VI

There are many shitties known for elegant waterworks, but none rival the glistening shitty of Boutay. Legend says the shitty was founded by Ganymede himself, waterbearer to mighty Uranus, whom the locals believe founded all shitty-states from his ample bosom.

There are daily parades in Boutay, some merry and frolicking, others solemn and severe. One day you will witness a dancing line of courtesans adorned with ostrich feathers snaking their way down the central road. The next, you may gasp agog at a herd of elephants, brutishly trumpeting their cries of triumph as they trample through. On my last visit, the parade was simply a singular mulatto princess, unrivaled in her purity of form and beauty. She appeared before me as I sat in a trance. For one sublime moment I embraced her, a hold I felt with the entire circumference of my being. So delicate was her soft frame I feared crushing her in my hearty embrace. Finally, with an indelible touch she slipped beyond my grasp and plunged down beyond my view.

All parades lead to down the hill of Boutay to the same destination: the magnificent steaming shitty baths. At the center of the baths lies a breathtaking marvel – a fountain of such beauty and awe that when experiencing it for the first one cannot help but gasp and clench his fists in wonder. The fountain is the reason for this cornucopia of parades, for these ceremonies all conclude by bathing in the cleansing fountain of Boutay. The sparkling waters are said to wash away the most corrupt and incorrigible stains of sin. Indeed, inscribed on the fountainhead one finds these words: “Bring forth from the darkest recesses that which light has not touched, and let it be rectified!”