Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: please.Princeton.EDU!hibschmn (Johann Allen Hibschman)
Subject: [JOI] Contact once more
Message-ID: <1993Apr30.222721.29991@Princeton.EDU>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1993 22:27:21 GMT


     As Quaeros sat by the edge of the camp watching Elanon chat with the
mysterious newcomer, he began to feel the faint stirrings of a mental
contact.  He stood quietly and walked into the woods surrounding the
campsite, leaving Elanon to deal with the stranger.  Quaeros waited a 
moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and then moved away from
the group.  As he walked, the faint stirring in his mind strengthened to
a voice.

     <We've found you again.  There's no way you can evade us.>
     <Go away.  Leave me out of this.>
     <So hostile.  Don't you even want to hear what I have to say?  You
don't even know who I am.  I know more about you than you do, and don't
pretend that you truly don't know me.  I've been watching you.>
     <When I was a child, you were responsible for that plague.  You
killed my parents and my neighbors.>
     <Perceptive.  Your parents were fools.  But you can't even be angry
with me for killing them, can you?  "Death is a natural part of life" and
all that.  It was all for balance.  Everyone else died so that you might
live and keep on living.  Like I said, your parents were fools.>
     <What do you mean, so I could live?>
     <Well, you see, your parents had been childless for years, so,
growing desperate, they put out a plea for help to whatever power could
hear them, promising whatever that power asked.  I was that power; I
simply could not pass up the chance.>
     <What did you do?>
     <Isn't it obvious?  Your parents wanted a child who would survive
them.  To continue the family line, and all that.  I gave them what they
wanted; I made you.  Oh, sure I started with the basic material your
mother provided; I had little choice but to do that.  But then I added a
little...extra.  You really aren't related to your father, you know.
You're an interesting mix.  A little elf, a little demon, with a lot of
magic holding it together.  I was rather proud of myself.>
     <You're lying.  You just want me to do something.>
     <Ah, come now.  You're already doing something for me just by living.
Your very presence here weakens some of the barriers between the worlds.
If you wanted, you could weaken those barriers even more.>
     <Now it comes out.  You do want something of me.>
     <You would be given anything you wanted by those in charge.  They're
building quite an interesting society over here, and you could be an
important part of it.  You don't know your own potential.>
     <Leave me alone.  I don't want anything you have to offer.>
     <Very well.  Think about it.  And thanks.>
     <Thanks for what?>
     <For talking so long.  Hopefully the demons currently attacking your
friends will have time to free at least one of them from the hardships of
this mortal life.>

     The contact faded into mocking laughter.  Quaeros jerked to a stop
and looked at the woods around him.  He had no idea of how far he'd
walked or how much time he'd wasted.  Picking what he hoped was the
direction of the camp, he ran, hoping he could reach his companions in
time.