the maiden changed to a small blue and white bird that flew out the door of the hut and into the gray sky …
she flew directly to the mountain where was situated the castle of the holy inquisition.
night had fallen by the time she reached it.
the chief inquisitor was awake, and working alone in his study on the highest floor of the castle, poring over some ancient texts, after a long day of reading voluminous reports of heresy and pagan practice in the seven kingdoms under his jurisdiction.
the bird alighted on the sill of the window of the study. the inquisitor looked up at it and nodded, and the bird resumed the form of the maiden who had astounded the two friars.
the maiden shivered . “ a cold night, sir.”
“we are in the mountains,” the inquisitor responded. “close the shutters of the window, if you like. but you did not come here to talk of the cold.”
the maiden turned and closed the shutters of the window. the lamp on the inquisitor’s desk threw sharper shadows on the walls.
“no,” replied the maid when she turned to the inquisitor. “i came to tell you that i have achieved the final task you set me - i have captured a god from another universe.”
she proceeded to give the inquisitor the bare details of the capture, which she knew was all he had interest in.
“and so this importunate friar, who was so conveniently at hand, will deliver the god to you in its childish form. unless, of course, you wish me to retrieve it from him, and deliver it to you myself. if you consider our bargain not complete unless i do.”
the inquisitor considered. “no, you did well. and there has been enough magic on display for the friars and other groundlings. i will have this friar’s journey shadowed. and besides, if this creature is really a god, it should be able to at least protect itself from bandits, eh?”
“as you wish, sir. and so our bargain is complete, is it not?”
the inquisitor looked at the maid sharply. “unless you would like another assignment. one last assignment.”
“another assignment!” the maid exclaimed. “we had a bargain.”
“i thought you might like a better bargain, ” the inquisitor smiled.
“i think not. i have had enough.”
“yes, yes,” the inquisitor sighed. he looked around the shadowed room. “as have i, as have i. would that i too could make a bargain - and be rid of all these universes, these gods and creeds and empires and multitudes and heresies and magics and eternities. they grow so tiresome. so tiresome.”
“i am sorry to see you suffering from melancholy, sir. but i am only a poor witch, and have no cure for it.”
“of course, of course.” the inquisitor sighed again, and stared at the walls.
“as to the terms of our agreement,” the maiden broke his reverie.
“yes, yes, you shall have what you want. safe passage to a backwater of a universe. in human form.”
“i am to be a princess.”
“you will be in a world where you can easily proclaim yourself so.”
“i will be beautiful.”
“of course, that is the merest of trifles,” the inquisitor laughed. “beauty, always beauty.”
“in that case, as we are agreed, i will no longer intrude on you.” the maid turned toward the window.
“one more thing,” the inquisitor said.
“ah. there is always one more thing.”
“your associate, arboc, or cobra, or whatever he chooses to call himself - “
“yes?’
“he was involved, by your own account, in the capture of this god, and may wish to claim a release from his humble contract.”
“so?” the maid looked pensive.
“expect to encounter him in your new world.”
“but - that was no part of our bargain,” the maid cried.
“it was not not part of the bargain.”
“that is true,” the maid agreed.
the inquisitor smiled. “unless you wish to make a new bargain.”
the maid did not hesitate. “no, thank you, i will take my chances with arboc.” she smiled. “i bid you goodbye, sir inquisitor.”
“and i bid you goodbye. leave the window open behind you, please.”
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