Well, at all events don't refuse me this, Lady of Destiny.

What?

I want to know how things will turn out after my death.

Listen, for it will vex you all the more to know. Midas, your slave, will have your wife; indeed, he has been her lover a long time.

Curse him, I set him free at her request!

Your daughter will be enrolled among the concubines of the present tyrant, and the busts and statues which the city long ago set up in your honour will all be pulled down and will make everyone who looks at them laugh.

Tell meé, will none of my friends get angry at these doings?

Why, what friend did you have, and how did you make him? Don’t you know that all those who bowed the knee and praised your every word and deed did so either from hope or from fear, being friends of your power, not of you, and keeping their eyes on the main chance?

But as they poured their libations at our drinking parties they used to pray at the top of their voices that many blessings might descend upon me, saying every one of them that he was ready to die for me if so might be; in a word, they swore by me.

Consequently, you died after dining with one of them yesterday: it was that last drink he gave you that sent you down here.

Then that is why I noticed a bitter taste. But what was his object in doing it?

You are asking me many questions when you ought to get aboard.

There is one thing that sticks in my throat above all, Clotho, and on account of it I longed to slip back again to the light of day, if only for a moment.

What is that? It must be something tremendous.

As soon as Cario, my valet, saw that I was dead, toward evening he came into the room where I lay, having nothing to do, for nobody was doing anything, not even guarding me, and brought in my mistress Glycerium; they had been on good terms a long time, Isuppose. Shutting the door, he began to make free with her as though nobody was in the room, and then, when he had enough of it, he gazed at me and said: “You wretched little shrimp, you often gave me beatings when I was not at fault.” With that he pulled my hair and hit me in the face, and finally, after clearing his throat raucously and spitting on me, went away saying: “Off with you to the place of the wicked!” I was aflame with rage, but could not do a thing to him, for I was already stiff and cold. And as for the wretched wench, when she heard people approaching she smeared her eyes with spittle as if she had been crying over me and went away weeping and calling my name. If I should catch them—

Stop threatening and get aboard; it is already time for you to make your appearance in court.

And who will dare to pass judgement on a tyrant?

On a tyrant, no one, but on a dead man, Rhadamanthus. You shall soon see him impose on every one of you the sentence that is just and fits the case. No more delay now!

Make me even a common man, Lady of Destiny, one of the poor people; make me even a slave instead of the king that once I was. Only let me come to life again!

Tell me, Clotho, do you people take no account at all of me? Is it because I am poor that I have to get aboard last?

But as for me, having nothing at stake in life, neither farm nor tenement nor gold nor gear nor reputation nor statues, of course I was in marching order, and when Atropos did but sign to me I gladly flung away my knife and my leather (I was working on a sandal) and sprang up at once and followed her, barefooted as I was and without even washing off the blacking. In fact, I led the way, with my eyes to the fore, since there was nothing in the rear to turn me about and call me back. And by Heaven I see already that everything is splendid here with you, for that all should have equal rank and nobody be any better than his neighbour is more than pleasant, to me at least. And I infer that there is no dunning of debtors here and no paying of taxes, and above all no freezing in winter or falling ill or being thrashed by men of greater consequence. All are at peace, and the tables are turned, for we paupers laugh while the rich are distressed and lament.