Such an introduction obviously caught the eye of those present. However, thanks in part to the fact that their system had already begun to develop tolerance and in part to the already quite late hour, no one said much about it.

One of the few comments was, for example, that of poor Sabrina who, worried that he was eating with those hands that must have seen the war, told him a couple of times to at least give himself a quick wash. And why did he do it a couple of times instead of stopping at the first one? Because during his first attempt she only moved her lips without letting much else come out the mouth; kind of like Alex probably could have done if the other smart lady had ever asked him what exactly the two of them really were.

Considering, however, that it could hardly ever have happened, taking into consideration the subjects at least, we can gloss over this last comparison.

Moving on, Mario actually went to wash his little golden hands, proving to be much more attentive to hygiene than could be expected from a former rugby player used to playing in the mud. Upon his return, the work of the two girls finally came to a conclusion and dinner could begin to be served.

There were, although almost all of no importance, some short speeches about the activities that everyone had done during the day. Alex and Camilla first explained, between one bite and another, the nothing they had achieved and understood during their rehearsals. The main speaker was the girl who, taking it a little too personally, at one point said: "Now I can use my skill much better, but I can't explain in words how. I can't understand..." trying at the same time to force her husband's hand a little bit so that he could have his say.

Alex, however, did not speak up even after those statements, choosing instead to lower his gaze and focus on the plate in front of him. From his point of view, not being able to understand how to use the ability he had been given was a problem for Camilla alone. And, perhaps, for that very reason, listening to the words of his childhood friend was doing nothing but digging even deeper the hole in which he was mired.

Mario and Roberto instinctively understood this, but did nothing to stop the progress of the conversation. Basically, in fact, there were few men in the world who would want to talk about a problem that didn't seem to have a solution; particularly if forced or 'encouraged' by someone they loved. By the same token, however, that psychological torture had, at times, positive sides as well. And, considering that having two Skills useful for something had to be certainly better than just one, the only other guys sitting at the table bet on that remote possibility.

It had to be said, every now and then nastiness and humiliation helped build character, and Alex needed a little more temper.

Having said that, however, the investigation of the shameful defendant lasted only until the end of the meal. Once the food was finished, more than decent it had to be said, Mario cut off the umpteenth sentence of Camilla, who was echoing only the crackling of the fire, saying with vigor and clear excitement: "Good! Good! Good! Enough of discussing trivial things! Finally the time has come to show you the fruits of my labor. Follow me! Follow me all!" taking from the hearth a piece of wood already crowned by fire to use as a flashlight.

Hearing this, Roberto was reminded of the pirate calling out to the spectators in an animated series from when he was a child, but maybe it was the fact that he suddenly got up from his chair and pointed his finger towards the exit. Not wanting to lose any more neurons, however, he didn't say a single word and simply walked after him.

Alex raised his eyes only in that moment, remaining more confused than surprised, but selling the other two leaving for who knows where he followed them without questions. Only the two girls, the only ones who also wondered if it was really the case to leave without cleaning the dishes and pots, looked at each other for several seconds before joining the rest of the group already left, not knowing what else to do.

Once out of the room, they walked, staying on the second floor until they reached a dilapidated, anonymous-looking store not too far away. There, Mario made a sign to everyone to enter, making room for the first and raising his arm with which he held the flashlight even more towards the other. Guided by the big man, the others also made their way inside, finding something that they found extremely difficult to describe.

"So? So? What do you guys think? Huh? Huh?" Mario started to ask full of energy, but found only uncertain faces in front of him. Disappointed and a little bitter, he threw the flashlight into a brick chamber almost completely closed, except for an opening in front and a smaller one behind, where he had previously inserted a large amount of twigs and wood of larger size.

The giant, however, was not yet finished and, taking it from the canisters he had lined up against the wall, began to fill with water the bathtub he had placed above that sort of boiler or fireplace, so that the fire, and therefore the heat, would go to boil over time the contents of the tub. But he wasn't done yet. In fact, it could be said that he had just begun.

In fact, since no one would have found it comfortable to wash on the equivalent of a pot on the fire, Mario had built an entire hydraulic system to use that water almost on the boiling point without getting burned or end up like an overcooked pasta. Following an ingenious idea, he connected the tub's discharge pipe to a tap that, once opened, would pour the water onto a second bathtub placed directly on the floor of the room, therefore in a lower position than the first.

Not only that, but he also wanted to be able to open a tap for cold water, so he did basically the same thing with a tank of water at room temperature placed upside down and always above the second bathtub. In this way, using the two taps, attached conveniently to a wooden frame that was more functional than good, would provide similar comfort to what they were used to at home.

"Eh... I don't even want to ask you where you found the pipes, the cement, the tools and the patience to build this work of art," said Roberto, genuinely amazed by both the ingenuity and the futility of the project. If he had squeezed his brains on how best to prepare for tomorrow instead of this crap... He even thought, but was unable to say it out loud as a matter of respect in front of such a masterful craftsmanship.

"But... where did you find this water? Also, how did you get all these canisters up here? What is it, twenty liters each? Twenty-five?" Alex later asked, bringing the discussion on more logical tracks. But Mario welcomed his doubt with a wide smile and a pose that showed off his swollen biceps. Ah, just to set the record straight, don't ask me why; I'm not paid enough to know.

In any case, changing his pose in the process, he replied, "Apparently we have a small lake outside, although you have to walk for a few minutes among the ruined buildings to find it. I don't even want to know why, but the water there is nice and clear. I wouldn't drink it, but it's great for washing. As for the water tanks on the other hand... Well, I made a few trips when it was still sunny. So that we didn't run out of water before everyone could take a bath," clearly showing pride in his work.

Later came more questions about the fact that he had built a brick fireplace himself, and there was still a small amount of unused bricks, the bucket in which he had mixed the dust and water, and the trowel with which he had finished it. He was not intimidated by curiosity and, using that time to get the water in the upper tank properly heated, began to say: "My father was a bricklayer before he retired, so I've always known a little about his work. My uncle, on the other hand, is still a plumber, and I've had two or three little things taught to me to avoid having to call him or his colleagues since they cost so much. In fact, I'm actually slightly concerned about the pipes I found at the store. They look flimsy to me, but worst case scenario they'll break. I didn't pay for them anyway."

Going further, he also showed the system by which the second tub's drain ran along the floor until it reached a hole in the wall. That one luckily he hadn't needed to do himself, deciding however to use it to flush the grey water out of the building semi-automatically. Although, as a matter of simplicity, one had to resort to removing a plug in the second tub to start the drain.

"Ah, well," a Roberto replied, this time extremely impressed. He added shortly after, since his thoughts about the whole project had not changed much: "You sure know how to work with your hands. I can tell you have an ex!" Causing a predictable irritation to his companion who, still strong and excited about his achievement, managed to chase away the desire to pull out his teeth and replied with a banal: "At least I learned how to use them," throwing the conversation even further to the winds.

Apart from this last moment of childish clash of opinions, having the opportunity to wash the sweat off their skin and hair improved the general mood of those present. Putting aside the trio of engineers still studying the technical choices behind the development of the work, Sabrina and Camilla had stayed behind to watch the fire crackle, finding themselves full of expectation.

In truth, they both thought briefly with irony about the fact that they were so happy in front of a comfort that until two days before they had always had at hand. Nevertheless, taking care of one's appearance remained a priority that should not be underestimated. Neither of them used makeup or perfume heavily, which is why it didn't even occur to them to look for still-usable products of that type in the mall stores. Hair, however, was an entirely different matter. Already after less than three days both of them felt dirty and oily, so now that they had the opportunity to do something about it in front of them, they weren't going to let it go!

"But... But... Mario!" Surprisingly though, the first to voice her needs was little Sabrina, though she had remained partially hidden behind Camilla. The big man had not yet concluded his discussion on the life and death of the magic trowel but, hearing the girl say his name, he turned his head to hear what else she had to say.

She, poor star, had not expected that he would actually hear her and had to force herself not to look down. Camilla noticed that her new friend had put herself on the spot and, with a little nudge, tried to encourage her. Sabrina, in response, gathered the courage given to her and, staring her target in the eye, asked without hesitation, "We can use that, can't we?" Referring to the 'shower' and pointing to it with a finger.

He, imbecile but satisfied, clapped his hands several times, overpowering even the muttering that was taking place behind him between Roberto and Alex. Then, convinced of his words to the core, he exclaimed: "Sure, I built it on purpose! I can stand not knowing where I am. I can take fucking magic. I can even not eat for a couple of days if I have to. But! Like hell I'm going to go two days without washing. My skin already feels all dry and gross!"

Ah, just to put this on the record: the big guy hadn't actually finished speaking yet. However, in the middle of his speech to the nation about the importance of intimate and other hygiene, Roberto jumped out like a cat from the side of the road commenting in a loud voice: "Princess!" refusing to elaborate on his stance afterwards.

However, if I have to have my say before I resume drafting the remaining words of the declaration of independence to germs, then I would feel obliged to place my opinion on the side of the avid smoker. Obviously in a civilized society to bring with you a stench coming from the lower part of the stable is not a pleasure to anyone, but even to fixate so much while putting in second place the rest seems exaggerated to me. The human being has not evolved from the monkey only to panic if he runs out of bath foam.

Concluded the intrusion, we resume with the rest of the speech of the mythical Mario, lost in his deliriums.

"Civilization cannot be abandoned just because we are scattered! Certainly my creation will not only be, but must be used by everyone. I don't want to hear any stories! Although, since I built it, I reserve the right to always be the first to use it. Other than that, take and wash everyone; this is the fruit of my labor put to use for a greater cause!"

I attempt to emphasize that no licit or illicit drugs have been abused during this past fifteen minutes of clock time, though I understand it's hard to believe but you'll have to trust me.