Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!apple.com!olivea!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!msuinfo!uchinews!ellis!djb6 From: djb6@ellis.uchicago.edu (Dennis Brennan) Subject: [Ordeal] Abduction (Pt. 1) Message-ID: <1993Oct16.231031.8555@midway.uchicago.edu> Sender: news@uchinews.uchicago.edu (News System) Reply-To: djb6@midway.uchicago.edu Organization: University of Chicago Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 23:10:31 GMT Lines: 66 -The Rumors- When the star Issacus completes its annual transit across the Nexic sky and dips below Mount Ledoritan on the feast of St. Lest it is the custom in Generica and many cities of the North to honor the memory of that regarded martyr with a day of festivals and thanksgiving. Spirits were lifted even in the Low City, where wealthy merchants gave alms and even the most intoxicated revelers went unmolested. In one shadowy neighborhood, however, this festival was tainted with dread as rumors of an evil presence began to circulate. A number of unexplained disappearances over the last few weeks muted, for some, the usual joy. Parents cautioned their children not to play unsupervised, and even the most intrepid of Low City residents traveled in groups at night. -The Witness- Every village has its idiot or harmless lunatic, and the Low City had enough to populate a medium-sized hamlet. One notorious one was Worrin, a one- eyed man who spent most days singing nonsense verses in front of Athkar's Column. On the evening of St. Lest's feast this Worrin burst into a busy tavern near the South Gate weeping and shouting, "I seen him! The devil who-walks-in-the-shadows! He was stealing children! The devil in the city!" -The Dilemma- At the stroke of sundown the ceremony began in the temple of Ilmater. A bell's report in the squat tower summoned the faithful and the needy to worship, where the church would minister to faith and provide sustenance to the poor. The high priest, Liamus Dolorus, was an impressive figure in his clean but plain garments. His eyes, infinitely sad, seemed to absorb the suffering of the throng- his very presence brought relief to these desperate people. Other priests and lay assistants humbly went about the work of feeding the people and tending to the medical needs of ill or injured members of the congregation. This done, Father Liamus commenced a homily on the subject of the mercy of the gods and of the need for human compassion. Midway through his address, a figure bearing two wriggling sacks appeared at the doorway of the temple and called out- "Dolorus, you charlatan! Author of misery!" Father Liamus paused, regarding this entrant. The figure flung the bags to the floor and announced, "You proclaim this place to be a house of healing. Well, I will make you the destroyer. You must choose." The figure produced a long knife from his coat and continued. "These bags contain two children. One, a nobleman's son, the other, a street waif. I will kill one of them. You must choose. If you refuse to choose, then I will kill them both. You have seven seconds to respond." The figure grinned evilly. Unastonished, Father Liamus coolly responded, "If you let them both go, then take me instead." "No, father!" called one of the lay assistants. "Easy, friend. Surely my life is worth less than two. Courage, friend." Stepping from the dais, Father Liamus approached the figure. "Do you accept?" "Why not?" replied Artifice. "This could turn out to be more fun than I expected." To be continued... -- Dennis Brennan djb6@midway.uchicago.edu