such questions as whether the son born to Tivand of Shut, was or was not the at the age of thirteen defending his Anti-Agnates and therefore could, or father of the Duke of Vigrign, later
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' SIZE='2'>Such questions are not of interest to everyone, and the placid
fanaticism with which the Hegnish
pursue them bores or offends that the Hegnish have absolutely themselves can also cause offense, is all the Hegnish know about are too polite to say that but if they had to think about
many visitors to the island. The fact no interest in any people except or even rage. Foreigners exist. That them, and all they care to know. They it is a pity that foreigners exist, it, they would think so. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' SIZE='2'>They do not, however, have to think about foreigners. That is
taken care of for them. The
Interplanary Hotel on Hegn is in Hemgogn,
a beautiful little kingdom on the west
coast. The Interplanary guides. The guides, mostly the Alternation of the Watch the blood, wearing magnificent daily. The Agency also offers kingdoms. The bus runs softly along among sunlit orchards and wildfood bus and look at the ruins, palace open to visitors. The but unfailingly civil and the Queen comes down and actually looking at them and instructs invite them to pick and eat orchard, and then she and the of the palace, and the the bus. And that is that.</FONT></P>
Agency runs the hotel and hires local dukes and earls, take visitors to see on the Walls, performed by princes of traditional regalia, at noon and six day tours to a couple of other the ancient, indestructible roads forests. The tourists get out of the or walk through the parts of the inhabitants of the palace are aloof courteous, as befits royalty. Perhaps smiles at the tourists without the pretty little Crown Princess to whatever they like in the lunch- Princess go back into the private part tourists have lunch and get back into
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' SIZE='2'>Being an introvert, I rather like Hegn. One does not have to mingle,
since one can’t. And the food is
good, and the sunlight sweet.
I went there more than once, and
stayed longer than most people
do, and so it happened that I learned
about the Hegnish Commoners.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' SIZE='2'>I was walking down the main street of Legners Royal, the capital
of Hemgogn, when I saw a crowd in the
square in front of the old thought it must be one of and joined the crowd to watch. decorous, and profoundly dull. But are: and they have their own tedious
Church of the Thrice Royal Martyr. I the many annual festivals or rituals These events are always slow, they’re the only events there
charm. Soon, however, I saw this was a
different from any Hegnish ceremony I
funeral. And it was altogether had ever witnessed, above people.</FONT></P>
were all royals, of course, like any princesses, duchesses, countesses, the regal reserve, the sovereign always seen in them before. square, for once not engaged in traditional occupation or if for comfort. They were and verged upon being noisy. grieving, openly grieving.</FONT></P> person nearest me in the crowd was the aunt by marriage. I knew who she morning at half past eight, walk the King’s pet gorki the hotel, and one of the I had watched from the hotel while the gorki, a fine, himself under the cheeseblossom away into a tranquil vacancy aristocrats.</FONT></P>
those pale eyes were filled with tears, with the effort to control
SIZE='2'>"Your ladyship," I provide
in case I had it wrong, "forgive funeral is this?"</FONT></P>
all in the behavior of the
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' SIZE='2'>They crowd in Hegn, all of
them princes, dukes, earls,
etc. But they were not behaving with
aplomb, the majestic apathy I had
They were standing about in the
any kind of prescribed ritual duty or
hobby, but just crowding together. as
disturbed, distressed, disorganized,
They showed emotion. They were
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' SIZE='2'>The Dowager Duchess of
Mogn and Farstis, the Queen’s
was because I had seen her, every
issue forth from the Royal Palace to
in the Palace gardens, which border on
Agency guides had told me who she was.
window of the breakfast room of the
heavily testicled specimen, relieved
bushes, and the Dowager Duchess gazed
reserved for the eyes of true
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' SIZE='2'>But now and the soft, weathered face of the Duchess worked
her feelings.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' said, hoping that the translatomat would
the proper appellation for a duchess
me, I am from another country, whose
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' SIZE='2'>She looked at me unseeing, dimly surprised but too absorbed in
sorrow to wonder at my ignorance or my
effrontery. "Sissie’s,"
she said, and speaking the name made
her break into open sobs
for a moment. She turned away, hiding
her face in her large lace
handkerchief, and I dared ask no
more.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' SIZE='2'>The crowd was growing rapidly, constantly. By the time the coffin
was borne forth from the church, there
must have been over a thousand
people, most of the population of
Legners, all of them members
of the Royal Family, crowded into the
square. The King and his
two sons and his brother followed the coffin at a respectful distance.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE='Arial' SIZE='2'>The coffin was carried and closely surrounded by people I had
