From: pcalvert@economics.adelaide.edu.au
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [R] Karl (finally!) finishes his day, at Court
Message-ID: <1992Sep10.111003.1@economics.adelaide.edu.au>
Date: 10 Sep 92 01:40:03 GMT

Posted on behalf of Dennis Brennan <djb6@midway.uchicago.edu>
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Karl genuinely enjoyed the company of the bouyant (no pun intended)
Hazy Drifter, but her seemingly limitless endergy at last wore him out.
THis condition was compounded by the relentless Rameshander sun,
spicy and pungent Rameshander food and infuriating Rameshander arrogance.
Karl could stomach neither the overly peppered substance thahat passed
for local meat nor the haughty airs of superiority the Rameshanders
regarded all foreigners.  It was time to call it a night.

Amaan's boat would have to wait for tomorrow.  Amaan, damn him!  Karl
dreamed of his comfortable little cottage next to Glorshanned Keep,
how solitude and work he enjoyed beckoned.  Even visions of the mud
and battlefields of Vascondy danced in his head: at least there he
had been among equals and friends (that is, until his best friend
sold the damn country to the highest bidder)...

Ah, friends.  But Karl had new companions now.  He would have to keep
these young people out of trouble.  Karl smiled: this scenario
was as old as adventuring itself- the young worried about the old,
the veterans worried about the inexperienced, and no one worried
about themselves.  That was confidence; that was what separated the
adventurers from the common run of man.  Once Karl had been on the
glorious side of that separation.  Confidence, bravery.  He looked
down at his peg-leg, a reminder of the failure that cost him his leg,
his wife... and his confidence.

The emergence of the bright moon from behind a tower startled Karl
from this depressing train of thought.  Was that?  yes, it was
the tower containing our rooms.  Karl's, Hazy's, Radan's, and space
for the others as well.  Was that money being thrown out of one
of the windows?  Impossible.

Karl knocked on the door only once before Shade answered it.  "I could
hear you limping halfway down the hall.  You ought to get a less
noisy leg, if you should ever want to sneak up on somebody."  He
grinned.  Karl waved his hand as if to playfully swat him, but he ducked
out of reach.

"Radan!  Long time no see.  I see you've made yourself at home."  Karl
indicated the healer, who had his feet up on a low table and a glass
of some frothy beverage.  Radan looked at Shade.  Shade looked at Radan.
Both jopened their mouths, then stopped.  Karl spoke first, "One, or
both, of you has something to tell me.  Must be bad news.  Out with it,"
he commanded.

But before either could speak the door behind Karl creaked open.  It
was Hazy's door.  THe breeze had blown it open.  Karl peeked inside-
the wide window was drawn, and the door to the balcony was open.  One
of the curtains was on the floor and there were... was that a gold piece
on the pillow?  SIgns of a struggle?  Where was Hazy?  And why was
the closet door open a crack?

db