Book 1, Chapter One: Longing, Pages 23 and 24

A page arrives; a little brother of one of his childhood peers. The boy comes bearing a tray, a golden jug and a silver bowl, which he pours wine into, which he then gives to Alexander.

Alexander drinks.
Not all of the wine.
Here, he pauses
to contemplate the bowl, and the wine inside,
and the reflection whose blasé stare he returns.
He sighs.

Then an old man’s voice, coming from the place where the young cup-bearing page stood moments ago,
“Oh, my king.
What is the matter?
Is all this pomp not to your liking?”

The banquet melts away into shadow, and Alexander
is now alone with an old Servant in green robes.

Alexander replies,
“Hm? Of course it is…
Everything is perfect.”

And he returns the bowl to the Servant’s tray.