"Far, far, and far again to the east and the south, it is said, there is a tree that bears on its extraordinary branches fruit that will never produce another such tree, for there is and ever will be only one. The fruits instead are full solid and flash blue, shine red, and glisten green. No tunnels dug into the wealth-hoarding earth brings forth finer material for jewelry.
"That was the story as told for centuries. Make up your mind, call it true or false on those words alone, for the journey was too long and too deadly for any but the most death-courting of adventurers. And one there was, in time. He trekked over every river and forded every danger, reaching the other side with a bit less blood than before, but with every grain of his intrepid nature. He reached the tree that stood just as legends told, except the ones about circling manticores or a jealous witch. Nothing guarded its fruit. An ordinary man would have taken a load of treasure and left, but who of that sort would ever have made it that far? The adventurer plucked a ruby, bit into it, and died. The fruit of that tree is poisoned.
"And that was the poison used in this case!" Inspector Iagius declared, and as always, he was correct.
Finis
No comments:
Post a Comment