15 feet in the air. A single pipe run up to the top from which the water poured down into the basin. The top of the fountain was thicker stone so that the water fell down into the basin providing a steady splashing that echoed around the square.
Miguel looked around the square again to see who might be watching. Being the stranger in town, he stood out from the crowd and was watched by everyone who walked by. The square was rarely empty and now was no exception. Miguel shrugged; he’d rather be seen in broad daylight than caught sneaking around at night.
Miguel sat on the edge of the fountain and began to remove his shoe. This definitely caught the eyes of many walking by.
After rolling up the bottom of his trousers, he set his boot next to the fountain and stepped inside. He walked the short distance to the middle of the fountain and looked up.
He saw nothing extraordinary, and as he ran his hands over the surface felt nothing out of place. It was a well built stone standard. Miguel circled the fountain several times but found nothing. The traveler resigned himself to defeat and turned to wade his way back out of the water. As he approached the edge something new sought his eye. In the roiling water, a slight shimmer reflected the sunlight. Miguel bent down to pick up what he thought must have been a coin but he couldn’t. His face turned to confusion as he felt a slim metal wire lying on the bottom of the fountain. Miguel pulled on the wire but it held fast.
Still bent double, Miguel followed the wire back to the middle of the fountain where it ran into the base of the tower. As he felt around he found dozens of wires protruding from the base all leading out to the edges of the basin. He followed the wire back, and found the end tucked up against the side of the basin. Miguel stood and now noticed an ever so slight shimmering of the wires all around the bottom of the basin.
Now there was no mistaking the attention he had drawn as a few dozen townsfolk were now watching him as he stepped out.
He was completely soaked having been drenched by the water splashing down on top of him. Miguel picked up his shoe, cleared his throat, and tried to appear as dignified as he could as he walked wet and dripping back out of the village.
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