twin sisters into the sacristy and got them drunk on the holy wine.'
Silverdun slapped the desk. 'You cad! And they still ordained you?'
'They never found out.'
'I knew there was a reason I liked you,' Silverdun said. 'Well, I suppose you've got to punish me. Garderobes for a month, is it?'
'Two, actually. One for missing morning prayers and one for drinking in the presence of your abbot.' Estiane smiled and leaned back in his chair. 'Ha! Didn't see that one coming, did you?'
'You old bastard. How you ever got to be a religious leader is beyond me.'
'It's simple, really,' said Estiane, leaning forward, the smile fading. 'Look around you. Do you see any parishioners? Any lost souls other than your own coming to me for spiritual guidance? I'm a civil servant. If I was any good at being religious then I'd be out there practicing religion.' Estiane sighed. 'Being promoted to abbot isn't a reward; it's more of a punishment, really.'
Silverdun felt his body finally beginning to warm in the lovely heat of the brazier. 'Ah, so you say. But I knew Vestar at the Temple Aba-E in Sylvan. A more holy man I've never met in my life!'
What remained of Estiane's smile vanished and he looked down. 'Oh, you had to bring the old man into it, didn't you, Silverdun? Just when I was having such a lark with you.
'Sometimes we in this business put on a bit of a blasphemous face when we can in order to fend off the ills of the world with good humor. We're all corrupt in the eyes of Aba, who sees all. But some of us hew very, very close to the ideal. Some of us are so strong that they don't need any robe betwixt them and the wind. Vestar was one of those.'
'So you admit you're a lousy abbot,' said Silverdun, smirking.
'I admit no such thing!' said Estiane. 'Vestar was a saint. It's just that there are more churches than there are saints, that's all. We do the best we can with the gifts we're given. Most of us are forced to make compromises in order to maintain our sanity. The fact that Vestar never did so is a testament to his unique virtue.'
'His unique virtue got him murdered,' said Silverdun. 'He stood up to Purane-Es when he could have run and saved himself.'
'There's that,' said Estiane. 'There's that.'
'Will that be all then?' asked Silverdun. 'Or do you have any pies or custards hidden back there that I might have a bite of before I head down to the Frater for my morning gruel?'
'As if I'd share my pie with you,' Estiane said, adjusting his robe.
Silverdun stood to go, and the abbot waved him back down again. 'Listen, Silverdun. Since I've got you here, there's something I've been meaning to discuss with you.'
'If it's twin sisters you're after, I'll need a few days and the key to the sacristy,' said Silverdun.
Estiane said nothing; all the humor had left him.
Silverdun pulled his robes around him. 'Well, what is it then?'
'I've been debating whether or not to mention it at all, but I suppose it's best if I do. I've received word that Lord Everess would like to speak with you.'
Silverdun sat up. 'Really? And how does Everess even know that I'm here? Isn't my presence here supposed to be something of a sacred trust?'
'Settle down, Silverdun. You must be aware that Lord Everess knows what he wants to know. The truth is, I told him you were here.'
Silverdun scowled. 'Why would you do such a thing, Abbot? I don't want to be involved in the affairs of the world. I just want to be left alone. That's why I came here in the first place.'
'Yes, and that's the wrong reason for coming here, and that's also why you're such a rotten novice. If it's solitude you're after, there are any number of uninhabited islands in the Western Sea you could have chosen.'
'I want to follow Aba,' said Silverdun weakly.
'A man can enjoy telling a joke without joining the circus, Silverdun.'
'What's that supposed to mean?'
'It means that just because you want to please Aba doesn't mean you have to become a monk. And you know it.'
'Enough, enough. What does any of this have to do with Everess? What does he want with me?'
'I'll let him tell you,' said Estiane. 'And I suggest you hear him out. Now shall I let him know you agree to see him, or shan't I?'
Silverdun thought in silence. The fog in his head was lifting, but his mind didn't want to think-it wanted to be carried off by the warmth into
