"That doesn't sound impossible but I don't know much about engineering."

"It can be done but I don't know the details and it's possible it's more complicated somehow if the top is the surface instead of just a higher cave."

"Well, I'll write the paper, someone else will have to figure out the rest."

"What's the submission process?"

"You bring it by the office of the journal, in Sothis."

"Sure, but do you have to be a cleric, do you have to be a man..."

"You can submit them anonymously. I think that most successful submissions involve getting lots of advice from the sort of people who do it all the time, though, and who can help you revise your submission until it works."

"So if I ever take it into my head -"

"I can try to help."

"Cool."

"Gonna be a bishop someday?"

"I think you need connections."

"I know the regional governor of Tephu! If he ever sees me he'll kill me but I do know him."

"Different sort of connections. I think."

"Why will he kill you?"

"His son was to marry but instead he fell in love with me and I helped smuggle him off to Varisia in the form of a salamander."

"Do you visit your salamander boyfriend?"

"No, I'm not into salamanders."

"Poor guy."

"I was upfront about this!"

"And he preferred no wife and no you and also being a salamander to yes wife no salamander you on the side! She must be awful!"

"Rich men are very strange."

"We're rich men."

"Rich men who don't spend it all on adventuring gear are very strange."

"I think you guys are plenty strange. Do you think you're very boring?"