From: bdavis@pepper.cray.com (Brent Davis  {x67000 CF/ENG})
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: Ezrin: Peglegs and More
Message-ID: <1993Apr6.130033.15198@walter.cray.com>
Date: 6 Apr 93 18:00:32 GMT


   "Can I help you?," the woman asked.

   Ezrin was startled, not having seen or heard her approach.  He must have
been looking too closely at the products to notice her.  As he turned to
face her, he fumbled for words, "...uh...I'm here to get a...uh...peg...
pegleg fitting."  He tried to close his jaw, but he was sure it was still
somewhere on the floor.  She was gorgeous and probably about his same age.
Ezrin never had been very good at impressing women, and he was probably
failing about the same way this time around.  "My name is...Ez...Ezrin...
Ezrin U'tharnus," he stuttered.  At least he'd managed to get out his name
without mispronouncing it.

   "Just one moment, let me check our appointments."  She turned and walked
through a curtained doorway.  Ezrin turned to look at a carved plate, but
all he could see was the woman's face, and her long black hair.  He then
realized he was breathing heavily, and his heart was pounding.  Something
didn't feel quite right...his vision narrowed...he felt dizzy.  All he
could think of was to grab onto a nearby clothing rack to stabilize himself.

   As he passed out, his grasp toppled the entire rack onto himself causing
a loud thud as the bars hit the floor.  The clothing hanging on it was the
only thing that cushioned Ezrin from the blow.  He lay there for several
seconds trying to figure out what had happened.  He must have been even more
out of shape than he'd thought.

   "Are you all right?"  The embarrassment began to register as Ezrin looked
up at the beautiful woman.  "What happened?"

   "I haven't been feeling very well.  It's my first day up and around
since...I lost it," he stated, pointing to the stump below his right knee.
"Sorry about this.  Let me help pick it up."  Ezrin tried pushing the rack
upwards, but it was far too heavy for him to lift.  

   "Oh no, that's quite all right."  She grasped the clothing bar and easily
tilted it back into place.  Ezrin was shocked.  Either he was really weak,
or there had to be some type of a leverage advantage for her lifting
position.  He seriously hoped it was the latter.

   Luckily, only a few of the garments had fallen onto the floor.  As Ezrin
struggled to his feet, he spied a black cloak laying near him, and picked
it up.  He looked at it briefly, wondering how it might appear on him, but
then handed it to the clerk.

   "I think you should try that on," she suggested, eyeing the cloak and
then Ezrin.  "Haven't you heard about the big storm coming through?  You'll
need a good cloak like that if you're planning on going anywhere over the
next few days."

   "Really, I just need the pegleg.  I've got a cloak back home."  'You
really should pay more attention to the weather forecasts,' added one of
the voices.  Ezrin proceeded to try on the leg, and noticed a few points
of discomfort as he tried to walk with it.  "It feels too high in the
front, like it's cutting into the skin right here."  Ezrin pulled off
the artificial limb and indicated where the problem was.

   "Let me get another one for you," she said and headed back through
the curtains.

   Ezrin waited for a few moments, and then decided that it might take
a while for her to find a replacement.  Allowing his curiosity to get the
best of him, he re-attached the leg and then donned the black cloak.  Then
he wandered over to a full-length mirror and gazed at himself.  'Wow!'
*All you need now is a hook and an eyepatch and you'll look like a
menacing pirate.*  That thought scared him.  Losing one limb was bad enough.
He'd hate to lose any more.

   "It really becomes you!"  The clerk had returned with the other pegleg.

   Ezrin hurriedly removed the cloak and the other limb.  "Just thought
I'd see how it looked.  It's really nice, but I'm afraid I can't afford
it."  As it was, the only reason he was getting the pegleg was because
it was covered by the Seaguard's for loss-of-limb in the line-of-duty.
After attaching the other leg, Ezrin tried walking on it.  It felt much
better, although he realized it would take time for him to grow used to it.
"Yes, this one fits quite well."
   
   "Now, there are several specialized models in this size.  They offer
secret compartments, pop-out blades, quick tip exchangement for differing
surfaces and so forth," she stated very matter-of-factly.  "If you'd like to
take a look, I can show them to you."

   It was all so fascinating: secret compartments, spring-loaded points,
and everything else.  'Why in the world do you need all of that stuff?' one
of the voices questioned.  "It sounds great, but really, I think that this
one will suit me just fine."

   "I've got an idea.  The purchase order will cover all of these other
more expensive models as well, so why don't we use the difference for that
cloak."  She smiled and winked at Ezrin.

   "uh...that seems kind of underhanded.  I'd hate to get you or anyone
into trouble."

   "Don't worry - they never check on these forms that closely."

   "All right then.  Thanks a lot.  You've been really helpful."  Ezrin
turned and started walking out, then had an idea.  He stopped and turned
his head part way.  "Could I...uh..."  His throat tightened.  "Could I
take you out for lunch sometime to pay you back and all?"  There - he'd
said it.  He finished turning around to face her and hear her response,
but she was already gone.

   "Oh well."  He never liked to deal with rejection anyway.  *You're both
better off this way.*  This time the hopeless voice was probably right.
Ezrin walked out of the shop, and donned his new cloak as the rains
began to fall.  There was no way he'd make it all the way home in this
weather.  'Looks like you're going back to work a day early,' the other
voice observed as he proceeded to head toward Leviathan tower.

--
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