Verse 08 -- Video

[poeticverses]

[The feed opens up on a bewildered Jehan. He has in his hands a set of panpipes]

While I was out in the city today, I came across these panpipes at the base of one of the arches in the city. No sooner did I pick it up then this--

[He's cut off by the pipes playing the first part of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique. After a moment, it automatically quiets down so it's just a little background music as Jehan speaks]

--happened. As I returned home, it began to play Ave Maria when I began to hum it. I do not know how it knows these songs nor how it is possible for a set of pipes to play them, yet it does and it is. If these belong to you, I am in the Wood Sector if you wish to retrieve them.

[He hopes no one claims them. They're marvelous.

Lucky for him that no one will]

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[poeticverses]

I...I see. Oh dear. That sort of song is not reserved for the wine shops and inns?

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[depicted]

[He laughs.] No, no, that sort of conservative approach to things is fading. We're still stuffy about the strangest things, don't get me wrong. But war has been waged on the borders of common decency and it has lost much ground to the shock tactics of youths.

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[poeticverses]

Well, I suppose it is nice to hear that the youth of the world are the ones responsible for change in the future, just as they are in the past.

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[depicted]

History even repeats its revolutions. [Whoops he didn't mean to sound as cynical as he let that come out. He waves a hand.] Not that that's a problem, sorry. I've just . . . seen a lot of them.

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[poeticverses]

No, I understand.

[A slight smile]

I cannot imagine being as old as you and seeing all that you've seen, Dorian. If anyone is entitled to a little cynicism, I would imagine it'd be you.