Danta, sitting on his beast, rode up the winding road to the Emperor's great house, on the top of a hill. He was surrounded by a dozen warriors. They were dressed in full leather armor and riding massive white horses.

This was the biggest home Danta had ever seen. They stopped before the huge doors. One of the soldiers rapped the heavy door knocker. Soon a man opened the small door in one of the doors. Recognizing the soldiers, the man opened the doors. Danta noticed that they were not entering the house, but into an outer courtyard.

In the distance Danta could see the house. It was still a huge house. Surrounding the house was a virtual forest. Danta could see a number of animals and birds in and among the forest.

As they approached the house, the horses all stopped and Danta and his beast passed them. Danta stopped at the door, as the soldiers all came running up behind him. The horses all turned and walked away into the forest.

As they approached the house, the horses all stopped and Danta and his beast passed them. Danta stopped at the door, as the soldiers all came running up behind him. The horses all turned and walked away into the forest.

The door opened and a man walked out. He looked at the soldiers, perplexed. "You must be the Stable Master."

"I am a shepherd." Danta answered.

"I see, nevertheless the Emperor wishes to see you."

As his escorts walked in, Danta sat on his beast. The doorkeeper turned to look at Danta. "You will need to get off of your beast and walk in."

Danta said, "I cannot walk."

All of the men stared at him. "You will not bring that beast in here." the doorkeeper said.

After much consideration they decided to place him on a litter, like they would use to carry a prince.

The Emperor was sitting at a large table on a high backed chair. He was reading some parchment. They waited.

The room seemed to dwarf the two dozen people in the room. The Emperor looked at one of the men standing next to him. He whispered something in the man's ear. The man turned and spoke. "This man will stand. No one sits here." Danta sat and watched the Emperor.

The captain of the Emperor's guard spoke. "This man is a cripple. He cannot walk."

"And he lives?" The servant said.

"He is the Stable master." said the doorkeeper.

The Emperor looked up and stared back at Danta.

"How does a cripple get to be Stable master?" He said to no one. Nobody spoke.

Danta continued to stare at the Emperor, and after a long wait said. "I am a shepherd."

After a long and painful silence the Emperor laughed. Then he said, "We also kill shepherds here."

Danta continued to stare at the Emperor. "I will welcome death."

The Emperor smiled. "I like you young man. I will let you live." The rest of the men in the room breathed a collective sigh of relief. Danta did not appear to be aware of the danger he was in. "I will also let you sit. since you have no choice in the matter."

"I wanted to see the man who has had such great success with my animals."

"These are your animals?" Danta asked.

"My animals, my stables, my land, my people. Everything you see, as far as you can see is mine." answered the Emperor.

"How can anyone own so much? How can anyone own a person, and greater yet - how could anyone own any animal?" Danta was perplexed.

"I have never had anyone question me before." Everyone in the room froze. "This is intriguing. I need some time alone. Everyone but this young man leave the room."

Everyone but the servant next to the Emperor left. "You may go too, I will be safe." The servant left.

"You are a curious young man. I don't know how to take you. You speak in a strange manner. Where are you from?" The Emperor was fishing.

"I am not from here." Danta did not want to reveal anything.

"Your speech is unknown to me. You do not appear to be from any of my provinces."

"I am not from here."

"You know, young man, I can get you to talk. I could throw you in prison or kill you."

"I am confined in a useless body. I am tortured by constant severe pain. I would welcome death. I will speak and think what I will."

The Emperor stared at Danta. His eyes narrowed. Danta waited. "I am never challenged." Danta waited. Danta watched the Emperor.

"It is refreshing to speak to someone who does not care what I do. I still may kill you, but not today." the Emperor said.

"That is good. Today I will live." Danta almost smiled. "It is refreshing to speak to someone who does not care what I do. I still may kill you, but not today." the Emperor said.

"That is good. Today I will live." Danta almost smiled. Danta was amazed. He had never met anyone like this. How could anyone want to have such power. So this is what fear is, he thought.

"Let's eat." The Emperor said. As soon as he said that a door opened and some servants came in with some food. Danta knew a little more fear.

Danta looked over the table. It was filled with food he couldn't eat. It was all he could to keep from retching. The table was filled with some animal or something from animal.

Danta grabbed a loaf of bread and looked at the wineskin.

"Are you on a diet?" the Emperor asked, with a touch of sarcasm.

"I do not eat any creature." Danta explained.

"Is a grape a creature?"

"It rests in a skin."

"Right." he said, pausing, "So, you are going to insult me by only eating bread?"

"Do you have any water?" Danta asked.

"This is not even as good as the food in prison, except there it is moldy, rancid and rotten." he paused, "I could throw you in prison."

"You could." Danta stared at the Emperor. "Do you have any water?"

The Emperor laughed. "I think I could accommodate." A servant walked in just then with a pitcher of water.

"Thank you." Danta said.

"You are very polite. Aren't you nervous?"

"Those who fear are too self centered to be polite."

"A philosopher I see."

"And a poet, and a shepherd."

"You may be more useful than a days entertainment." the Emperor said. "You need to go now."

With that the Emperor walked out and four servants came in to carry Danta away in the litter.