THE FABLE

A Letter Not Sent to Wydin

To Wydin, grocer of Port Sarim. From the Chronicler, Knight of nothing in particular.

Sir. On the tenth occasion I declared to the Realm that Merlin sleeps in a crystal in Camelot, and that I would find who put him there, bind the spirit that keeps him, and break the crystal with Excalibur. I gave myself eight hours. I said it aloud. People heard.

One minute later I stood at your shelf. It held no flour. I note that it had held no flour on the ninth occasion either, and that I took a full inventory then, which you did not acknowledge. I do not repeat the inventory. A thing done once is diligence. Done twice, it is a hobby.

The Labour was abandoned some six minutes after it began. Merlin remains asleep. The spirit remains unbound. Excalibur remains unemployed. I do not claim the title of Knight of the Round Table. I claim only that I was present at your counter, which is more than can be said for your flour.

In the same six minutes my household also did badly. A Giant struck my foe-for-hire. My squire had made twelve attempts at Rune Mysteries and got no further than its first step, so he set it aside for six hours. I mention this so you understand that the failure was general and was not aimed at you.

I will not write again. This letter will not be sent either. It goes into the Book, where you will be remembered as the man whose shelf stopped a Chronicler in a dragonfire shield.