Cain by José Saramago Read Free Book Online Page A

guess
what had gone on in that bathroom, not that he was
shocked, well, in the course of their work, envoys see so many
things that nothing can surprise them. Besides, people
knew then as they do now that the flesh is supinely weak,
which is not entirely its fault, for the spirit, whose duty, in
principle, should be to raise a barrier against all temptations,
is always the first to give in and wave the white flag of
surrender. The envoy knew where he was taking the mud treader
abel, where and why, but he didn't envy him, although he did
envy him that lubricious episode with the slave-women,
which had stirred his blood. This time, they entered the
palace by the main door, because here nothing is done in secret,
if lilith has found herself a new lover, then it's best that
people should know about it right away, to avoid all the
whispering and the rumours, all the giggles and the gossip, as
would, of course, happen in other cultures and civilisations.
The envoy said to a slave-woman waiting outside the antechamber, Go and tell
your mistress
that we're here. The slave duly went and returned with a message, Come with me, she
said to cain, and then, to the envoy, You can go, you're
not needed now. That's the way things are, never feel
flattered at being entrusted with a delicate mission, for once the
work is done, you will inevitably be told, You can go,
you're not needed now, as envoys know all too well. Lilith
was sitting on a carved wooden stool, she was wearing a
robe that must have cost a fortune, a dress with a d é colletage that revealed, with a minimum of
modesty, the initial curve of her breasts, leaving the rest to
the viewer's imagination. The slave-woman had withdrawn, they were alone.
Lilith gave the man an appreciative look, appeared to like what she saw and
said, You will
be here in this antechamber, day and night, there is your bed and
a bench to sit on, you will, until I decide otherwise, be my guard and allow
no one, whoever they may be, to enter my room, apart from the
slave-women who come to clean and tidy. Whoever they
may be, madam, asked cain with apparent innocence, You have
a quick mind, I see, if you're thinking of my husband,
no, he is not authorised to enter either, but he knows that
already, so there's no need for you to tell him, And what if
he were to try to force his way in, You're a strong man,
you'll be able to stop him, But I can't restrain with force
someone who, being the lord of the city, is also lord of my
life, You can if I order you to, Sooner or later I will have to
pay for the consequences, Well, that, my young friend, is
something no one in this world can avoid, but if you're a
coward, if you feel unsure or afraid, the remedy is easy, you can go
straight back to the mud, Well, I never considered treading
mud to be my destiny, And I can't promise that you will
always be a guard at lilith's bedroom door, It's enough that I
am your guard for the moment, madam, Well said, you
deserve a kiss for those words. Cain did not respond, he
was listening to the voice of the overseer, Be careful, they
say she's a witch, that she can drive a man mad with her
spells. What are you thinking, asked lilith, Oh, nothing, madam,
in your presence I am incapable of thought, I look at
you and am amazed, Perhaps you deserve a second kiss, I am
here, madam, But I am not, guard. She got up and smoothed
her dress, slowly running her hands over her body, as if
caressing, first, her breasts, then her belly, and finally her
thighs, where her hands lingered, and while she did this
she stared hard at the man, her face as expressionless as a
statue's. The slave-women, free of moral constraints, had
laughed in pure contentment, almost innocence, while they were
amusing themselves manipulating
the man's body, they had taken part in an erotic game of which they knew
all the rules and regulations, whereas here, in this antechamber where no
sound from
outside can penetrate, lilith and cain are like two swordsmen
sharpening