Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: hutch@ibeam.intel.com (Steve Hutchison) Subject: [KAN] ('Raelf, ar'Elya, Kadrys) Fragonard's "The Swing" Message-ID: References: Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1993 08:12:23 GMT [ADMIN] This takes place the evening following "Dues and Reparations", and therefore, the day before 'Raf and Kardia and ar'Elya take off on the Unicorn Hunt. Thanks to Andrea Evans for help with Kadrys. Thanks to Penny for making ar'Elya appropriately cruel and heartless. And for finding the poems. 'Raelf knelt on one knee in the garden, wearing an absolutely foolish looking green and yellow diamond harlequin unitard, and a really stupid blue floppy hat with a huge brim and a big fluffy purple feather. He was strumming a lute, rather badly, which was unusual because he knew how to play the thing. He was looking up at ar'Elya who was in a wooden-seated rope swing, tied into the branches of the olive tree, and she was attired nearly as foolishly as 'Raelf, though in a different period's attire. She was wearing a big hoop skirt with dozens of crinoline underslips, with a tight silk bodice laced uncomfortably around her body. Her hair was in corkscrew-curls topped with a large flat straw hat, and her eyes had an unusual green cast. She was muttering "fiddle-dee-dee" at the lute music. Kadrys was nonplussed. Kev grabbed his hand, and pulled him over to the door where Little Rat was also watching, disapproval writ large on her face. "Dey's been doin' da same thing all night. 'Raf had ta make da food an' he uses too much horseradich on da sammidges." In the garden, 'Raelf began to sing. A Rune upon a Lunar Tune Aroon. (For El'n) The Moon is a Madness, A Madness of mine. I made her of mustard And mulberry wine. *(twang)* I garbed her in silver And strawberry cheese And halved her in quarters. (Her quarters do please.) *(twang, strum)* I crowned her and gowned her In Love all ashine, So boot her and shoot her, This Madness of mine. *(T-poing)* ouch. He bowed flagrantly, and ar'Elya giggled and flipped a fan in front of her face coyly. Kadrys gaped, utterly and completely lost for words. His eyes looked as if they were about to bug right out of his face. He gasped for breath before he managed to croak a question to Kev: "What's all _THIS_ about?" "I dunno. 'Raf sez it's jus' a game but I don' see what th' rules would be." Kev scratched his head, and went inside, followed by a thoroughly disgusted Little Rat. Kadrys remained, watching, trying not to gape, openmouthed at the spectacle. He walked up to the edge of the cobble, and waited. 'Raelf bowed in his direction and then returned to his adoring, dopey-eyed plunking at the lute. After a few minutes he stood, straight-backed and in an exaggeratedly proper attitude. On a tree by a river a little tom-tit Sang "Willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!" And I said to him, "Dicky-bird, why do you sit, Singing `Willow, tit-willow, tit-willow'?" "Is it weakness of intellect, birdie?" I cried, "Or a rather tough worm in your little inside?" With a shake of his poor little head, he replied, "Oh, willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!" He slapped at his chest, as he sat on that bough, Singing "Willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!" And a cold perspiration bespangled his brow, Oh willow, tit-willow, tit-willow! He sobbed and he sighed, and a gurgle he gave, Then he plunged himself into the billowy wave, And an echo arose from the suicide's grave -- "Oh willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!" Now I feel just as sure as I'm sure that my name Isn't Willow, tit-willow, tit-willow, That 'twas blighted affection that made him exclaim, "Oh willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!" And if you remain callous and obdurate, I Shall perish as he did, and you will know why, Though I probably shall _not_ exclaim as I die, "Oh willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!" The white-clad belle on the swing dimpled charmingly, "Oh p'shaw, promises, promises." 'Raelf opened his eyes very wide, miming a stricken expression unbelievably, and struck his chest twice with the lute melodramatically, somehow not managing to break it. "I am wounded, aye, _Deeply_ wounded, I must aver, you have cut me to the quick." He fell to both knees, moping, feather draggled to the dust below. She swung higher, eyes shining, and a scornful giggle drifted behind her. "Oh, puh-lease," Kadrys laughed, the sound almost a deeper echo of ar'Elya's giggle. "Don't spurn the poor fellow, give him another chance, _do_!" She blinked at him over her fan, and snapped it shut suddenly. "Well, since you ask in such a gentlemanly fashion, I'll give him just one more chance." She batted her eyes coyly. 'Raelf suddenly did a complicated riff on the lute, making it sound like a mandolin. He bowed in a complicated Florentine courtesy and began singing, actually tuneful. My days are brighter than morning air Evergreen pine and autumn blue But all my days were twice as fair If I could share My days with you My nights are warmer than firecoals Incense and stars and smoke bamboo But nights were warm beyond compare If I could share My nights With you To dance in my dreams To shine when I need the sun With you To hold me when dreams are done And oh, my dearest love If you will take my love Then all my dreams are truly begun And time weaves ribbons of memory To sweeten life when youth is through But I would need no memories there If I could share My life With you. 'Raelf put down the lute, and ar'Elya laughed and shouted, "Catch!" and leaped into the air from the top of the arc of the swing. Somehow he caught her, and spun in a confusion of petticoats, giggles and kicking heels. He whirled her across the garden to where Kadrys was waiting, then grinned maniacally and began to chant again: JUST ABOVE BELOW A little bit beneath above is a little bit below Little known to none at all, tho' nary knew we know. Just before the bottom there's a tuppence of the top. A hair ahead of the get-to-go there stands the stick of stop. ***** So quarrel the moral or puzzle the fuzz The is of the will be's the wont of the was. Kadrys blinked, breathed "_What?_" "I go Pogo," ar'Elya drawled. Kadrys gave a grin, a sudden, bright expression, unselfconscious as a child. He burst into a brief, lilting song, seeming in the act to become a much younger self. "Oh I am a bounder A spring in my step When you use me to walk Then I lend you my pep, I jump over puddles I can all but fly I'm kin to a witch steed Now say, what am I?" He exchanged impish glances with ar'Elya, and doffed an imaginary hat in a gesture with enough flourishes to match 'Raelf's recent mood. "Oh, I know," 'Raelf said, brightly. "Albert Alligator!" "No, silly," ar'Elya said, whapping him with her fan. "He doesn't have the cigar, he can't be Albert Alligator." "Oh! Be a stick in the mud then. Hoppy-go-lucky me, and you get all mean whenever I get a spring in my step. I think I'll just play with my lute." He started to put her down, but she wouldn't let go his shoulders. She grabbed his chin between two fingers. "You come play with _my_ loot, fuzz-he-wuzz." "Be that way, then. Kadrys, have you ever known women to be such a burden?" 'Raelf winked. "With You" copyright 1972 Stephen Schwartz from the musical Pippin. "Titwillow" not copyrighted, from Gilbert and Sullivan, The Mikado "A Rune upon a Lunar Tune Aroon" and "Just Above Below" are copyright by the estate of Walt Kelly, all lyrics used without permission. I have no idea whether the doggerel Kadrys comes out with comes under any copyright other than Andrea's.