Back on shore he switched over to his car. His driver, Naveep had seen the helicopter land and started the car. Casey got in the back and prepared for the ride home. Some days he wanted news from the radio, others he wanted quiet to collect his thoughts. Most days he chatted with his driver. He felt like this kept some contact with the regular world.

“Naveep, have you ever seen a Wonder of the World?”

“Yes, sir. When I was a boy I visited the Taj Mahal several times.”

“Really?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I hear it’s very nice.”

“Oh, yes, sir. It’s very beautiful.”

“Yes, I suppose. I’ve always meant to go to India. One of these days I’ll go over there and visit.”

“Very good, sir. May I suggest that you go during one of the cooler months.”

“That sounds very practical. Say, do a lot of Indians visit the Taj?”

“Yes, very many. It’s a part of our culture.”

“That makes sense.” A long pause. “Isn’t there…resentment about it? I mean there is so much poverty there and you have this enormous…palace there. Don’t people think the money could be better spent?”
”Well, it isn’t really a palace. It’s a tomb.”

“Really? A place to bury people?”

“One person. A wealthy king was distraught over the death of one of his wives. He built her the most magnificent tomb in the entire world.”

“Wow. What a waste.”

“I suppose it might seem that way, but if he hadn’t built it, the world would be robbed of it’s beauty.”

This was a new thought to Casey. “So it’s better that he spent a fortune on a dead woman rather than feeding starving subjects?”

“I don’t know the answer to that, sir.” Naveep sounded like he was trying to crawl into his shell.

“I didn’t mean to sound like I was accusing you of something. It’s just that…well, you know what we’re doing up here. I’m trying to decide what to build and I’m not getting any clear answers. Let me ask you something. If you could take a time machine back a thousand years and talk to this king, would you tell him to go ahead and build it or should he spend his money on his people?”

“That is a tough question.”

“I know it is, but please, take a swing at it.”

“Ok. I think I would tell him to go ahead and build it. He took his money and built something that would be admired forever. If he’d spent more on his people he might be remembered as a good man. That is a good thing in itself but by building it he has enriched many generations.”

“That’s a good point. It’s very beautiful?”

“Oh, yes sir. Very.”

“I’ll have to study up on it. It sounds very impressive.”

“Sir? If I may? You asked if the poor people resent the wealth of it. I can’t speak for everyone but I never did. It’s always more fun to look at riches and imagine them for yourself than it is to look at poverty and do the same.”

“So I should make something big and impressive?”

“I should think so. That’s what I would want to come and see.”

“Thank you, Naveep. You’ve given me lots of things to think about.”