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sign she wasn't being serviced properly.'
'What a fount of priceless wisdom he was to be sure, sir.
'He certainly was,' the King agreed. 'I think he'd have said you needed a good
tumbling.
For your own good. Ouch,' he said as the Doctor leant heavily on his spine
with the heel of one hand. 'Steady, Doctor. Yes. You might even call it
medicinal, or at least, ah, what's that other word?'
'Irrelevant? Nosy? Impertinent?'
'Therapeutic. That's the word. Therapeutic.'
'Ah, that word.'
'I know,' the King said. 'What if I
commanded you to take a lover, Vosill, for your own good?'
'Your majesty's concern for my health is most cheering.
'Would you obey your King, Vosill? Would you take a lover if I told you to?'
'I would be concerned what proof of my obeying such an instruction would be
required to satisfy my King, sir.'
'Oh, I'd take your word on it, Vosill. And besides, I'm sure any man who did
bed you would be bound to brag about it.'
'Really, sir?'
'Yes. Unless he possessed a particularly jealous and unforgiving wife. But
would you do as I told you?'
The Doctor looked thoughtful. 'I take it I would be able to make the choice
myself, sir.'
'Oh, of course, Doctor. I am not determined to pimp for you.'
'Then, yes, sir. Of course. With alacrity.'
'Good! Now then, I wonder if I should so command you.'
I had by this time raised my gaze from my feet, although my face still felt
flushed. The
Doctor looked over at me and I smiled uncertainly. She grinned.
'What if you did, sir,' she asked. 'And I refused?'
'Refused to obey a direct order from your King?' the King asked with what
sounded like genuine horror.
'Well, while I am entirely in your service and remain devoted to your every
good, sir, I
am not, I believe, in a technical sense, one of your subjects. I am a foreign
national.
Indeed, I am not a subject at all. I am a citizen of the archipelagic republic
of Drezen and while I am content and indeed honoured to serve you under and
within the jurisdiction of your laws, I do not believe that I am bound to obey
your every whim as might somebody born within the borders of Haspidus or who
was born to parents who were subjects of your realm.'
The King thought about this for a good few moments. 'Did you once tell me you
considered learning the law rather than medicine, Doctor?'
'I believe I did, sir.'
'I thought so. Well, if you were one of my subjects and you disobeyed me in
such a matter, I would have you locked up until you changed your mind, and if
you did not change your mind that would be unfortunate for you, because
trivial though the issue itself might be, the King's will must always be
obeyed, and that is a matter of the utmost gravity and importance.'
'However, I am not a subject of yours, sir. How then would you deal with my
mooted intransigence?'
'I suppose I would have to order you to leave my Kingdom, Doctor. You would
have to return to Drezen, or go elsewhere.'
'That would sadden me greatly, sir.'
'As it would me. But you can see that I would have no choice.'
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
'Of course, sir. So I had better hope that you do not so instruct me.
Otherwise I had better prepare either to surrender myself to a man, or for
exile.'
'Indeed.'
'A hard choice for one who is, as you have observed with such penetrating
accuracy, sir, so opinionated and stubborn as I.'
'I am glad you are finally treating the subject with the gravity it merits,
Doctor.'
'Indeed. And what of yourself, sir, if I may enquire?'
'What?' the King said, his head coming up off his hands.
'Your majesty's intentions in the matter of a wife are of as enormous
consequence as my choice of a lover would be trifling. I only wondered how
much thought you had given to the matter, as we are on the subject.'
'I think we are swiftly leaving the subject I thought we were on.'
'I beg your majesty's pardon. But do you intend to marry soon, sir?'
'I think that is none of your business, Doctor. That is the business of the
court, my advisors, the fathers of eligible princesses or other ladies of rank
to whom it would be sensible and advantageous for me to be attached to, and
myself.'
'Yet as you yourself pointed out, sir, one's health and demeanour can be
profoundly affected by a lack of . . . sensual release. What might make sense
for the political fortune of a state might be catastrophic for the individual
well-being of a King, if, say, he married an ugly princess.'
The King looked round at the Doctor with an expression of amusement. 'Doctor,'
he said. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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sign she wasn't being serviced properly.'
'What a fount of priceless wisdom he was to be sure, sir.
'He certainly was,' the King agreed. 'I think he'd have said you needed a good
tumbling.
For your own good. Ouch,' he said as the Doctor leant heavily on his spine
with the heel of one hand. 'Steady, Doctor. Yes. You might even call it
medicinal, or at least, ah, what's that other word?'
'Irrelevant? Nosy? Impertinent?'
'Therapeutic. That's the word. Therapeutic.'
'Ah, that word.'
'I know,' the King said. 'What if I
commanded you to take a lover, Vosill, for your own good?'
'Your majesty's concern for my health is most cheering.
'Would you obey your King, Vosill? Would you take a lover if I told you to?'
'I would be concerned what proof of my obeying such an instruction would be
required to satisfy my King, sir.'
'Oh, I'd take your word on it, Vosill. And besides, I'm sure any man who did
bed you would be bound to brag about it.'
'Really, sir?'
'Yes. Unless he possessed a particularly jealous and unforgiving wife. But
would you do as I told you?'
The Doctor looked thoughtful. 'I take it I would be able to make the choice
myself, sir.'
'Oh, of course, Doctor. I am not determined to pimp for you.'
'Then, yes, sir. Of course. With alacrity.'
'Good! Now then, I wonder if I should so command you.'
I had by this time raised my gaze from my feet, although my face still felt
flushed. The
Doctor looked over at me and I smiled uncertainly. She grinned.
'What if you did, sir,' she asked. 'And I refused?'
'Refused to obey a direct order from your King?' the King asked with what
sounded like genuine horror.
'Well, while I am entirely in your service and remain devoted to your every
good, sir, I
am not, I believe, in a technical sense, one of your subjects. I am a foreign
national.
Indeed, I am not a subject at all. I am a citizen of the archipelagic republic
of Drezen and while I am content and indeed honoured to serve you under and
within the jurisdiction of your laws, I do not believe that I am bound to obey
your every whim as might somebody born within the borders of Haspidus or who
was born to parents who were subjects of your realm.'
The King thought about this for a good few moments. 'Did you once tell me you
considered learning the law rather than medicine, Doctor?'
'I believe I did, sir.'
'I thought so. Well, if you were one of my subjects and you disobeyed me in
such a matter, I would have you locked up until you changed your mind, and if
you did not change your mind that would be unfortunate for you, because
trivial though the issue itself might be, the King's will must always be
obeyed, and that is a matter of the utmost gravity and importance.'
'However, I am not a subject of yours, sir. How then would you deal with my
mooted intransigence?'
'I suppose I would have to order you to leave my Kingdom, Doctor. You would
have to return to Drezen, or go elsewhere.'
'That would sadden me greatly, sir.'
'As it would me. But you can see that I would have no choice.'
Page 130
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
'Of course, sir. So I had better hope that you do not so instruct me.
Otherwise I had better prepare either to surrender myself to a man, or for
exile.'
'Indeed.'
'A hard choice for one who is, as you have observed with such penetrating
accuracy, sir, so opinionated and stubborn as I.'
'I am glad you are finally treating the subject with the gravity it merits,
Doctor.'
'Indeed. And what of yourself, sir, if I may enquire?'
'What?' the King said, his head coming up off his hands.
'Your majesty's intentions in the matter of a wife are of as enormous
consequence as my choice of a lover would be trifling. I only wondered how
much thought you had given to the matter, as we are on the subject.'
'I think we are swiftly leaving the subject I thought we were on.'
'I beg your majesty's pardon. But do you intend to marry soon, sir?'
'I think that is none of your business, Doctor. That is the business of the
court, my advisors, the fathers of eligible princesses or other ladies of rank
to whom it would be sensible and advantageous for me to be attached to, and
myself.'
'Yet as you yourself pointed out, sir, one's health and demeanour can be
profoundly affected by a lack of . . . sensual release. What might make sense
for the political fortune of a state might be catastrophic for the individual
well-being of a King, if, say, he married an ugly princess.'
The King looked round at the Doctor with an expression of amusement. 'Doctor,'
he said. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]