I saw some of your men buying some of these books
in my own land, after that unpleasantness we had. They seemed to be
popular among your people, so I thought I'd make myself a little profit
and bring a shipment of them to your people. I did not know you found
such natural things unpleasant."
8 "The things portrayed in this book," argued The Hawk, "are not
natural. They are the sickness of a depraved mind. I believe you when
you say that you did not knowingly break our Law. Because of
that I will grant you mercy. Your goods will be returned to you, and
you may take them
back to your homeland."
9 The Warlock came forward. "Lord," he announced, "except for these
samples that we kept for evidence, we burned the rest."
10 The Hawk sighed. "How much was your cargo worth?" he asked the man.
11 "At the price the books and paintings were going for," the man told
him, "I would have probably made five or six gold on the lot. A
handsome profit. If I had raised my prices a bit, I could have probably
gotten more."
12 "I will give you six gold," announced The Hawk, "out of my own
purse, so none can say that you were cheated in our land. To make sure
this never happens again, I will order that signs be posted warning
foreign merchants that things of this nature cannot be brought into our
country, but before you go, tell me, how are these books made? How are
the pictures drawn so identical, and the letters made so perfect?"
13 "Oh, they're not drawn, Wise One," the merchant answered, "they're
PRINTED in a press. A carver makes a wooden block of the picture in
reverse. Ink is rolled on it and hundreds of