The Queen has, as Queens do, many suitors; and so, many sprays and bouquets of flowers. They end up just above sea level in the Castle’s kitchens and servant’s quarters. The kitchen is forever redolent of pastry, and grilled meat, and beer, and also of flowers, as if life were an endless series of wedding or funerals. A new shipment of flowers has arrived by helicopter and Tutor has carried it in armfuls to the Queen’s chambers. As all licensed fool, and teacher in and out of season, he will occasionally hazard a Socratic question, just to keep his hand in, just in case there is ever an opening in the Castle for Wise Counsel, so he asks, “To what do you attribute this display of cut flowers, Your Highness?” To which she replies with a question for a question, “To what do you attribute them, Fool?” To which Tutor thinks fit to respond, “To your Four Capitals, Your Highness. Not just your Financial Capital, Your Highness, but also....." At which point, the Queen, with a wave of her hand interrupts, him, “No, it's all about my legs, Sweetie; now beat it. Take them down to the servant’s quarters.”
Tutor is a Soldier on Duty. He would no more look at her legs, which are in fact fabulous, than would the Guard at Buckingham Palace whistle at the Queen, no matter how lovely. It is not the physical woman The Happy Tutor would serve, but the majesty of her Majesty, that it might pass forever in the Castle, without interruption, until the end of time. For this he gets thrupence a month, plus room and board, and the pleasure of perpetuity the best of our humanity.
If I may, as Omniscient Narrator, add a comment, to help point the moral of this parable, it is only as we ordinary people align with an ideal, or a celebrity, or other ideal object of desire, like a brand, or a sports team, that even the poorest and most confused among us have something to live for. How many have lived and died, with "Long Live the Queen!" on their lips. Better a Queen than a Kardashian. To the extent we can enlist the sympathies of the populace for dynastic wealth we will have earned our pay and done a service to humanity. I hope the new turn Gifthub has taken will lead to greater rewards all around. The flowers are fine, but I could use a raise.
Comments