Ken Follett wrote: The Bishop thought

> he had lost the check and was preparing to write another one.
>
> ][<en

On being informed that the contractor had paid for a building permit that
rightfully should have been paid by us (client), I apparently set precident, or
was way out of line, by suggesting that the contractor may have done this
knowing that it would get the project moving faster and we are about to face a
Minnesota winter with a roof that wouldn't survive a gentle winter further to
the south and east.

Awhile back this contractor had been the only member of a the assemblage of
"professionals" to agree that if the roof failed within a year, some part of
that responsibility was his.  Damn if he didn't step up and accept his beating.
Others wanted to beat him some more, but I couldn't bring myself to do it with
the other culprits standing around looking all innoscent.  Of course I was
accused of being overly fond of the contractor.  Yep.  Guilty.  I'm a sucker for
a guy I can turn my back on.

Its nice too fall into the clutches of someone who assumes the best about you
now and again.  Sometimes even Bishops and Contractors get lucky.

Maybe if you earn your living pounding nails its easy to know if the nail has
been pounded in a way that brings credit to the pounder and his colleagues.
Maybe if its hard to tell at the end of the day that you pushed a stack of
paper, or electrons well, or poorly...and perhaps you can come to believe it
doesn't matter.  And when it doesn't matter...it doesn't make sense to take
responsibility for the poorly pushed electron.

I hope you and the Bishop enjoy the project.  You are already richer by one
story.  Stories make the best payment.

-jc