From: cgirard@neumann.une.edu.au (The Blade of Malchrntyne)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [T&R]A time to live, a time to die
Message-ID: <1804@grivel.une.edu.au>
Date: 3 Sep 92 12:45:23 GMT


>	"Oh, no," said Timelord, when he realised what it was.  The two
>armoured killers, in mindless pursuit, had fallen down the same trap
>he had located, and were now hurtling towards him at a deadly pace.
	
	Fear gripped him as he faced certain death.  Desperately he
looked for some way out, but believing he was doomed.
	Then he saw it.  Barely visible below him was an iron rail, pitted
and rusted, that appeared to be attached to the roof of the chamber below,
just beyond the mouth of the chute.
	Timelord knew that it could break away at the slightest touch; but
staying put was out of the question.  Without hesitation he released his 
grip on the walls and plunged towards the pit.
	As he past the opening his arms shot out, and his hands folded
around the rail in a death-like grip.  A few flecks of rust were dislodged
by his maneuver, but otherwise the rail was stable as Timelord gently swung
back and forth.
	And none too soon.  Barely a second later the first of the armoured
figures shot past and plunged into the liquid below, disappearing with a
savage hiss as the metal was instantaneously eaten away.
	The second figure followed, but this time it reached out with its
gauntlet towards the helpless Timelord.  Seeing this he tried to twist out
of the way.
	Not quite quick enough.  Although he didn't get a hold of him,
the fingers of the gauntlet raked down Timelord's right calf, tearing
through cloth and flesh.
	Timelord screamed in agony as the acid consumed the second armoured
figure.
	Gritting his teeth against the pain, Timelord looked above him.
A series of rails stretched from where he was to the other side of the
chamber, where they terminated above a short balcony.
	"Convenient," thought Timelord, "perhaps too convenient."
	Carefully he began to make his way towards safety.  His suspicions
were confirmed about half-way across when a seeming stable bar suddenly
came away from the roof as he was reaching for the next rail.  Only his
lightening reflexes saved him, but it was a near thing as he hung by
three fingers and watched the bar disappear below.
	He could feel the blood oozing from his wounded leg.  That was a
good sign; he would start to really worry if the pain suddenly disappeared.
	Finally he made it to the balcony.  He dropped to the ground, wincing
as the impact sent fresh jolts of pain up his leg.  Quickly, he tore a large
section off his breeches and tied it around his calf to staunch the bleeding.
Then, feeling faint, he looked for a way out.
	There was only one door; he tried it, and it opened easily.  He
staggered in, feeling worse by the second, and shut the door behind him.
	His breathing was very loud in his ears.  "Blood loss," he murmured
to himself, "need to rest, need to..."
	He slowly slumped to the floor.  One last thought went through his
mind before he lost consciousness.
	"Poison......"



 The Blade of Malchrntyne (CJ)| There comes a time when the jewels cease to
 Drummond College A100        | sparkle, and the gold loses its lustre, and
 x 3069                       | the throne room becomes a prison - and all
 There can be only one.       | that remains is a father's love for his child