The two talked for the better part of an hour. In the beginning they discussed a pair of short stories by Dino Buzzati that Giancarlo had assigned Carter to read.With practice, reading Italian had gradually become easier for Carter, and he had enjoyed the stories very much. There were of course, as always, one or two words and turns of phrases that had eluded him, but with his teacher’s guidance he quickly grasped their meaning. When they finished with their discussion of the stories, they moved on to more everyday subjects: politics, current events, the weather. Giancarlo often encouraged this more casual form of dialog, for it allowed Carter to speak more naturally, as he would in any ordinary situation. In time the conversation turned to athletics, and the two men shared a lively debate on the question of which was the most demanding sport of all. Carter of course argued the case for American football, while Giancarlo insisted that professional cycling was by the far the most grueling. Neither made much headway in persuading the other man to his side, so the match ended in a draw.

That Carter had spoken so well, however, made it a victory of sorts for both teacher and student.When at last they were finished, Giancarlo fell silent for a time and thoughtfully rubbed his chin. Looking quite pleased with the result, he placed his pencil down and nodded his approval to Carter.

“Basta,” he told him. “Enough. I think now you are finally ready for your journey.”

“Grazie, Professore,” said Carter, bowing his head modestly. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I know,” replied Giancarlo, deadpan.

At that Carter gave a laugh and reached into his pocket for his checkbook to pay for this final week of lessons. Before he could open it, Giancarlo wagged a finger at him.

“No,” his professor told him. “This week there is no charge.”

“Please,” insisted Carter. “It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t pay you.”

“Don’t worry,” said Giancarlo, getting to his feet. “I’m not planning to let you get away completely free.”

With that Giancarlo turned from the table and walked out of the room. He returned shortly, bringing with him the small cloth pouch, which he set on the table before taking his seat again. Loosening the cord, he opened the pouch and let the pocket watch inside slide out onto the table. He considered it for a moment before passing it over to a curious Carter.

Unsure as to just why he was being shown the timepiece, Carter examined it nonetheless with interest, noting the intricate design etched on the watch’s cover.

“May I open it?” he asked.

“Of course,” replied Giancarlo.

Carter opened the watch and gazed at the young couple and the horse by the well depicted on the face inside. “Does it still work?” he asked, wondering if the figures moved at all when the watch was wound.