Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: u894793@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Timothy D Little) Subject: Gushiv: at Corwin's table Message-ID: Date: Thu, 28 May 1992 01:37:53 GMT Gushiv sips slowly from his tankard of fine-brewed beer, peering around the Inn to familiarise himself with its assortment of clientele. Reaching into the blanket-roll on the floor beside him, he pulls out a battered and abused wad of paper, and retrieves a quill and ink from a box, and starts writing. He seems to take a special note of Zort, who seems a bit of a nutter, smiles to himself and records something on one of the sheets, shaking his head as he does so. He looks back to his enigmatic companion who made such a dramatic entrance, frowns quizzically, and haltingly writes something, with much alteration and crossing-out. Without warning, he exclaims "I am *not* a mage!", with a tone of wonderment. "My calling is not in magic, it is ... in ... ?" Then, "No! It is once again hidden from me!" A few nearby people who were interrupted in their conversations turn their heads and glare, and Gushiv seems to shrink even further than his already small stature, until they turn away again. Rapidly, he starts to scribble frantically on his paper, heedless of the mess of ink-blots and scratches imposed upon the page. "I must not lose this!" he whispers emphatically, "Never again will I leave my identity unguarded!" He ignores the look Corwin is directing toward him, and appears totally oblivious to his surroundings. After nearly a full half-hour of this monomaniacal activity, he slows, and seems to notice the Inn as if for the first time. He directs an apologetic look toward Corwin, saying "I really must go outside now, I have some hypotheses to test. I apologise for being such poor company, If it is of any interest to you, do not be alarmed by strange sounds coming from outside. If this succeeds, then you will hear nothing, and I will be unlikely to return. If it fails, however, ... I must honestly say that I have very little idea of what may happen. Be assured, however, that it can not cause danger to anyone but myself." With that, Gushiv stands up, gathering up his gear and stowing it back into his rolled-up blanket. He stands for a moment, sweeping his gaze over the room, as if for the last time. -- --------------------------------------------------------------- Timothy D Little a.k.a. u894793@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au "I'm a Tasmanian." - Yahoo Serious, in the film Young Einstein. ---------------------------------------------------------------