Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: andsol@elf.owlnet.rice.edu (Andrew J. Solberg) Subject: Seer (Villain) [Low City]: Evil Under the Sun II Message-ID: <1992May29.005826.8246@rice.edu> Keywords: Kron, Wasters, Seer, Blink Date: Fri, 29 May 1992 00:58:26 GMT Seer curses and slams the crystal rod down on the table. He sits back and rubs his eyes. "I don't know what that wizard did to my orb," he says to nobody in particular, "but if I find him, he's dead. I mean it. Really." He sighs, then picks up his magic tools and gets to work again. Lessee -- third rune of Xlammacotl, pentacle of power okay, emmmm.... wait! Fused chrysoberyl? Yes!! Seer prys a small gem from the base of his Ball of Visions. It is quite smoky in appearance. Seer moans. "Oh, dear. Quite expensive. Cost me an arm and leg for sure. Maybe I can bargain the dealer down to a leg." He shakes his head sadly and sits down on the edge of a threadbare cot. Other than the pallet and his worktable, this room is quite devoid of furnishings or other decor. The Visionary is a little perturbed that he, Great Genius that he is, should be stuck in such a dump, when he could easily be in a palace or mansion or..... There is a POP, as if a champagne bottle has been opened rather violently under Seer's ear. He starts and nearly falls off the cot. "BLINK!" he shouts. "How many times do I have to tell you, do NOT translocate FROM A GREAT DISTANCE *IMMEDIATELY* into my LABORATORY!! Stop off OUTSIDE first!" He grumbles and goes back to his worktable: "That way the detonation is smaller." Blink taps Seer on the shoulder. "WHAT?!" the mage bellows, looking into Blink's face. Blink holds something up in his hand. It appears to be a locket on a broken silver chain. Seer boggles at it, then takes it. He examines it thoroughly, including looking at the picture and the earring inside. Finally he says, "Where did you get this?" Blink makes some complicated gestures with his hands. "KRON?! Really? No fooling?" Blink shakes his head and grins: Oh, I AM going to be rewarded! Seer stares at it again, then starts pacing about his workshop. Blink says nothing: he knows that to disturb Seer at this time might well involve a certain amount of pain. Finally Seer appears to have an idea. He crosses to a far corner of the room and erects a smallish cauldron onto a tripod. He starts a fire beneath and begins a series of magic incantations. He finishes, and says, "Well, not as good as the Ball, but it will have to do." He scans into the liquid in the cauldron. After a few moments, an image swims into view: "Got it!" Seer studies the image for a while, then douses the fire and disassembles the apparatus. "Blink,", he says, "take us to the alley behind Grimmus's off of Oxcart Street." Blink steps forward, and the two disappear. *************************************************************************** Creft the Fence sits up and feels his jaw. Good -- no breaks; but that bastard Kron will still pay for that sucker-punch. He looks about him -- he is in a narrow alleyway, behind a barrel, and.... what the? Oh, Kron has arranged him nicely on his own coat. How chivalrous! Oooooh.... that worm is going wish he had never been born..... Slowly, Creft realizes that he is not alone in his alley. Two hooded figures are advancing toward him. Creft opens his mouth to call out..... and finds he cannot. In fact, he is quite frozen in place. The two figures come into the light, and Creft realizes one of them is gesturing and holding up an iron threepenny nail -- a mage! The other one, grimly silent, moves forward with sharp knife extended, and smiles a nasty smile........ -- Andrew Solberg |"Moving faster than a speeding bullet isn't andsol@owlnet.rice.edu | much use if you and it are headed straight Phone:713-529-8627 | for each other." John Brunner bridge-sleep-eat-sex-bridge-sleep-eat-sex-bridge-sleep-I'M STUCK!!!!