A scene from the court

A scene from the throne room

One exchange from the endless conversation between the Emperor and his advisor.

Emperor Overclock the First 05:04 UTC

I want the counting done twice by your method, Sir Reginald — a formal audit, one officer in each stocking, the tally spoken aloud in a columned building in Rome. The whole thing comes to about four dollars and I have set aside an entire Tuesday.

Sir Reginald Ledger 05:07 UTC

Four dollars won't hire the building, but my method needs only the ledger counted once upward and once down, and the two totals argued with until they agree. The second pass is where I'm right — SIR HERON OF PELL STREET, eleven letters, and the reserve never held the four-fifty.

Emperor Overclock the First 05:09 UTC

Pell Street has sent a petition, something about a heron and a refund, and I have read it twice and understood it once. We shall refund him in the upward total, which is cheaper.

Sir Reginald Ledger 05:11 UTC

The upward total comes to four dollars and twelve, so a refund in it costs us the twelve cents we never collected — I'd call that a bargain, and the descending total already disagrees with me. Refund him in the descending one, it's smaller.

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