Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: andsol@arcadien.owlnet.rice.edu (Andrew J. Solberg)
Subject: Kron: [Low City]: Roll Out The Barrel
Message-ID: <1992Jun26.192035.15367@rice.edu>
Keywords: Kron, Cheyenne, Creft, murder
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1992 19:20:35 GMT

Kron's perch on the pile of barrels grows more precarious by the moment.
A gigantic bull T-croc hisses up at Kron and opens its gaping jaws.  On the
other end of the pile, a smaller female begins to claw its way up onto the
barrels.  Out in the alley, more reptiles peer up at Kron with what can only
be described as a predatory interest.

A dozen feet away or so, Colin slashes at the crocs with his shining sword.
He's taken out three or four of them already, which is no mean feat, 
considering the iron hides of the subterranean prowlers.  Now, however, he
is met with a wall of angry T-crocs that block his approach and snap at his
arms and legs.  Kron is reminded that these city-born and -bred reptiles
are smarter than the average crocodile, and they have learned to cooperate
to get their prey.  But Kron is unlikely to be inspired by the marvel of
evolution at this particular moment.

Ten yards away, Scorpion fights a desperate battle with Fenris.  Kron can
still see the little whistle about his neck.  If he can only get over there....
a snap at his ankles reminds him of his immediate danger.  It seems that
the smaller croc has made quite a bit of headway up the pile.  Kron kicks 
a barrel out from under the reptile, and the shifting pile buries it in
a tangle of casks.  However, the entire stack is unstable now, and Kron will
have to make his move.  In his desperation, he conceives a dangerously silly
plan.

Kron's short sword is liable to be useless in a battle with the thick-skinned
T-crocs, but it has its uses.  In this case, he pries open the largest keg
on the top of the stack.  Over the edge of the pile, the huge bull has some-
how climbed to a position where it can get its head onto the top; it stares
at Kron with hungry anticipation as Kron climbs into the barrel.

"Well, Your Royal Ugliness," he says conversationally to the reptile, "Can't
stay for dinner."  He wedges the lid halfway onto the keg again as the bull
gains the top of the pile.  Kron sticks his arm out of the keg and cuts
the ropes holding the barrel stack in place: "Gotta roll."

The weight of the croc collapses the pile.  A number of shocked T-crocs
go down in a thundering avalanche of barrels.  A particularly large barrel
rolls down off the top and bounces to the street level, rolling over the
bull in the process.  Inside, Kron is jogged about as the barrel rolls
down the alley toward Scorpion.

There is a tremendous THUMP! as the barrel stops against a wall.  Kron
climbs out and discovers that he is clear of the crocs, but they are angry
now and are coming on fast.  Kron turns around and spies Scorpion blowing
on his silent whistle as if his life depends on it.  It probably does,
reflects Kron.

Scorpion lets out a blast from his hands, shattering the barrel that Kron 
occupied moments ago.  Kron dashes for the partial cover of a few other, 
smaller barrels that rolled to this position.  One of them, a small cask,
appears to be intact.  Kron turns it about and rolls it toward Scorpion.
One venomous blast reduces the keg to splinters, but also ignites the
alcohol therein.  Distracted by the blast, Scorpion is too late to bring his
hands up as Kron closes for combat.

Scorpion is deadly at a distance, but up close and personal he's no match
for Kron.  The ex-watchman lands a solid blow in his breadbasket, and the
Waster goes down, spitting out the whistle in the process.  Kron picks it
up.....and hears a hiss behind him.

Turning around, Kron sees his old buddy, the bull croc, staring at him from
only a yard away.  It opens its gaping jaws and roars.  

Bombs Away, thinks Kron, and tosses the whistle in its mouth.  Its jaws snap
shut.

Suddenly, the T-crocs appear confused.  They blink for a few
moments, then stare at the daylight and grouchily make for the nearest
sewer grating.  The bull croc idly sniffs at Kron, then turns about and
crawls after its fellows.  Kron gives a huge sigh of relief, then turns about
to face his captive.....

.....who is gone.  
-- 
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!!!!