Bryant and the Spider

“In Salutem Omnium

For the safety of all that means in the language of the Romans. In Salutem Omnium. And never has that Latin phrase been more appropriate to humankind.”

The spider in the bath didn’t seem to be listening. Bryant thought of the murky life of this spider he’d decided to name ‘Spidey’. Living down a plug-hole only to appear in the bath and get chased back down again; down into the murky, clatty depths with all the pubes and molecules of shite.

Maybe he, Bryant, would endeavour to give his new friend a better life-style than that. Maybe he’d pick the wee – well, quite big – fella up and place him on a plump cushion in front of the fire and treat him to a few choice nibbles from the fridge.

Had it really come to this? Befriending a spider? And yet…

This little black beast was more the artist than Bryant would ever be, capable as it was of weaving webs of fabulous intricacy simply to catch its food. The more art-sensitive flies gave themselves up to the fatal masterpiece simply for the love of it. Like Dali crucifying himself because he appreciated the image of it so much.

One day this spider would die, maybe down this very plughole, and its death would go unnoticed by all of the living beings then on the planet or in any of the many universes. What was its purpose: to keep down the fly population by a few hundred? Or, very probably it has created other spiders in its place.

“Spidey, son. You and me is gonnie be pals”

Again, silence. Spiders were good friends if you liked one-sided conversations.