Wandering mendicant (Our Strange and Wonderful House)

An old wandering mendicant, dressed in dusty, tattered clothing, once came to the Ruined Chapel of the Strange and Wonderful House. He faced the Lady in Mourning without fear and entertained her with an endless array of melancholy songs, asking, in-between each song, if a given name was hers. Every night at midnight, while the Lady removed her veil, the mendicant left the Chapel to gather food and drink from the Tarn, before returning to resume his singing and questioning. He died happy after years spent in this routine, one more question on his lips. His passing affected the Lady to the degree that she broke her own ancient routine: the following night, at midnight, instead of crying out “Woe unto they who once stood on high! Their temples are in ruins and their names are forgotten.” as she always did, she turned her head towards the stars and sang a song of “hope and dreams” before departing the Chapel for good. (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: The Right Wrong Questions)