Part 35 (2/2)
Holding it just outside the rim of the sieve she glanced up at Commodus.
”Go on,” he said.
She smiled.
”If you want to see me fail,” she said, ”talk to me. If you want to see me carry water in this sieve, let me alone.”
”I'm dumb*,” said he.
*”Dumb” at this time meant unable to speak. --PG editor
She eyed the sieve to make sure that it was level and steady. Commodus, also eyeing it, judged it both steady and level.
She brought the ladle over the rim of the sieve and lowered it until it all but touched the middle of the web.
She tilted the ladle slowly, slowly she poured its contents over its lip.
She lifted it clear:
On the web of the sieve lay a silver disk, as it were, of water, round-edged and s.h.i.+ning.
”Hercules be good to me!” cried Commodus.
”Keep quiet!” she admonished him. ”You'll put me off.” She dipped up a ladleful of water, flirted half the water out, wiped the bottom of the ladle on her knee and brought it cautiously over the sieve, cautiously she lowered it until it nearly touched the s.h.i.+ning disk of water, cautiously she tilted it, cautiously she let its contents flow over its lip.
The disk of water spread. She repeated the process. The disk of water spread.
Again and again she repeated the process.
The disk of water became a film hiding nearly all the web of the sieve.
Commodus noticed that, as she dipped up each ladleful of water, she watched the dipper out of the corner of her eye, as it were, with a sort of partial, sidelong glance, but that all the while her gaze was intent on the sieve.
He noticed other details of her procedure.
”You never pour twice in the same place,” he commented.
Rigid as a statue, the sieve in her hand as unmoving as if clamped in a vise, Brinnaria spoke:
”If I take my eyes off the sieve,” she rebuked him, ”it will tilt in my hand and the water will run through. If you make me look round you'll destroy me. You are not fair.”
”I'm dumb,” said Commodus again, apologetically.
As she poured in the next dipper-load, the film of water touched the rim of the sieve at one point.
Commodus heard a sharp intake of Brinnaria's breath.
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