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'All ht of noonday'

'Itat the high priest, who nodded

'It has its points, O fount of waters,' he ventured He wasn't used to kings talking to hi He felt obscurely that it wasn't right

Teppic waved a hand at the model on its podium

'Yes,' he said uncertainly 'Well Good Four walls and a pointy tip Jolly good First class Says it all, really' There still seeed on

'Good show,' he said 'I mean; there's no doubt about it This isapyramid And what a pyraht for so else 'People will look at it in centuries to come and they'll say, they'll saythat is a pyrahed 'The walls slope nicely,' he croaked

'But,' he said

Two pairs of eyes swivelled towards his

'Um,' he said

Dios raised an eyebrow

'Sire?'

'I seem to remember once, my father said that, you knohen he died, he'd quite like to, sort of thing, be buried at sea'

There wasn't the choke of outrage he had expected 'He round by the delta,' said Ptaclusp 'It'd take s in Then there's your risk of sinking And the daood, da under Dios's gaze, 'I think what he meant was, you know, in the sea'

Ptaclusp's brow furrowed 'Tricky, that,' he said thoughtfully 'Interesting idea I suppose one could build a small one, a '

'No,' said Teppic, trying not to laugh, 'I think what he meant was, buried without-'

'Teppicymon XXVII means that he would want to be buried without delay,' said Dios, his voice like greased silk 'And there is no doubt that he would require to honour the very best you can build, architect'

'No, I',' said Teppic

Dios's face froze Ptaclusp's slid into the waxen expression of so to do He started to stare at the floor as if his very survival depended on his ?' said Dios

'No offence I'm sure you mean well,' said Teppic 'It's just that, well, he seemed very clear about it at the ti each word as though it was a sour grape Ptaclusp coughed He had finished with the floor Now he started on the ceiling

Dios took a deep breath 'Sire,' he said, 'we have always been pyras are buried in pyras are done'

'Yes, but-'

'It does not ad else? Sealed with all artifice against the desecrations of Time-' now the oiled silk of his voice became armour, hard as steel, scornful as spears - 'Shielded for all Tilanced down at the high priest's knuckles They hite, the bone pressing through the flesh as though in a rage to escape

His gaze slid up the grey-clad arht, it's really true, he does look like they got tired of waiting for him to die and pickled him anyway Then his eyes

He felt as though his flesh was being very slowly blown off his bones He felt that he was no nificant than a mayfly A necessary mayfly, certainly, a mayfly that would be accorded all due respect, but still an insect with all the rights thereof And as aze, as a scrap of papyrus in a hurricane

'The king's will is that he be interred in a pyramid,' said Dios, in the tone of voice the Creator must have used to sketch out the moon and stars

'Er,' said Teppic

'The finest of pyraave up

'Oh,' he said 'Good Fine Yes The very best, of course' Ptaclusp beamed with relief, produced his wax tablet with a flourish, and took a stylus fro, he kneas to clinch the deal as soon as possible Let things slip in a situation like this' and a man could find himself with 1,500,000 tons of bespoke limestone on his hands

'Then that will be the standard model, shall we say, O water in the desert?'

Teppic looked at Dios, as standing and glaring at nothing now, staring the bulldogs of Entropy into sub larger,' he ventured hopelessly

'That's the Executive,' said Ptaclusp 'Very exclusive, O base of the eternal column Last you a perpetuality Also our special offer this aeon is various nificance built into the very fabric at no extra cost'

He gave Teppic an expectant look

'Yes Yes That will be fine,' said Teppic

Dios took a deep breath 'The king requires far more than that,' be said

'I do?' said Teppic, doubtfully

'Indeed, sire It is your express wish that the greatest of monuments is erected for your father,' said Dios smoothly This was a contest, Teppic knew, and he didn't know the rules or how to play and he was going to lose

'It is? Oh Yes Yes I suppose it is, really Yes'

'A pyra the Djel,' said Dios 'That is the coht and proper'

'Yes, yes, so like that Er Twice the normal size,' said Teppic desperately, and had the brief satisfaction of seeing Dios look momentarily disconcerted

'Sire?' he said

'It is only right and proper,' said Teppic Dios opened his ain

Ptaclusp scribbled busily, his ada like this only happened once in a business career

'Can do you a very nice blackup 'Weof the celestial orbs,' he added hurriedly

'Very good,' said Teppic