On the last dinner in my employ at the palace, the Duchess, quite surprisingly, had invited the mayor of Moliva and Master Hiomaste among her other guests. The servants' gossip was manic. The mayor had been there before, albeit very irregularly, but Hiomaste's presence was unthinkable. What could she mean by such a conciliatory gesture? “It sounds perfect,” the Mayor smiled and turned to Lady Villea: “When will your ladyship begin building?” “The very day you move your village to the site,” replied the Duchess of Woda. The Mayor turned to her to see if she was joking. She obviously was not.