Date:         Wed, 12 Jun 1996 15:35:19 -0400
From: "~CK~" <vixxen@SOJOURN.COM>
Subject:      INT:The Adventurers(A call to arms)
Comments: cc: kat@pdh.com

The clouds were all around her.  Tali felt weightless, her entire body calm
and at ease.  Before her the image of a woman began to unfold from the misty
stratus.  Those familiar green eyes and soft copper hair, and that sweet
smile.  The pink lips opened and called to her.  "Here Tali.  Come follow
me.  I'm here darling."

"Yes.   I'm coming ma..."  Her tranquil vision was interrupted by the cawing
call from Onyx.  Tali's eyes jolted open.  For a moment she was uncertain of
her surroundings.  But when Onyx dropped down onto her shoulder, and
squawked at her in  alarm, everything rushed back to her.  "Brutus!"  They'd
found her.

"No.  Be still child.  It is one of the ship mates.  He's drunk but
dangerous all the same."
The response was not spoken aloud, but quietly in her mind.  Tali looked out
into the darkness and made out the dim shape of a scraggly looking sailor,
weaving his way closer to them.

"I knows I left that bottle of rum out ere somewheres.  Now where'd it git
to."

Tali tried to push herself back tighter behind the rope, but knew it
wouldn't shield her from the sailor's gaze.  Frantically she searched
around.  Nothing.  Onyx alighted from her shoulder and flew a few feet to
their left and settled down on the edge of a large opened crate.  Tali took
his cue, glancing over at the drunk, rambling sailor, and scurried over to
the crate.  She peeked inside and saw dozens of orange globed fruit.
Something she'd never glimpsed before.  Onyx called out to her softly,
hurrying her into the crate.  The young girl, slipped in over the edge of
the crate, and burrowed her way down into the fruit as best she could, with
just her head and shoulders visible.  Onyx hopped down onto her shoulder and
she reached up and pulled the top over them.

For several long moments she sat covered in the sweet, fresh  smelling fruit.

"Aye there ya be me darlin' drink.  Now where's you think you was gitting
off ta?"

Tali listened her body trembling, she tried to keep her breath quiet and
still.  For a few moments she heard nothing, then suddenly a large thump
came on top of the crate.

"Now how'd this git loose.  Them dammed rats'll be in ere in no time."  Then
came the heavy banging of a mallet on the top of the crate.  "There that'll
keep them vermin out.  Now me darlin' you and me best be off to bed.  We's
gonna be lettin' outta this town in the morn."  His voice drifted off, as he
headed back below.

Tali let out a long sigh.  Then she tensed and reached her hands up to the
top of the crate.  No matter how much effort she put into it, she couldn't
get the crate to budge.  They were trapped.

~CK~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
My idea is this:  The artist is extremely lucky
who is presented with the worst possible ordeal
which will not actually kill him.  At that point,
he's in business.
                           ~Berryman~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*