Alexander the Great and Sadhu dialogue via translator in India
From Red Earth and Pouring Rain by Vikram Chandra
Translator: | He wants to know why you're naked. |
Sadhu: | Ask him why he's wearing clothes. |
Translator: | He says he's asking the questions here. |
Sadhu: | Questions give birth only to other questions. |
Translator: | He says people who get funny with him get executed. |
Sadhu: | Why? |
Translator: | Because he's the King of kings. And he wants you to stop asking questions. |
Sadhu: | King of kings? |
Translator: | He came all the way from a place called Greece, killing other kings, so he's the King of kings, see. |
Sadhu: | Fool of fools. Master-Clown of clowns. Maha-idiot of idiots. |
Translator: | You want me to tell him that? |
Sadhu: | I said it, didn't I? |
Translator: | You're crazier than he is. He says he'll kill you. Right here, right now. |
Sadhu: | I'll have to die someday. |
Translator: | Listen, don't do this. He's demented, he doesn't realize who you are, he thinks naked people are poor savages. He'll really kill you. |
Sadhu: | I'll really have to die someday. |
Translator: | He wants to know why you aren't scared of dying. |
Sadhu: | That'd be silly. |
Translator: | He says that's not a satisfactory answer. |
Sadhu: | What sort of answer would he like? |
Translator: | He says you should tell him exactly what mystic path you followed to reach this sublime state of indifference. And he wishes you would stop asking questions. Really, this is incredible, I think you've got him hooked. |
Sadhu: | Mystic path? |
Translator: | Mystic path. Literal translation. |
Sadhu: | When I feel like shitting, I shit; when I feel like eating, I eat. |