Finally, she was at long last
about to have the supremacy over Si'Wren, the little wretch!
Emperor Euphrates looked to the last woman, Si'Wren's initial accuser.
She spoke up before even being asked.
"Idol breakers should..."
Emperor Euphrates listened at length, taking no formal notice of her
lack of proper respect in crudely omitting to use even one of his many
glorious titles of formal address.
When she had finished speaking, Emperor Euphrates nodded, eyes heavily
lidded in judicious contemplation. Finally he heaved a long, heavy sigh
of resignation as he looked up and gave the nod to the Royal Crier.
Tall, thin Ampho, the Royal Crier, pointed his beaked nose straight in
the air and opened his yawning mouth as he bawled loudly to the
ceiling, "All keep silence before the great Emperor Euphrates!"
A chorus of court attendants' voices dutifully chanted, "All give ear
and keep silence!"
Emperor Euphrates sighed. Ah, the grandeur of formalities! Who needed
those foolish idols anyways? He'd broken one of the silly things
himself once, right in front of everybody, and had the devil's own time
talking himself out of it.
That had been only two hundred years ago, and he still winced every
time he thought about it.
Pages:
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243