Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: djb6@ellis.uchicago.edu (Dennis Brennan)
Subject: Karl: [starting to wrap up the slave rescue] Returns to the _M's_B_
Message-ID: <1992May29.010158.13527@midway.uchicago.edu>
Date: Fri, 29 May 1992 01:01:58 GMT

William's uncle Cedric called to Karl from the _Morning's_Breeze_ "Karl, it's
okay.  Dougl's down here!"  

Karl was dazed from the heat of the combat, the noise, the confusion.  The
main sail of the _Broadmarch_ had fallen across part of the main deck, adding
to the disarray of the melee.  For a moment Karl merely grinned back at 
Cedric with an expression of total stupefication, but the sound of chanting
in the aft-castle behind him returned him to his senses.

The woman in the grey and scarlet cloak in the aft-castle had unrolled
a scroll and, with one hand outstretched, appeared to be attempting to cast 
a spell upon the entire fracas from the relative shelter of the small 
structure.  Shielded from the _Narwhal's_ missile fire she could complete
the casting without interruption...

Recovering from his delirium Karl frantically tried to think of a way to
distract the enchantress from her spell.  One of the ropes which formerly
suspended the sail upon the mast swung near him; he instinctively caught
the rope...

	Karl awoke in bed in his cottage behind Glorshanned Keep.  Dougl
was with him, and Dougl's mother Lyra.  

"Dougl, you can't imagine how relieved I am to see you.  Wait, what in 
the world happened?  I was on the slavers' ship and..."

Dougl furrowed his brow.  "You don't remember, uncle Karl?  You swang
through the window in the aft-castle like some kind of tree-elf.  I 
saw you from the _Morning's_Breeze_.  You tackled some lady flat and
gagged her with a piece of cloth.  And she was mad!  She had a knife
but you swatted her hand away.  And then you tied her hands behind
her back and dragged her back to Bill's ship with Uncle Cedric and William
and me.  It was so exciting!  Uncle Karl, when I grow up I want to be
just like you!"

Lyra glared at Dougl in that motherly sort of way.  "Dougl, now don't be
going about saying how great it would be to be an adventurer, and all that.
You are already in a lot of trouble for sneaking out of the Inn without
asking Karl.  Adventuring is dangerous.  Karl or any one of those other
gentlemen could have gotten themselves hurt or killed chasing after you.
They all risked an awful lot to make sure you would be safe."  She stood
and opened the door for Dougl.  "We must let Uncle Karl rest.  He's had
a very hard day."  Dougl dejectedly said good-bye and exited.

"And YOU, Karl," Lyra continued after Dougl had stepped outside.  "What in
all the hells were you thinking, taking my boy to the Dragons-Inn?  All
those adventurers strutting around and that bratty undisciplined cousin
of his? (*)  No wonder he thought he could be some kind of knight in armor
with all of those bad influences around.  Humpf!"  Lyra slammed the door.

Karl groaned.  The bruises on his sides (the porthole had been a lot
narrower than he had calculated) stung him as he tried to roll over in bed.
After some time the visions of Rameshanders, wizards, cutthroats and cat-men
stopped whirling around in his mind and he was able to sleep.


The wizardess in the grey and scarlet cloaks cursed the magical chains
which imprisoned her in the dungeons of Glorshanned Keep.  There were no
other prisoners in this part of the dungeon: it was reserved for those
criminals deemed "most dangerous" by the Watch.  
But the scratching sound which the wizardess assumed was rats continued
non-stop for several minutes, until one of the blocks in the dungeon wall
was pushed out and Scorpion, masonry-file in hand, stepped through from
the Gap.  With practiced hand he unfettered the wizardess and escorted
her to the safety of the undercity.

(*)  Sorry, William of Tell, but Lyra doesn't think much of your side of the
family.


-- 
Dennis Brennan
djb6@midway.uchicago.edu