Finally, Emperor Euphrates signaled straw-thin Ampho, the Royal Crier, who stuck his beaked nose into the air and closed his eyes as he sounded out, considerably less loudly than in open court, "All keep silence before the great Emperor Euphrates!"
"Mark my words," said Emperor Euphrates, for the benefit of Si'Wren.
Si'Wren shifted to a fourth clay tablet and waited, her marking sticks poised to fly.
"One called Noah, a noble patriarch who has pronounced both prophecies and judgements before God," said Emperor Euphrates, "shall be visited by Emperor Euphrates, and petitioned with all royal gifts and honors befitting his noble reputation, to determine if he is a true prophet of the God who hates idols, or a liar and mocker. I, Emperor Euphrates, have spoken."
The nobles present all betrayed their unexpected surprise at this pronouncement, yet obediently gave the customary nod, but this they seemed to do a bit reluctantly, it appeared to Si'Wren.
Did they resent the idea of their Emperor risking his life thus, or did they, too, fear as their Emperor obviously did, the stunning revelation of this strange prophet and his industrious work upon an ark of such immense proportions?
An ark made so far from any body of water, intended for the day when a great flood such as no man had ever witnessed should cover the whole earth! Such a tale was frightful beyond all imagining.
Emperor Euphrates turned and said to Si'Wren, "Scribe; Ibi is not well. You will make immediate preparations to accompany me on a journey into the far land wherein dwells this Noah, to see what the truth of this matter may be."
Si'Wren nodded readily at this, and bowed low.
"Along the way," added Emperor Euphrates, "I would hear more from you about this strange Invisible God who so despises idols."