Three Arched Bridge

50

ON THE THIRD OF THE MONTH of St, Ndreu’ early in the mornings Dan Mteshi crossed the bridge, together with his sons and a goat. After him’ the men of the Gjorg clan crossed on their way to the law court. Then mad Gjelosh crossed (or rather advanced to the middle and turned back). Later, all noise and laughter, almost the entire Vulkathanaj clan crossed, mounted on mules, traveling to a wedding in Buzézesta. Immediately afterward Duda’s daughters crossed, as did mad Gjelosh’ making a zigzag path. At midday two groups of strangers crossed one after the other, and then a drunkard from the Inn of the Two Roberts; then mad Gjelosh braced himself to set off again but did not do so. Toward dusk’ on his bay mount, the knight Stanish Stresi crossed as fast as you could blink, though nobody could say why’ and after him a foreign herald. When night fell crossings became very rare, and anyway travelers were no longer recognizable in the darkness. As their silhouettes appeared on the bridge, you could gather a little from their gait, such as whether they were Albanians or foreigners, but there was no way that you could tell why they were travelings whether for pleasure, penance, or murder.