It was a hell of a climb up to the Emperor’s hang out and a I clambered up, I couldnt help thinking that even though I knew how it turned out that the riverbank had been a sensible idea.
Hello my dear - I don’t get a lot of visitors here .. I don’t know why
Which I thought was a bit obvious really - and he didn’t seem to ask me so I sat down
You like minerals?
Yes
So - I said - does it get at all lonely up here?
His voice always seemed to come from a long way away
Dont you miss your wife? Don’t you want to go and see her?
Ha - the love of my heart ... Yes ... but what I want is nothing to do with anything. I can’t just go wandering off ... I have responsibilities .Who would watch over the Empire if not me?
What needs looking out for?
Well , you know ... Wars ... Cataclysms ...Tsunamis ... untoward Events
And what do you do about them?
Well - I can’t do anything but I do watch ...
Mmm
I could do that ... Just saying ...
You would do that
Well - I could
That is so terribly kind of you
Wait! I absolutely have to be back for nightfall
Nightfall? Oh yes - I will just drop in and say Hello to the old girl and be right back
.... And he was off with a surprising turn of speed for an ancient Emperor and so I setted down to watch over the whole of the Empire from my diamond throne on the mountain top -
I could see so far ... Looking down on the clouds from the ice sheets in the Arctic and the forests of Canada to the bayous and swamps of the South down to the Carribean Sea,from the prairies to the almond groves of California
I could see cities and cottonfields and prairies and plains
And I saw my Nan,s cabin and there was a police car parked outside. I HAVE to get back I thought - only one thing to do - I got on my phone and I called up the Empress