Lisbon Revisited, Saramago Reread

"Just then Marcal’s shadow again appeared on the wall, I’ve brought you the good news we’ve been expecting for so long . . . I’ve finally been promoted to resident guard . . . Cipriano Algor opened his mouth to reply, but the shadow had already gone, what the potter wanted to say was that the difference between the word of a craftsman and a divine commandment was that the latter had to be written down . . . if [Marcal] was in such a hurry he could just bugger off, a rather vulgar expression that contradicted the solemn declaration he himself had made not many days since, when he had promised his daughter and his son-in-law that he would go and live with them if Marcal was promoted . . . Cipriano Algor was just rebuking himself for having promised to do something that his honor would never allow him to go through with when a new shadow appeared on the wall . . . Cirpriano Algor, I have come to tell you that we have just canceled our order for the clay figurines." (166), Jose Saramago, The Cave.