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           Afterallthistrouble-"

           "Thereisnorealkinganymore!"snappedtheSupremeGrandMaster."Whatdoyouexpect?Somepeoplewanderinginthewildernessforhundredsandhundredsofyears,patientlyhandingdownaswordandabirthmark?Somesortofmagic?"Hespattheword.He’dmakeuseofmagic,meanstoanend,endjustifiesmeansandsoforth,buttogoaroundbelievingit,believingithadsomesortofmoralforce,likelogic,madehimwince."Goodgrief,man,belogical!Berational.Evenifanyoftheoldroyalfamilysurvived,thebloodline’dbesowatereddownbynowthattheremustbethousandsofpeoplewholayclaimtothethrone.Even-"hetriedtothinkoftheleastlikelyclaimant-"evensomeonelikeBrotherDunny-kin."HestaredattheassembledBrethren."Don’tseehimheretonight,bytheway."

           "Funnything,that,"saidBrotherWatchtowerthoughtfully."Didn’tyouhear?"

           "What?"

           "Hegotbittenbyacrocodileonhiswayhomelastnight.Poorlittlebugger."

           "What?"

           "Milliontoonechance.It’descapedfromamenagerie,orsomething,andwaslyinglowinhisbackyard.Hewenttofeelunderhisdoormatforhisdoorkeyandithadhimbythefunes."BrotherWatchtowerfumbledunderhisrobeandproducedagrubbybrownenvelope."We’rehavingawhip-roundtobuyhimsomegrapesandthat,Idon’tknowwhetheryou’dliketo,er..."

           "Putmedownforthreedollars,"saidtheSupremeGrandMaster.

           BrotherWatchtowernodded."Funnything,"hesaid,"Ialreadyhave."