"Beauty my friend is a blessing" Piper remarked through gritted teeth as he tried, in vain, to re-light his pipe, his eyes never leaving the portrait above the fire. William, who had up until now, being enjoying the blessed silence replied, perhaps to curtly; "Oh really? How so?" Pipers face betrayed a flash of hurt but he continued unperturbed "because those who posess beauty, real beauty that is, need not worry, the rest will follow, money, power, it falls into their lap as if the world were their plaything." He paused, waiting for a response.
William entertained him, drawing on his cigarette he replied "There my dear Piper you are wrong. Beauty, in all forms, is in fact a curse. The Gods are cruel when they shape us mere mortals, and no-more so when they see fit to bestow the "gift of beauty" upon an unfortunate soul, for beauty is by nature fickle, as are those who posess it, they beguile the masses with their radiance and sweet talk their way into positions of power, and highstanding, but what pray tell happens when time catches up? When their beauty withers and dies along with their power and money?." he paused watching the faint blue smoke rise before him, and of course giving Piper a chance to argue, it was always more enjoyable when he did, but today he seemed to not take the bait.
"I shall tell you, it is then when all they had has been taken away from them, that the Gods cruel jape is played out, and they mock us for our stupidity."
He watched now with his grey eyes as a frown appeared on Pipers face, and with the annoyance all courtesy seemed to fade. "Must you always be so cynical William?"
Drawing once more upon his cigarette he looked at his long time friend; "Only my dear Piper, when the opportunity arises." Getting up from his chair turning his back on Piper and the dreadfully macabre portrait he said " Now if you'll be so kind as to summon me a hansom, I have an engagement with our American friend."
The sun had begun to set as William stepped out of the hansom and out onto the cobbled road before the Riverside Inn, where the american, Arthur Dent had chosen to lodge. On the outside it looked more akin to a run-down bar than an inn, smeared in the grime and soot of the city, it's walls, in parts, the same putrid green as the river before him. On the inside it was far worse.
Packed from wall to wall, with a motley assortment of fishermen, whores and other such ruffians, the smell of sweat had rotten fish had long since permeated the air. William felt his throat tighten and his upper lip curl into a half-snarl. Desperate to be quit of the place he began to scan the room for Dent, finally finding him in a dimly lit corner far from the bar.
With a great effort and personal restraint William managed to push through the crowd to the table, short of breath and temper he sat down without even the slightest of nods, across from Dent, reaching disparately inside his jacket for his cigarette box, only when he had his cigarette lit did he even attempt to acknowledge Dent, who had this entire time been watching with the slightest of smiles playing across his face.
"For the love of God Arthur why do you insist on staying in this cesspool? If you had but asked either Piper or myself we could have set you up with a room on the Savoy!"
Dent merely smirked, "I like it here" he replied "fewer eyes that are inclined to wander." William guffawed "Yes drunkards, whore and lice ridden beds, I can see the charm." Ignoring the jibe Dent gestured to the barkeep. William cocked an eyebrow, "We aren't staying here for the night are we?" This time Dent laughed "No William, I fear if we stayed here they would need to call the Asylum sooner than later." William allowed himself a smile; "Then why don't we go?" Dent's playful smirk disappeared as he glanced out the window "Not yet, i prefer to see the city at night."
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