Reader

HERMES If you don’t mind, ferryman, let’s work out how much you owe me at the moment, so that we won’t quarrel about it later. CHARON Let’s do that, Hermes. It’s better to have this settled, and it’ll save trouble. HERMES I brought you an anchor as you ordered; five drachmae. CHARON That’s dear. HERMES By Hades, that’s what I paid for it, and a thong for an oar cost me two obols. CHARON Put down five drachmae and two obols. HERMES And a darning-needle for your sail. Five obols it cost me. CHARON Put that down too. HERMES And wax to plug up the leaks in your boat, and nails, and a bit of rope which you made into a brace, costing two drachmae in all. CHARON You got these cheap too! HERMES That’s all, unless we’ve forgotten something in our calculations. Well, when do you say that you are going to pay me? CHARON For the moment, Hermes, it’s impossible, but if an epidemic or a war sends me down a large batch, I can then make a profit, by overcharging on the fares in the rush.

HERMES So, for the present, I’ll have to sit down and pray for the worst to happen so that I may be paid? CHARON It can’t be helped, Hermes. We get few coming here at the moment, as you can see. It’s peacetime. HERMES Better so, even if you do keep me waiting for what you owe me. Ah, but in the old days, Charon, you know what men they were that came, all of them brave, and most of them covered with blood and wounded; but now we get a few poisoned by a wife or a son, or with their legs and bellies all puffed out with rich living, a pale miserable lot, all of them, quite unlike the old ones. Most of them have money to thank for their coming here; they scheme against each other for it, apparently. CHARON Yes, it’s the grand passion. HERMES Then you won’t think it wrong of me if I dun you for my debt.