"Charon!"cried the shade in charge of the light."Charon,ahoy!""Ahoy yourself!"returned the old man,paddling his craft close up to the stranger."What do you want?""You,"said the shade."The house committee want to see you right away.""What for?"asked Charon,cautiously.
"I'm sure I don't know.I'm only a member of the club,and house committees never let mere members know anything about their plans.
All I know is that you are wanted,"said the other.
"Who are the house committee?"queried the Ferryman.
"Sir Walter Raleigh,Cassius,Demosthenes,Blackstone,Doctor Johnson,and Confucius,"replied the shade.
"Tell 'em I'll be back in an hour,"said Charon,pushing off."I've got a cargo of shades on board consigned to various places up the river.I've promised to get 'em all through to-night,but I'll put on a couple of extra paddles--two of the new arrivals are working their passage this trip--and it won't take as long as usual.What boat is this,anyhow?""The Nancy Nox,of Erebus."
"Thunder!"cried Charon,as he pushed off and proceeded on his way up the river."Named after my mother!Perhaps it'll come out all right yet."More hopeful of mood,Charon,aided by the two dead-head passengers,soon got through with his evening's work,and in less than an hour was back seeking admittance,as requested,to the company of Sir Walter Raleigh and his fellow-members on the house committee.He was received by these worthies with considerable effusiveness,considering his position in society,and it warmed the cockles of his aged heart to note that Sir Walter,who had always been rather distant to him since he had carelessly upset that worthy and Queen Elizabeth in the middle of the Styx far back in the last century,permitted him to shake three fingers of his left hand when he entered the committee-room.
"How do you do,Charon?"said Sir Walter,affably."We are very glad to see you.""Thank you,kindly,Sir Walter,"said the boatman."I'm glad to hear those words,your honor,for I've been feeling very bad since I had the misfortune to drop your Excellency and her Majesty overboard.Inever knew how it happened,sir,but happen it did,and but for her Majesty's kind assistance it might have been the worse for us.Eh,Sir Walter?"The knight shook his head menacingly at Charon.Hitherto he had managed to keep it a secret that the Queen had rescued him from drowning upon that occasion by swimming ashore herself first and throwing Sir Walter her ruff as soon as she landed,which he had used as a life-preserver.
"'Sh!"he said,sotto voce."Don't say anything about that,my man.""Very well,Sir Walter,I won't,"said the boatman;but he made a mental note of the knight's agitation,and perceived a means by which that illustrious courtier could be made useful to him in his scheming for social advancement.
"I understood you had something to say to me,"said Charon,after he had greeted the others.
"We have,"said Sir Walter."We want you to assume command of this boat."The old fellow's eyes lighted up with pleasure.
"You want a captain,eh?"he said.
"No,"said Confucius,tapping the table with a diamond-studded chop-stick."No.We want a--er--what the deuce is it they call the functionary,Cassius?""Senator,I think,"said Cassius.
Demosthenes gave a loud laugh.
"Your mind is still running on Senatorships,my dear Cassius.That is quite evident,"he said."This is not one of them,however.The title we wish Charon to assume is neither Captain nor Senator;it is Janitor.""What's that?"asked Charon,a little disappointed."What does a Janitor have to do?""He has to look after things in the house,"explained Sir Walter.
"He's a sort of proprietor by proxy.We want you to take charge of the house,and see to it that the boat is kept shipshape.""Where is the house?"queried the astonished boatman.
"This is it,"said Sir Walter."This is the house,and the boat too.
In fact,it is a house-boat."
"Then it isn't a new-fangled scheme to drive me out of business?"said Charon,warily.
"Not at all,"returned Sir Walter."It's a new-fangled scheme to set you up in business.We'll pay you a large salary,and there won't be much to do.You are the best man for the place,because,while you don't know much about houses,you do know a great deal about boats,and the boat part is the most important part of a house-boat.If the boat sinks,you can't save the house;but if the house burns,you may be able to save the boat.See?""I think I do,sir,"said Charon.
"Another reason why we want to employ you for Janitor,"said Confucius,"is that our club wants to be in direct communication with both sides of the Styx;and we think you as Janitor would be able to make better arrangements for transportation with yourself as boatman,than some other man as Janitor could make with you.""Spoken like a sage,"said Demosthenes.
"Furthermore,"said Cassius,"occasionally we shall want to have this boat towed up or down the river,according to the house committee's pleasure,and we think it would be well to have a Janitor who has some influence with the towing company which you represent.""Can't this boat be moved without towing?"asked Charon.
"No,"said Cassius.
"And I'm the only man who can tow it,eh?""You are,"said Blackstone."Worse luck.""And you want me to be Janitor on a salary of what?""A hundred oboli a month,"said Sir Walter,uneasily.
"Very well,gentlemen,"said Charon."I'll accept the office on a salary of two hundred oboli a month,with Saturdays off."The committee went into executive session for five minutes,and on their return informed Charon that in behalf of the Associated Shades they accepted his offer.
"In behalf of what?"the old man asked.
"The Associated Shades,"said Sir Walter."The swellest organization in Hades,whose new house-boat you are now on board of.When shall you be ready to begin work?""Right away,"said Charon,noting by the clock that it was the hour of midnight."I'll start in right away,and as it is now Saturday morning,I'll begin by taking my day off."