e girl, "and then you will see me
in my new-style bathing suit."

And Gud departed from that place in great sorrow, for once again he saw
a world confounded and worshiping a fool.

Chapter XXIV

About a decade later, Fidu came running up to Gud. For a moment he was
too excited to speak and could only bark, but when he again found his
articulation the Underdog said: "Oh master, come quick, for there is a
poor beggar sitting over there on the steps of the almshouse and holding
out his hat for alms; but few give to him and he is weak and starving."

Gud followed Fidu and came to the beggar who was poor and wretched
indeed. And Gud said to him: "I will not reveal my lack of intelligence
by dropping coins into your hat, for I know as well as you do that
indiscriminate charity does not alleviate poverty. So throw your coppers
into the gutter and put your hat on your head, while we discuss the
cause of your impecunity."

The beggar discarded his few coins and placed his hat on his head.

"Now," began Gud, "let us consider your situation intelligently. There
is usually some relation between cause and effect. The effect in your
case is poverty complicated by charity. I could destroy the effect by a
miracle and make you rich, but I have tried tampering with the law of
cause and effect, and I find it dangerous business. It is best to change
the cause and let the law change the effect.

"Quite right you are, kind sir," agreed the beggar.

"What was the cause of your poverty?" asked Gud. "Was it indolence, or
drink, or--"

"No, no," interrupted the beggar, "none of those common things. My
poverty was caused by the ruin of my profession."

"What was your profession?" demanded Gud.

The beggar straightened up as proudly as he could and said: "I was a
novelist!"

"Yes," said Gud, "Go on."

"And my profession has been blasted and ruined utterly."

"And how did that happen?"

"I do not know how it happened," replied the beggar, a baffled look
coming into his eyes; "worse yet not even the critics know--but it
happened--it happened--the impossible happened."

"Come, come," called Gud, shaking him by the shoulder, "you are
babbling, speak up, what happened?"

The beggar looked up at Gud, a glint of horror in his eyes, and murmured
slowly: "Someone destroyed the eternal triangle.... There can never be
any more novels, ... nor plays ... nor movies ... nor realism ... nor
romance ... nor royalties ... nor dinners