From alt.pub.dragons-inn Tue May 30 08:57:56 1995 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:8461 Path: netcom.com!csus.edu!csulb.edu!nic-nac.CSU.net!newsserver.sdsc.edu!news.tc.cornell.edu!news.cac.psu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!news.cdsnet.net!news From: Bones McCoy Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [LATOF] Chapter 3 Date: 25 May 1995 23:34:02 GMT Organization: CDSNet. Lines: 81 Message-ID: <3q345a$2kr@news.cdsnet.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: ts1.cdsnet.net Chapter 3- As Obadias and Gelrich walked out of the Macdevia court house, Gelrich did not say a word. Obadias was still trying to steal quick glances at his uncle to see wether or not he was mad. But all Obadias could tell was that his uncle was not in the least displeased. They turned down Farland street, where all of the trader's peddle their wears. It seemed to Obadias that the street had either shrinked or there were more people on the road. The last time he saw it though was five years ago, so he could not be sure. Gelrich held a quick pace, and continued walking very briskly, not allowing time for Obadias to rediscover his newly aquired world. Obadias did not understand this, but he would soon find out why his uncle was in such a great hurry to return home. As soon as they reached the end of Farland street, Gelrich who was leading the way, turned on another street corner towards the docks. Obadias had no idea why his former uncle was leading him this way. For all he knew, his 'father' didn't even own a boat. And for all intents and purposes, Obadias hated boats. But regardless of what Obadias was thinking, Gelrich continued walking towards the edge of the dock. But there he stopped. "Obadias, stand beside me." It was the first time Gelrich had ever spoken to Obadias, directly. "Yes sir." Obadias quick-footed up to his uncle, who standing at about the water's edge, just to the left of the entrance to the dock. "Son, you do know that you are innocent?" This struck Obadias almost completely unawares. He gave a puzzled look at his father. But Gelrich did not look back, he just continued staring out across the ocean, towards the sinking of the sun. "Why yes, sir. Of course I'm..." "I only wanted a yes or a no." "Yes." "Good. Then you also know that your father was murdered then?" Gelrich's face visibly retraced it's history to the time of his father's death, and grimaced. "No, sir." "Well he was. And none of the clan knows who did it. And in the time that you were in captivity I had become a hermit. I still live out on the Islands, but no one has been to my house in 6 years. You will be the first. It is time young Obadias, to begin your understanding of the world around you and why you were put in the place you are today. In short, it is time for you to begin your training in the the Choji." This was more than Obadias could take. In a single day, he had been released from prison. Found out that he had been there for over 5 years. Got a new family, of one. And was going to leave the mainland with a hermit. But for his former uncle to tell him that he had the powers to train he, Obadias, to become a Choji, one of the most revered and holy men in the whole of the land, was absolutly and totally perposterous. Besides, he hated the Choji, they were the ones who had accused him of the money stealing and of the 3 murders of his father, brother, and dearest friend. "Do you want this for yourself? Or shall I just continue being a hermit, and leave you here on the dock to get picked up by the police and thrown in jail again?" Gelrich continued looking at the sinking sun, his eyes welling up with tears, and his lip quivering with doubt. Obadias knew what his former uncle wanted him to say, but he needed time to think. As if by miraculous mind reading Gelrich wiped his eyes with his white robe, sniffed and said, "Maybe you need some time to think. I could do with a tad bit of company." Gelrich took one last look at the disappearing sun and walked onto the dock. He didn't even look back to see if Obadias would come, but he stopped at the most magnificent ship Obadias had ever seen. It was trimline. Made entirly of BellNut, indigenous to the Elde Islands and VERY expensive. It had a one-hundred fifty foot sail span, and didn't drag in the water while at port. Obadias's father ducked under some rigging and stepped onto the ship, and untied all but one of the moorings. He looked up, still to see Obadias there standing, looking at the magnifcent beauty. "Isn't she wonderful? I bought her, as a gift to your father. But when he died I kept her for myself. She's a good ship, your father would have liked her." And with that Gelrich untied the last mooring and got behind the wheel of the ship. "Well, are you going to shove us off?" Obadias snapped out of it finally, and hopped onto the dock and ran down the landing. He grabbed hold of the edge of the Mardella and shoved with all his might. He just had enough time to hop into the boat and land flat on his butt. Gelrich let out a roaring laugh as the sails caught the trade wind and pushed them out to sea.