Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: wolf@cheshire.oxy.edu (Clinton Richard Wolf)
Subject: [KQ] Aftermath: Luke realizes something very depressing...
Message-ID: <1992Dec11.220237.12961@cheshire.oxy.edu>
References: <92346.111646344LWKC@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 22:02:37 GMT

    He knew people were staring after his strange and table-cracking entrance,
but he didn't care. He rarely cared. But he was acutely aware of each sore
muscle, each bruise, each stiff joint... he remembered acutely everything that
had happened to him since he had arrived in this godforsaken plane, wishing he
had been allowed to just lie in the mud like he was at the start... he was
quite comfortable there, and yet they had made him move. She had made him move.
But it wasn't only Her. His Goddess hated the other Her, and used Lucas to em-
barass the other Her, but had made in clear to Lucas in their discussions that
there was another. Lucas was a pawn. He knew that, and didn't care. But it puz-
zled him immensely that there was more than one player making his moves. Lucas
wasn't entirely sure who the Other was, but he had strong suspicions due to
his examination of the Great Mother's stored knowledge. There was an enemy she
actually feared, who had been Her enemy for countless centuries. But what did
it matter? It was over, now, and Lucas just wanted to return to his dismal home
in his own dismal, abhorrent plane, and rest...      
     He realized he had been standing silently in the center of the Inn for
several minutes as he had been thinking, and had quite inadvertantly become
the center of attention due to his complete lack of activity, which would make
one inobtrusive anywhere else but the Inn, where such inertia stuck out like
a very stiff thumb on an active hand. He wasn't wearing black, either.
     Heaving a tremendous, collective sigh which didn't even begin to touch on
his complete lack of happiness (and yet still managed to pierce the souls of
all present, causing some of the more weak willed rabble to start bawling or
faint dead away, or bang their heads on the walls...), he wearily dragged him-
self over to a seat by the fire, passing a table filled with people where a
blond man was trying to explain multi-dimensional metaphysics and timelines
as it related to some adventure they had just finished, while the others more
or less nodded dumbly, not really having any idea what he was blathering about.
Lucas did a short double-take as he looked at the blond man, almost register-
ing surprise... hadn't he just seen that same man battling Great Mother? He
sifted through his memories, checking. Yes, there he was, spinning his staff
and having a duel with that detestably arrogant Sandar person... With a sigh,
Lucas realized that Sandar Tol would probably be in charge now that that 
guardsman's sister was dead. Lucas briefly debated the contradictions inherent
in the man being two places at once, but then shrugged. Contradictions were
not something to dwell on. They put your thoughts in a loop, and were gener-
ally very depressing. Hmm. He filed that observation away, in case he needed
something depressing to dwell on at a later time...
      In any case, it was over, and all had happened just as Fecuna had told
him it would. The group fighting Mother had won a Pyrhhic victory, which con-
sidering they were fighting a God was very good, and highly embarassing to the
God in question, much like one of those detestable arenas where one wins money
for staying on one's feet for a certain amount of time against a professional
fighter. Defeat is inevitable, but there is victory contained within. Of
course, the Kron person would never understand that. Few would. Which was why
life for Lucas, one of the wisest men who had ever existed or ever would in
the multiverse, was so very, very depressing. 
      He slumped down in a chair at the table by the fire, turning over all
those infinitely depressing conclusions for a time. Finally, he decided it
was time, and roused himself to make contact with his Goddess. He had com-
pleted his task. It was now time for Her to take him home...

<My Lady?>

<I'm here, Lukie. What'cha need?>

<*sigh* Please, don't call me Lukie...>

<Whatever, cutie. What's up?>

<I've completed the task you gave me. The Mother has been found, and dealt a
large setback.>

<Oooh, WONDERFUL!! I knew I could count on ya, hugglebunny!>

<*sigh* No disrespect intented, Lady Fecunda. I mean, you did take me in when
all the other Gods wouldn't even talk to me... but could you try and refrain
from calling me 'hugglebunny'? It's very disconcerting.>

<Anything you say, Lukieschnookums...>

<*sigh*>

<But anyway, I'm glad ya gave that bitch what for. It's been coming to her for
a long time. I'm happy with ya, sweetcheeks, even if you haven't been making
some more babies for me in quite awhile...>

<That's not my fault, Lady. I try, but women just don't seem to like me, which
makes propagation an unlikely activity...>

<Well, nevermind, honeybuns. I know you try. Those other girls just don't know
what a sweetums ya are!>

Lucas felt a slight twinge, as His Goddess grabbed his spiritual cheek and wig-
gled it. He sighed again.

<So I can come back now?>

<Umm... not really...>

Lucas actually stood up at that, with shock very evidently written on his face.
The rabble glanced at him and smiled, relieved that he could be active some-
times, after all...

<What do you mean, not really?!?>

<Now calm down, sugarhips. Yer gonna strain yourself, getting emotional like
that. You don't have enough practice... *giggle*... Sit.>

Luke sat again immediately, slumping back into the chair.

<And don't slouch so much. It ain't polite...> 

<Really, Lady, you go too far...>

<*giggle* I know. I like going all the way...>

Lucas' cheeks flamed briefly.

<Anyway, sweetie, the thing is, something else has come up, involving that Oth-
er one. You know, the one I told you about...?>

<Yes, Lady. I remember.>

<You always did have a good memory, Lukie. I like that about you... among oth-
er things... *grin*>

Lucas half-opened his mouth in protest, but his Goddess went on...

<Anyways, it seems he's using Mrs. High-and-Mighty's defeat to his own advan-
tage. They've usually held each other in check before, but now She's too weak,
and he's planning to do something really nasty to Nexus, which is something I
and all the other Gods are concerned about. You remember I told you how impor-
tant Nexus is to the scheme of things...?>

<Yes, Lady.>

<Good for you, ya big sweetie. Anyway, it's really, really important he doesn't
succeed, so ya have to go stop him... otherwise he'll really make a mess of ev-
erything...>

<I don't suppose you're going to tell me how to go about it, are you...?>

<*giggle* Nope. Yer right. Heck, I don't really even know, myself, to tell you
the truth, but things have a way of workin' out for ya, Lukiekins. You'll do
fine...>

<*sigh* Please don't call me Lukiekins...>

<Whatever you say, sweetie-pie. Now I gotta go... got an appointment with that
studmuffin Thor... now THERE'S a god... woof... gonna be quite a night! Good
luck, jelly belly... I'll talk with you later... ta ta!>  

A big, red, wet kiss appears on Lucas' cheek, seemingly out of nowhere... he
blinks and sighs disconsolately...

"How typical..."

And lapses into thought again...
 
 
why bo