Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: djb6@ellis.uchicago.edu (Dennis Brennan)
Subject: [NTY] "I hear Rameshan is lovely this time of year...
Message-ID: <1993Jun29.040127.4077@midway.uchicago.edu>
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1993 04:01:27 GMT

With deft and practiced hand Gunther Toodie inserted a long instrument
into the opening of the bottle on the desk in front of him.  His project
currently resembled nothing other than bits of wood and string encased
in a glass vessel but with patience he would craft it into a magnificent
replica of a Ydionais galleon- a ship to rival any member of the fleet
of similarly imprisoned ships displayed on shelves around the spacious
office.  Cautiously grasping the miniscule ship's beam, he positioned
it over the...
...snap

An abrupt knock on the door distracted Gunther, causing him to destroy
the fragile wood of the beam.  In his anger he hurled the entire bottle
at the door, howling, "Damn and thunderation, I told you not to disturb
me!"

Daunted but diligant, the butler opened the office door and quietly
addressed his master- "Er, sir, there's a guardsman here demanding to
be let in.  He has a warrant, and ...well, he's waiting in the parlour."

A dreadful shame.  Gunther had rather enjoyed the time he spent in Generica.
But, like all fortune, it had to run out someday.  Perhaps the guards
had finally connected him to that infamous gold-smuggling affair from
two years ago.  Or perhaps this had something to do with the rather bloody
underworld struggle following the assassination of Creft the Fence
last spring.  At any rate, it seemed that his cheerful tenure as
principal gem-smuggler for the Generican area had just expired.  
How dreadful.  And so soon after the setback in the mountains, with
the dragon and the slave uprising... was that it?  Had he somehow
been traced from "Specifica of the Gems?"  Impossible.  Surely that would
be giving Generica's guard far too much credit.

As he mused these little musings Gunther was hard at work grabbing bundles
of significant papers, transportable treasures and the accumulated booty
of several years industry (legitimate and otherwise) into sacks.  
Completing this act, Gunther opened a plain-looking chest sequestered
between two potted plants and dropped a candle into it.  The candle
fell... fell... fell, resting twenty feet or so under the lid  of the
coffer.  Now where was that silly rope?

Magic chests such as Gunther's were virtually standard equipment among
the most active smugglers of the Western Coast.  Such a container
was invaluable for transporting large sums of property with ease
and discretion- necessary characteristics when one is on the rrun as
much as Gunther.  His own chest could store as much as the large
office in which it was customarily kept, and with the aid of a false
bottom could be made to appear quite typical even under thorough
inspection.

After the treasure and labor of wleven years was deposited in the magical
crate, Gunther turned a nozzle under one of the gagas-lamps in his office
until a faint hissing could be heard.  This done, he donned a simple 
disguise and pushed his chest out an alley-facing window, jumping
to the street level after it.  From the pocket of his simple robe he
produced a flint and tinder, with which he ignited an oily rag.  He
hurled this improvised fireball back into the office window from which
he had emerged.  It instantly ignited the flammable gas with which
the room was now filled and flames exploded from the window.  

As he lugged his chest toward the harbour, Gunther mused about the
possibility that the guard inspector and his manservant had perished in
the arsoonous conflagration.  With any luck, the guardsman was dead-
that might set the investigation backck for a few days at least while
the remains of the house were inspected.  As for his butler, well,
it was unfortunate that a husband and father of four would die
so tragically, but on the other hand the removal of the manservant
as a possible witness against him augmented Gunther's hopes that
his butler had met with his end.

Coming to the docks, Gunther located a passenger vessel bound for
ports southward.  Approaching the billsmaster, Gunther announced
himself as one "Ambrose of Windwether, an inspector of carpets and
tapestrieses" and booked himself passagfor the Rameshander city
of Pashar...

To Be Continued...

ADMIN:  Well, here's a second chaancd for a road trip to Rameshan,
if anyone is interested or missed the [R] thread a few months
ago.  Contact Alan or myself...
-- 
Dennis Brennan
djb6@midway.uchicago.edu