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From: mca@christa.unh.edu (Marc C Allain)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [LC-OQ]  L'ai Ch'i - OwnerQuest - Part One
Date: 27 Jul 1994 14:10:38 GMT
Organization: University of New Hampshire  -  Durham, NH
Lines: 82
Message-ID: <315psu$8hr@mozz.unh.edu>
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Admin:  This story is copyright 1994 by Marc C. Allain.  The
        author reserves all rights including repost.  Permission
        is granted for distribution through usual net channels
        and for archiving.
        L'ai Ch'i is the exclusive property of Marc C. Allain.
        Longo is a free-use NPC.

Story:  L'ai Ch'i:  OwnerQuest.  Part One.


     Although it was only shortly after sunrise, the clean, briney
air of the ocean at night was already developing the heavy fish
smell which would be oppressive by noon.  Longo strolled the docks,
heading for the galley from the Specifica of Fish where his work
mates were lolling around, waiting for word to begin offloading.
     "Ho!  Longo!" came a hail from a warehouse nearby.  The dock-
worker turned to see L'ai Ch'i struggliing to get a large chest
through a door into a warehouse.  Longo rushed over to help the
little man with his burden.
     Once through the door, L'ai Ch'i said, "Thanks, Longo.  Let's
put it down."  They set the chest on the floor.  After a moment's
rest, the little man closed his eyes briefly, then muttered a few
words and pointed at the chest.  Slowly, it flooated up off of the
floor, levitating to a point where L'ai Ch'i could comfortably
grasp a handle.
     "Okay, let's go," he said to the goggling dock-worker.
     "What?  How?   L'ai Ch'i, you never said you were a wizard,"
Longo said in a slightly offended tone.
     "No?  Are you sure?"  The little wizard shrugged.  "Sorry, I
guess it just never came up.  Let's go.  This is the last of my
stuff and I want to get it locked up safely."
     He led the way, tugging at the chest which followed like an
anxious puppy, bumping into the small man every few steps.  They
reached a private storage room which L'ai Ch'i unlocked with a
large iron key.  Inside were several dozen chests, boxes and
crates of varying sizes.
     "Geez, where'd you get all of this stuff?" Longo asked.
     The wizard shrugged carelessly.  "Around and about.  When I
was working for the Boss I moved around a lot and I didn't always
have the chance to take stuff with me.  So I'd cache it someplace.
Since I'm planning on staying right here, I figured I'd go around
and get it all together.
     He began opening boxes and poking through them.  Longo
watched, expecting to find the wonderous andmysterious parapher-
nalia of a wizard inside.  Instead, the boxes were filled with
very ordinary lookig stuff: books, clothes, personal items and
most of all, knick-knacks.
     There were figurines in glass, crystal, porcelain, pottery,
bras, pweter, silver and gold.  There were also plaques, pictures,
tapestries and rugs.
     "Is that a flying carpet?"
     "No.  Much better.  A Bukhara rug once owned by the poet,
Omar Khayyam."
     "Never heard of him.  Geez, it looks like the back room of
a gift shop in here."
     L'ai Ch'i froze for a moment, then turned to Longo with a
look of astonished pleasure.  "Longo!  You're a genius!"
     "Huh?  Whaddid I do?"
     "You've solved two of my problems with that one idea.  Thank
you!"  L'ai Ch'i began to do a little dance as the dock-worker
watched in astonishment.
     "Say what?  What idea?"
     "A gift shop.  That solves both what I'm going to do with
myself and what I'm going to do with all of this stuff.  How can
I ever thank you?"
     Longo shrugged, confused.  "It was nuthin'."
     L'ai Ch'i pulled a pair of spectacles fromone of the boxes.
"Now to find the perfect location.  You run along to work and
meet me at the Net and Trident tonight.  I'm buying you dinner."
La'i Ch'i hummed happily to himself as Longo walked away, shaking
his head in confusion.




Admin:  Comments are welcome, and in fact desired.

-- 
Marc C. Allain          MCA@CHRISTA.UNH.EDU

Prophet Marcus of the First Church of Mad Scientist