"A TALKING PICTURE" """In July 2001, a little girl crosses thousands of years of civilization, along with her mother, a distinguished history professor, while on their way to meet her father."" "Look at this mist." "What a pity." "Ifit gets worse, you won't be able to see the monument to the Discoveries." "We're getting closer." "Can you see it?" "." "It was built to commemorate the events and honor the sailors." "Can you see the man in front of all the other figures?" "." " The one with the wide-brimmed hat." " Yes, who is he?" "." "Prince Henry, the moving force behind the Discoveries." " What did they do?" "." " What did they do?" "." "They found new lands... sailing hitherto unexplored waters." "An enterprise that the prince had prepared forwell." "Look." "This one is older." "It was the first monument, built to commemorate the glorious feat ofthe discovery of the sea route to India by an expedition led byVasco da Gama." "How strange." "This mist reminds me ofthe myth of King Sebastian." "What is a myth?" "." "Myths are imaginary stories based on certain events," "like the one of King Sebastian, whom they called ""the shrouded one."'" "People believe he will return on a misty morning like this." "Who was King Sebastian?" "." "He was a Portuguese king who wished to convert the world to the Christian faith." "He began his quest by leading his men to war in a bid to conquer the Moors, who had a different religion." "What war?" "." "A war that took place in Alcacer-Quibir in Africa and that went down in history as the War ofthe Three Kings, for the three kings who died there." "It's assumed that one ofthem was King Sebastian." "Dead or not, he did in fact disappear after the Portuguese defeat." "The Portuguese people continued to believe -- and this is a famous legend and also a Muslim belief" "that one day a shrouded figure would emerge from the mist, riding a white horse." "And will he really?" "." "There are those who believe he will, but it's only a myth." "Ifhe comes back, will he arrive at this place that we're leaving from?" "." "That I can't say, but ifhe's on horseback, it's likely he'll arrive by land." "Where we are leaving from is the site from where the caravels set sail, accompanied by mermaids." "What are mermaids?" "." "They're another myth." "They are halffish, halfwomen, and they swam alongside the ships to encourage the sailors... to explore the great unknown." "That citywe can just barely see from here is Ceuta." "It was taken from the Moors by the Portuguese" " more than 500 years ago." " Why?" "." "Because the Portuguese ships were attacked in these waters." " So the city is ours?" "." " No, not any longer." "I know why." "Because ofthe Revolution of April 25th?" "." "No, no." "Ceuta was lost many centuries ago." "The Revolution of April 25th took place only a short while ago." "And that's another story." "Shall we go?" "." "Good morning." "Welcome to Marseille." "Just a moment." "Good morning." "Welcome to Marseille." "Look,Joana." "Undo his leash." "How much areyour fish?" "." "Thanks, and good-bye." "Hello." "Is this where the fishermen unload their fish?" "." "This is wherewe sell it fresh." " Does your little dog moor the boat?" "." " He helps me moor it." "He's a fisherman." "I can see that." "He is a fisherman." " What's his name?" "." " Sooty." "Apart from Sooty, do you have any more family?" "." "I have a son and a daughter, but my daughter lives in Paris." " So they don't live with you?" "." " No, they don't." " What about yourwife?" "." " She died threeyears ago." " Soyou're alone." " With Sooty." "I see." "I'm Portuguese." "I'm on a cruise." " This is my first time in Marseille." " Ah, your first time." "But I've already had the bouillabaisse." " Was it good?" "." " Yes." "Maria Joana." "Did you like the fish soup we had for lunch?" "." "I loved it." "Mommy, ask him the dog's name." "Sooty." "Oh, Sooty." "And what's your name?" "." "Me?" "." "I'm John." "That's funny." "That's my husband's name." "My daughter and I are offto see him." "So where is he?" "." "In Bombay." "We're going on vacation." "He's an airline pilot." "Areyou going by ship?" "." "Yes." "It's a bit complicated." "Speaking ofships, I don't see anytankers here." "Doesn't most ofthe oil arrive in Marseille?" "." "Yes, that's true." "There are lots oftankers, but they're some nine miles offthe coast." "And there are oil reserves in case ofwar." "And reserves for cars, which are a real plague." "They really are a plague, as you say." "We can't live without oil these days." "We can't turn the clock back." "Well, I must go." " Thankyou foryour information." " Not at all." "Look at what's written on the ground." """Here, in about 600 BC," "Greek sailors landed from Phoenicia, a Greek city in Asia Minor."'" "It says here that this place was founded by the Greeks manyyears ago." "They founded Marseille, the cradle of civilization." "That means it was the Greeks who spread civilization to other countries." "Delphine?" "." " What a surprise!" "." " It certainly is!" " Doyou want to come aboard?" "." " I can't." "I'm just seeing some friends off." " Do I know them?" "." " No, they're just tourists." " Have a good trip." " Bye." " See that castle over there?" "." " Yes." " Legend has it..." " What's a legend?" "." "Legends are like fables." "They're invented stories," "like the muses who inspired poets..." "or mermaids." "Were they like the fish-women ofthe Tagus?" "." "Yes, but bird-women were even more ancient." "Muses or mermaids are imaginary beings, invented to explain certain events." " Listen to this story I'm going to tell you." " Tell me." " You see that castle there?" "." " Yes." "Many, manyyears ago, there was no castle." "There was a beach where an exhausted mermaid sought refuge after chasing the boat of Ulysses, the warrior king." "Before she died, she left an egg on the site where the castle stands today." " Can we go and see it?" "." " No, darling." "The egg is also a legend, and it's said that the egg lies under the castle, in a golden cage." "That's why it's called the Castle ofthe Egg." "This storywas told bythe great Latin poet Virgil, who liked the story of King Ulysses and said, in memory of Ulysses' voyage," """As long as the the egg exists, Naples will thrive and prosper."'" "And now?" "." "Now we're going back to the taxi, because I want to showyou Vesuvius and Pompeii." "That mountain peak is Vesuvius, perhaps the most famous of all volcanoes." "What's a volcano?" "." "A volcano's like that mountain that has a hole on top and spits out fire and ash." " But it isn't spitting out fire now." " No, it isn't now." "But more than 2,000 years ago, it buried the city in ash." "What city?" "." "Pompeii, the citywe're about to visit." "The airwas so thick with ash and poisonous gases that the people couldn't breathe." " Did they die?" "." " Yes, every one ofthem." "It seemed like divine punishment for a people who had lived a sinful life." "What is a sinful life?" "." "That's whatyou call it when people do bad and wicked things." " So it was punishment from heaven?" "." " Some people say so." "These are catastrophes that man can do nothing about." "Anyway, punishment or not, everyone was burnt to death, and the citywas destroyed, as we're going to see now." " Now?" "." " Yes, now." "It's all in ruins." "Like I told you." "Behind these columns are the remains ofthe second most important temple ofthe city, the Temple ofApollo." "Look." "See, here it is in ruins, and this is what itwas like before." " You see?" "." " Yes." "The main square as we see it today, and Vesuvius." "And look now." " Here's the square before the catastrophe." " There was no grass." "No, only these stones." "That lady getting on board now seems to be famous." "Who?" "." "I didn't notice." "She's gone now." "This hill in front of us is called the Acropolis." "Let's climb up and take a closer look." "See how beautiful it must have been." "This temple was dedicated to the goddess who protected Athens." "What did people do here?" "." "Theyworshipped their gods." "Now let's go to the other side." "Look up there." "Can you see?" "." "It's enormous, isn't it?" "." "It almost seems to touch the clouds." "Areyou French, madam?" "." "No, we're Portuguese, Father." "But we speak a little French." "You speak perfectly." "You have a lovely little girl." "Ifl can help in anyway, I'm atyour service." "Excuse my boldness, but when I sawyou," "I just had to speak toyou." "Don't stand on ceremony." "Please speak." "This is the first time I've met an Orthodox priest." "We are Roman Catholics." "I teach history at Lisbon University, and I was trying to explain to my daughter what the Acropolis is." "You did well to ask me." "I'm atyour disposal forwhateveryou may need." "That's very kind ofyou." "The Acropolis is a real treasure." "Someone once said," """Never have my eyes seen such a glorious sight as this little mount."'" "I'm sure anyone who comes here would say the same." "But as you are probably aware, the most important monument in Greece is the Parthenon over there." "Inside stood a colossal ivory statue of Athena draped in gold robes." "It was 33 feet high." "Athena is the goddess ofwisdom, the goddess you Latins call Minerva." "The statue was enormous, and legend has it that it was taller than the temple and could be seen" "from no matter whereyou stood in the city." "That must have made the citizens feel protected." "Exactly." "Even more so because in Greek mythology," "Athena conquered Poseidon and is now the patron saint ofthe city." "What happened to that statue?" "." "Which statue?" "." "The statue ofthe legend disappeared, and nobody ever heard ofit again." "But the original statue was removed at the same time as another even larger statue cast in bronze, which was situated between the great portal and the Temple of Erechtheum." "In the fifth century AD, both were taken to Constantinople." "During the reign of the Christian emperorTheodosius?" "." "Exactly." " I can see I'm talking to a history teacher." " What areyou saying, Mommy?" "." "We're talking about the statue ofthe goddess Athena." " Was there really such a goddess?" "." " No,just a statue - actually, two." "But they disappeared, or rather theywere taken to Constantinople." "Can you steal a goddess?" "." "No." "You can't steal a goddess." "What was stolen was the statue that represented the patron saint ofthe city." "So was the city left unprotected?" "." "No, darling." "It's the Greeks who protect Greece." "The story ofthe statue is an ancient legend that was lost in the mists oftime once the city became prosperous and rich." " These are the ruins ofthose times." " And what about that one?" "." "What's that one over there?" "." "That's the Temple of Erechtheum where Poseidon and ""Athina" were worshipped." "Excuse me ifl say ""Athina."'" "That's Greek for Athena, isn't it?" "." "Exactly." "It's the Greek name for Athena." "The name we give to the goddess ofwisdom." "The wisdom ofthe philosophers, playwrights, poets and musicians - it all derives from Athena." "And now come with me." "I want to showyou the ruins of one ofthe most ancient Greek theaters." "There it is." "In ruins, as you can see." "But I haven't even introduced myselfyet." "I'm Father Nicholas, an Orthodox priest atyour service." "By the grace ofGod, Father." "I'm going to tell you a curious story." "Please do." "Since I'm writing my doctorate on art in general, this theater is also of great interest to me." "Is it true that Antigone, Medea and other famous plays were performed here for the first time?" "." "Yes, probably." "Let's go down for a closer look." "This is the exact spot where the actors performed." "The audience sat on those tiers over there." "See, dear?" "." "The actors performed here, and the audience sat over there at the other end." "Yes, Mommy." "What is this?" "." "Could you explain what that is?" "." "This stone is called the ""themeli."'" "It's where sacrifices were offered before the play." "Look." "Those seats over there were reserved for important people." "That one over there is very special." "It was reserved for the most important authority of all." "See the name engraved on it?" "." "And look at that one too." "Down there, see?" "." "Mommy." "My daughter noticed you use three fingers when you make the sign ofthe cross." "Please forgive my curiosity, but I've never seen a Catholic priest do that." "They make the sign ofthe cross with their palm open." "I never really understood why Catholics make the cross as you say, butyour question is not indiscreet." "I'll try to explain." "We Orthodox say - observe carefully - that this here is the Father," "this is the Son, and this is the Holy Ghost." "The HolyTrinity." "In the name ofthe Father, and ofthe Son and ofthe Holy Ghost." "Amen." "Look, that lady is famous." " Who is she, Mommy?" "." " She's a singer." "Hello." "How doyou do?" "." "Welcome aboard." "Have a good trip." "We're standing before one ofthe largest cathedrals in the world." "It was built by the Christians." "About a thousand years later, it was conquered by the Muslims and turned into a mosque." "What's a mosque?" "." "A mosque is like a church." "It's where Muslims pray." "The muezzin calls from the top ofthe minaret." " What's a muezzin?" "." " He is a sort of caller who goes up the minaret to call the faithful to prayer." "To pray like us?" "." "Yes, but they pray in their own way." "The name St. Sophia has nothing to do with a saint." "The word comes from the Greek sophos, which means wisdom." "St. Sophia means divine wisdom, the wisdom of God." "This building that you see before you is the third St. Sophia." "It was destroyed twice in revolts during Byzantine times, and it was rebuilt each time." "The first St. Sophia was built in 360 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine." "The second, the ruins ofwhich you can see over there, was built in 41 5 AD by the EmperorTheodosius." "And finally, this building was constructed in 537 by the Byzantine emperorJustinian." "In the beginning, itwas a Christian cathedral, neither Catholic nor Orthodox, because itwas before the separation." "It became an Orthodox cathedral only in the ninth century, and in 1 453 it was converted into a mosque by the Muslims." "The Muslims captured the building in 1 453, and from then on itwas used as a mosque." "Later, in 1 935, itwas turned into a museum on the orders ofAtatürk, the founder oftheTurkish Republic." "It's no longer a place ofworship, but a museum." "And since 1 935, no prayers have been said here." "What were they saying?" "." "The guide was saying that" "St. Sophia finally ended up in Muslim hands." "Who were the Muslims?" "." "They belong to the Muslim religion" "Iikewe belong to the Catholic religion." " Is the Catholic religion Christian?" "." " Yes." "Ifit belonged to the Catholics, why did it become Muslim?" "." " Because theywere atwar." " And are they still atwar?" "." "No." "Thatwas in the Middle Ages." "Come." "What are the Middle Ages?" "." "The Middle Ages were a period oftime in the history oftheworld." "The Middle Ages ended with the reconquest ofthis city, which was called Constantinople and became Istanbul, as it's called now." "It's a bit complicated, isn't it?" "." "Yes, but I like to know." "Which Middle Ages arewe in now?" "." "We're not in the Middle Ages anymore." "Ourtimes, that is to say the agewe are in now, is called the contemporary age." "Contemporary means now?" "." "That's right." "Contemporary means the present." "And now St. Sophia is a museum." "This way, please." "In all churches, there is a niche facingJerusalem." "This is found both in ancient churches and Turkish churches, while in all mosques there is one facing Mecca, as you can see there." "But in churches that became mosques, there was a problem, because Mecca and Jerusalem are not in the same direction." "You can see the difference better ifyou look at the mosaics up there." "The central windows point in the direction ofJerusalem, just as that niche there points to Mecca." "You see it?" "." "Not the one in the middle, but the one to the right ofthe large one?" "." "The mosaicyou can see up there dates from the 1 0th century and represents the Virgin Mary nursing the babyJesus." "On the right stands the Archangel Gabriel." "These two mosaics were plastered over during the Ottoman empire, and when the mosque became a museum..." "See these crosses?" "." "What are they?" "." "Look, there's another." "They're marks for the dome that you just saw." "There are so many." "Yes, there's another... and another, see?" "." "And yet another at the end." " You see?" "." " Yes." " Did you enjoy that?" "." " Yes, but it was a bit tiring." " A bit confusing, isn't it?" "." " Yes, but it's beautiful." "Can you see those magnificent monuments?" "." "What are they called?" "." "They're known as the pyramids of Egypt." "They're famous for their great importance, and because they represent the greatest civilization of antiquity." "What does civilization mean?" "." "Civilization is what man creates and develops over the course oftime by using his intelligence." "How?" "." "Like the pyramids, for example." "For their great size, and for the mystery surrounding the method oftheir construction." "Ifit was so difficult, why did they do it?" "." "They built them precisely because theywere civilized people." "And because they believed in life after death." "It was one ofthe kings of Egypt who had them built as his burial vault." "There's a story that another powerful pharaoh..." "What's a pharaoh?" "." "That was the name given to the kings of Egypt." "Well, this pharaoh forced another people to become workers, to drag the stones to the top of each pyramid one by one." "Who were they?" "." "Theywere the 1 2 tribes of Israel who had fled a drought in Canaan." "Hunger had brought them to Egypt, where there was grain to be had." "And when this pharaoh died, he was succeeded by another, who forced these people to work on the pyramids as though theywere slaves." " Is that why theywere civilized?" "." " No." "That's not why theywere civilized." "There are other reasons." "The history of civilization is made up ofthese contradictions." "Man is not perfect, and he makes mistakes." " And did they remain slaves forever?" "." " No." " Moses freed them." " Who was Moses?" "." "He was the son of a Jewish woman." "When he was a baby, his mother was afraid he would be massacred, so she put him in a basket, which she set adrift on the river." "The current carried him away, and he was found by an Egyptian princess, who liked the child and raised him." "He grew into a strong, wise man." "Years later, when he discovered his origins, he became a prophet oftheJews." "But this is a very long story, my darling." "It happened many thousands ofyears ago." " I'll tell you later, all right?" "." " All right." " Butyou must tell me thewhole story." " Of course I will." "Nowit's myturn to tellyouastory.." "This is a more recent one, from the time ofNapoleon." "Do you know who Napoleon was?" "." "He was a French general who was famous for his military genius." "He came here with his French troops to expel the British, who had invaded Egypt." "Napoleon led his troops into battle, pointed to the pyramids and said," """Soldiers, 4,000 years ofhistory look down upon you."'" " Really?" "." " Yes." "It was just as this gentleman said." "Allow me to introduce myself." "My name is Luis Miguel." "When I heard this little girl speaking Portuguese, I couldn't resist." " I'm..." " I know." "You're an actor." "I've seen you perform many times on the stage in Lisbon." "I'm a great fan ofyours." "A fan?" "." "What a surprise." "And why not?" "." "You're not unknown, as I am." "You won't be unknown onceyou tell me whoyou are." "My name is Rosa Maria." "I'm married." "I have a daughter, Maria Joana." "We're on this cruise to join my husband, whose name is Joao." "I'm a historyteacher, and I'm visiting these magical places around the Mediterranean." "I enjoyvisiting these places too." "And just as well, because I've now met a charming history teacher and herwonderful little girl." "Ifit's all rightwith you, since it's still notvery late," "I'd like to inviteyou for a drink at a wonderful hotel thatwas built forthe inauguration ofthe Suez Canal." "I'd love to, but..." "Please, let's go, Mommy." "It's still early." "Let's go,Joana." "Of course we will,Joana." "Haveyou noticed the jewelers' shop windows?" "." "As you can see here in the hotel, there are many pieces in the shape ofa beetle." "They're to be found everywhere." "I knew theywere a symbol ofhappiness for the Egyptians, but I never imagined theywere so popular." "They used to be worshipped as gods." "Theywere the symbol ofthe sun." "Why?" "." "The beetle goes into his hole at night, mixes mud with his excrement, and at dawn brings out a ball of dung." "At dawn the sun gives light to the living." "At night he goes underground to give light to the dead." "Now, since we are among the living," "I'd like to showyou some paintings ofthe inauguration ofthe canal." "The hotel was built forthe inauguration ofthe canal as you can see in this painting." "The Empress Eugenie is not depicted here, but shewas the guest ofhonor at the ceremony." "The pasha of Egypt gave the go-ahead to the French diplomat Lesseps, who was the driving force behind the initiative, and the canal was opened in 1 869, as you can see in this painting." "Amazing." "And all realized by the force of man." "Itwas no morewonderful than the first sea voyage to India byVasco da Gama in 1 494." "You know how long it took Vasco da Gama to reach India?" "." " No, how long?" "." " Ayear." "He had to go all the way around Africa." "Nowadays, the journey is much quicker through the canal." "Mommy, what did you mean by ""realized by the force of man"?" "." "It means that it was built almost entirely by manual labor." "A very arduous task indeed." "The opening was celebrated by a dinner that took place right at this very hotel." "Really?" "." "Look." "There we see the entrance ofthe empress." "And there... the banquet." "Look." "What a lovely dress." "In such a beautiful shade ofblue." "It's truly beautiful." "It's thought that the Egyptians considered blue to be the color oftruth." "Like the blue ofthe sky." "Like the blue ofthe sky." "Mommy, look." "I think I've seen those ladies before." "You must have." "They're all famous." "They appear on TV and in magazines and newspapers." "The one in blue is a businesswoman, head ofan empire." "And the one in red..." " Is she the oneyou saw on the quay?" "." " I don't know." "They look so different." "Yes, they do." "They're the captain's guests." "Look how he treats them." "Especially the actress..." "Nothing is less certain, Captain." "Yes, I do." "And seeing it was I who brought it up, it's up to me to break the spell." "I'm Delphine, and farfrom being amazing, I'm..." "I'm expansive." "I'm very independent, a single girl." "honnisoit qui malypense." "Even so, I can't help thinking ofyou, my dear." "Thankyou, Captain." "I'm not shy, far from it." "After all, I'm French." "And we French have a reputation where love is concerned." "Ah, that's whereyou're wrong." "I have no illusions about men." "Haven'tyou heard of charmers who disappoint women?" "." "I'm French." "I've had affairs." "I have no children." "I am whatyou could call a businesswoman, or rather an entrepreneur, which is even rarer." "I don't have time to waste dreaming." "I've noticed you're quite the flatterer." "I'm not French." "I'm Francesca." "And as you can tell, I'm Italian." "I was..." "Always the flatterer, as Delphine said." "To think that at the time they used to call me Aphrodite," "I, whowas neverfree... or independent like Delphine." "I was never free even in mywork, which forced me... to keep to strict timetables" "and had very rigid rules." "I didn't even stop working when I got married." "Not that my husband was a tyrant, but I loved him..." "I loved him very much, and love is a tyrant." "Passion makes prisoners ofwomen." "Did you feel you were a prisoner ofyour husband?" "." "Only of my memories." "Now that he's no longer here, I live for my memories." "Doyou have any children?" "." "No, unfortunately." "I've gone from a kind of prison oflove to a nostalgic solitude." "These frequent trips" "I make nowadays entertain me." "I meet new people, make new friends." "It's my only consolation for lost happiness." "I, Helen, would think..." "I would say that those who live life to the full have many opportunities to be happy, but also feel deep sorrow and suffer on account ofbetrayal." "Nothing is worse than betrayal, especiallywhen it comes from someone we trust." "It's like a knife wound," "like being stabbed by pain and doubt." "I have suffered betrayal, among other misfortunes." "Hard to bear for a sensitive and faithful woman." "I have never suffered that, but I know it exists." "And we have to bear it." "Only our friends can help." "To tell you the truth," "I've never experienced betrayal in my love life." "Ingratitude or disillusionment," "little infidelities, yes, but nothing hurts as much as betrayal by one dear to me." "It's a wound that never heals." "I don't think I'm different from others." "There's nothing morbid in this." "I consider myselfto be a very positive person." "I like my friends, my career as an actress and singer." "I like to encourage new talent." "As you can see," "I'm not bitter." "I know, you even visited me many times in my dressing room." "I adore the theater, and I spend as much time on the stage as offit, but I cannot accept everything that is offered to me." "I'm very selective." "Not only because ofthe question of quality, but also offantasy." "My love oftheater and singing made me become a teacher." "I'm dedicated to mywork." "I love my students, and they all get along well with me and respect mywork." "It's a great comfort to me." "You're most kind, Captain." "Once again, it's very kind ofyou to say that." "Thankyou." "It's true that for an artist, there's nothing better than to live for one's art." "Areyou married?" "." "Doyou have children?" "." "I'm not married." "I don't have any children." "I've known men forwhom I still feel friendship." "Love is a prison of desire, as Francesca said, but at times it's unbearable." "Especially ifthe man is jealous." "As unbearable as loneliness." "Or even more, like a man." "If our captain had met a woman like the sea, hewould have made an excellent husband." "Ifyou don't know, who does?" "." "You're a very attractive man, and not only to the sea." "Anyway, you don't need manywomen." "You just need to find one whom you love as much as the sea, and it will be enough." "That is, in case the sea lets you down." "Unless you'd rather be shipwrecked and giveyourself up to the mermaids." "Delphine is right." "You still have plenty oftime." "To get married?" "." "It's simple." "You command a ship." "You mean the happiness ofa sailor is like that ofa fish?" "." "They breathe but they can't speak." "Which means they can't give their opinion." "Maybe... but we also express ourselves... in a strange way." "Yes, strange, unique, unusual." "Not in a normal way." "Haven'tyou noticed that at this table we are all speaking different languages, and we all come from different countries?" "." "And what is even stranger is that it all seems so natural." "Natural, yes, but also an extraordinary coincidence." "Coincidence?" "." "Yes, we all understand each other and it's so natural." "Among educated women, there are no barriers." "Nor among men either, I hope." "Frankly, I don't know." "But I believe that each one of us expresses himself or herself in their own way, whether man orwoman." "But nothing is more comfortable than speaking one's own language." "Which is not the case in the European Union." "Of course not." "The European Union was set up by men, and look at the result." "Imagine how different it would be, how we would live in peace, ifthe world were ruled bywomen." "You're not a feminist by any chance, areyou," "Miss Delphine?" "." "Look at me, Captain." "What doyou think?" "." "I thinkyou're a sorceress." "I am..." "Well, let me begin at the beginning." "I'm an American of Polish descent, but born and bred in the United States." "There are no true Americans except the Indians." "Exactly." "The English language has colonized the world, and todaywe all need to speak..." "English." "But it was not the basis of our civilization." "Greece was the cradle of our civilization." "You're right, Helen." "Greek is only spoken in Greece." "This table is an exception to the rule." "Outside Greece, nobody speaks Greek." "Perhaps not the language, but Greece is still the cradle of civilization and will be as long as the world goes around." "It's a civilization that's been forgotten." "And with it, fraternity and the rights of man and the utopian ideals ofthe French Revolution." "Later adopted by the US." "But they're also being forgotten, as is happening on other continents, like Europe, not to speak of Africa." "No civilization lasts forever." "Time will tell how best to preserve the memory ofthe past." "That's how Alexander the Great saw it when, under the influence ofAristotle, he decided to found a universal library." "Built after his death." "Exactly." "Built and destroyed in Alexandria." "And then lost forever." "But what I find most curious is the case ofthe Arabs, who, having spread Greek culture in Europe and beyond, were the ones to destroy it, burning all the books in the blindness oftheir religious fervor." "The beginnings offundamentalism, which is everywhere today." "However, the Arabs also founded a great culture." "Now it is in decline." "What haunts the Arab world nowadays is the development ofthe West, with its many technical advances and scientific progress." "This creates religious prejudice, which is what divides us." "What is needed between East and West are convergent values." "The question is not one of politics but of civilization." "Politics create civilization, and action creates history." "The sad history ofhumanity." "The sins ofthe fathers are visited upon the sons." "Long before the Tower of Babel, it all started with original sin." "That's a good idea." "I would quickly open another supermarket or a warehouse or something." "Brilliant." "Good idea." "I'll beyour first customer." "Unless you want me as a partner." "Oh, no." "A sailor?" "." "Never." "You command your ship and I'll command my business." "Verywell." "What areyou talking about?" "." "Our polyglot interaction." "Don'tyou find it extraordinary?" "." "Extraordinary." "Why are they all so cheerful, Mommy?" "." "Perhaps it's a birthday party." "Are we already in another sea?" "." "Yes, Maria Joana." "This is the Red Sea." "Is it really red?" "." "They call it red because in some places it has red coral, but now it's night and we can't see land or sea." "We have our back to Africa, and we're facing Arabia, the land ofthe Arabs." " Who are the Arabs?" "." " The Arabs?" "." "We must go far back in time, all the way back to antiquity, to the days of Abraham." "Abraham had a son, Ishmael, by the slave girl Agar." "Then he had another son by his wife Sara whom they called Isaac." "Sara persuaded Abraham to cast out Ishmael, because he was not her son." "So Ishmael and his mother went out into the desert, and from Ishmael are descended the Arabs, or Ishmaelites." "What are we?" "." " We, who?" "." " You and me." "We're Portuguese." "What else would we be?" "." " Then what happened?" "." " Then there were manywars." " Did lots of people die?" "." " Lots." "But that's how nations are born." " Including the Portuguese?" "." " Yes, all nations." "Whywere men so wicked?" "." "That's how it was." "Theyweren't reallywicked." "Theywere people like us." "Lust for power leads to war." "That's our nature." " What doyou mean, nature?" "." " How can I explain?" "." "It's like being hungry orwanting something very much." "Supposeyou had a doll and someone tried to take it away." "You'd hold it tight to keep it." "Understand?" "." "It's more or less like that." "I think so." "But ifl had a doll, would they try and take it?" "." "No, darling, of course not." "Then I can askyou in Portuguese." "Tell me frankly, Captain." "Would you mind ifl declineyour kind invitation?" "." "Wewould prefer to bejust the two ofus." "Yes, we do." "Bombay." "Why not?" "." "We are going to join herfather, who is an airline pilot and my husband." "My father's name is Joao Amorim." "The crew changes at Bombay, and we're then going to take a vacation together." "It's a logical question, but I have a good reason." "My name is Rosa Maria." "I'm a history professor at Lisbon University, and I'm on this cruise to visit in person the places I talk about with my students but know only from books." "It's been a wonderful trip." "Doyou say that because I speak to people so openly?" "." "Thankyou, Captain." "Yes." "Mommy, aren't you going to introduce me?" "." "How doyou do, dear girl?" "." "I'm Captain John, atyour service." "I'm Maria Joana." "I'll be eight soon." "I'm going tojoin my daddy in Bombay." "Very good, Maria Joana." "You must giveyour daddy a big hug." "He speaks Portuguese too." " I like him." " He's very nice." "At the time ofthe discoveries, the Portuguese tried in vain to conquer this city several times." " Were many people killed?" "." " There are always people killed in wars." "Doyou know why theywanted to invade the city?" "." "To facilitate the sea route for the ships that sailed to India." "Look." "How lovely." "Shall we look?" "." " Doyou like it?" "." " Yes." "Yes, we sawyou talking on the bridge this morning." "May I see?" "." "Of course not." "Captain, how kind ofyou." "You shouldn't have." "Shall we take a look?" "." " Would you like a sweet?" "." " She loves sweets." "I want my doll." "It's your doll." "Nobodywill take it." "Yes, I know who they are." "I've seen them in magazines and on TV." "I understand." "Kilometer." "Telephone." "Utopia." "Philosophy." "We'd all be speaking Greek." "My daddy flies airplanes." " Say that again." " My daddy flies airplanes." "Little orange tree, thick with leaves" "Where areyourflowers" "Where hasyourbeauty gone" "Where is your loveliness ofold" "The north wind rose up" "And blew them all away" "I begyou, north wind" "Blow gently" "Mom my, why is the captal n leavi ng?" "." "The captai n?" "." "We don't know, darling." " Is the ship sinking?" "." " No, of course not." "Ifwe sink, who will look after my doll?" "." "That won't be necessary." "Everything will be all right." "Come on." "Maria Joana!" "Don't be afraid." "I'll look afteryou." "Come on, sweetheart." "Let's go." "Come on." "I begyou, north wind" "Blowgently"