[Artemisia] Shield of Chivalry - how I found out

[Bartholomew Hightower]

I'm in my truck this morning, heading out to Home Depot for my daily 
ration of  home improvement supplies.  My cell phone rings.  It is The 
King of Artemisia.

HRM:  Bart!  How ya doing?

Me:  Um... grrrreeeat, Your Majesty.  I didn't know you got up this early.

HRM:   Oh yeah.  I'm on my way out to war practice.

Me: [supresses urge to say WAR!!!!]  Ah, that's right.  Hey, I had a 
blast at your crown tourney yesterday.

HRM:  That's what I'm calling about about.  You left your shield there.

Me:  [glances back into truck bed, sees both shields there]  Are you 
sure about that, Your Majesty?

HRM:  Positive.

Me:  I brought some extra shield blanks, but I sold all those off...

HRM:  Nope.  It's yours. 

Me:  Are you certain that you didn't find my eyeglasses?  Those are 
missing...

HRM:  It's your shield, Bart.

Me:  [trying to be helpful]  Could you describe it for me?

HRM:  Oh, it's heater-shaped, black, with a gold pile, a couple of 
gryphons, a laurel wreath, and a crown.

[long pause]

HRM: Are you getting the picture?

Me:  Holy <expletive deleted> <expletive deleted> <expletive deleted>!

[cut scene to approximately 15 minutes later, at the Home Depot 
contractor checkout]

Cashier:  ...that'll be $35.70.  Can I say that you look very happy for 
this time of the morning?

Me:  [grinning ear-to-ear] I'm having a really *great* day.




And I did.

-- 
Bartholomew Hightower of Canterbury, OP
(Dan Watson)
bartholomew at coteduciel.org
http://www.cs.usu.edu/~watson/bartholomew