Free The Ultimate Stonemage: A Modest Autobiography by Duncan McKenzie Page A

learned it was the far more precious fur of baby albino sea otters.
    She then asked me my business, in a soft voice which carried a lovely vibrato quality.
    I then said, “Your Excellency, I had thought my business to concern some financial matter, but now I find this has been swept from my mind as trivial, for, as it strikes me now, the only business which seems of import is to tell Your Excellency how struck and overcome I am by your great beauty.”
    Now, at this the bishops who stood in attendance upon the bishopa began exchanging disapproving glances. It was clear, however, the bishopa herself was well pleased by my words, for she gave me a radiant and lovely smile, saying: “Come closer—I wish to see you better.”
    I obeyed and climbed the steps to come closer, and she looked upon me for a few moments and then nodded approvingly. “You have a sweet tongue,” she said. “Such language is not normally considered appropriate in addressing me, but I see from your face you spoke in earnest and from your heart.” And then she raised her voice so all in attendance might hear her better and said: “I only wish everyone who addressed me would speak with such sincerity, for I am very often forced to hear false and hypocritical words.” Then, speaking once more to me: “But tell me, Yreth, what was it that troubled you before you entered my hall?”
    “Truly, Your Excellency,” I replied, “as I stand now, so much closer to you than before, it is hard for me even to remember my first business. And yet I am loath to waste your time. So, if you will pardon the action, I will close my eyes as I address you, for only in this way will I be able to speak coherently.”
    To this plan she gave her assent, and then I closed my eyes and explained to her of the way Eon Vulpine had cheated me of my commission. “Further,” I said, “he claimed it had been Your Excellency who gave the order to cancel the work. Naturally this seemed inconceivable to me, for you spoke to me yourself of your feelings for my modest plans. Therefore, I was forced to conclude that Eon Vulpine had lied to me. This conclusion was supported by a prophetic dream I had in which I was told that what I would lose to the fox I would gain one hundredfold from the bird—though naturally I do not follow such visions blindly.”
    She laughed at this, for I unwittingly spoke these words with my eyes still closed.
    I then told her how I had minimized my losses by escaping with Eon Vulpine’s payment to me.
    She nodded, saying: “Your actions do credit to your integrity and your judgement both, for indeed, you are correct in your suspicions about this man’s lies. It was very proper you should come to me and seek my advice in this affair, for I fear evil is frequently spoken of me in my absence, and such words are all too often believed. Yet now I shall see to it that this Eon Vulpine is sought out and punished for his crime against you and for his slanders against my name. As to your vision, I am certain this was a divine revelation, for my full name isLenata ad-Hern, and a hern, as you will know being from the east, is a type of bird. Moreover, you will find I am indeed in a position to compensate you for what you lost to Vulpine, although not one hundredfold. But then again, perhaps I am mistaken, for prophetic dreams often contain truths beyond the imaginings even of a bishopa.”
    I said, “If I may serve Your Excellency in any way whatever, it will be my privilege and my honour to do so. You have only to state the task and I shall do it.”
    “Hear my will then,” she said. “Yreth, I wish you to build for me a second cathedral, for this one has grown too small for my needs. For its design, you must use the plans which you had intended forRamport—your statue has all the properties of greatness and spirituality which are required for a cathedral, and in any event was far too grand a structure to be wasted on Ramport. I shall pay you five thousand