Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 20:42:47 -0400 From: Christopher Vaughan Subject: INT: Return to the Keep Nogoth enjoyed being nose-to-breast with Raini (he decided she would be one of the women he would allow to walk around topless - if such a thing were within his power). "Mistress, what's happened around here?" "I wish I knew," Raini said as she released her strangle-hold on the gnoll (much to the gnoll's ever-lasting disappointment). "One minute my tiger was charging in to face the badguys, the next he's engaged to some tart named Cyrill." "Syrillan," the gnoll corrected. "Whatever." Norgoth felt better just being with Raini, again. He pulled up his tights and adjusted his cape. Then, trying to affect an air of dignity, he walked over to the dresser and sat down. "There can only be one explanation, Mistress. There must be magyc afoot." "Duh," Raini said. "Now if you could just tell me which of the approximately one-bazillion magycal entities which live around her is responsible..." Norgoth laughed. "But, Mistress, isn't it obvious? It must be Syrillan." ***** Syrillan raced down the spiral staircase until she reached the short hall. "Merlin! Merlin, you old codger, where the hell are you?" >From somewhere, Syrillan heard a high-pitched, tiny voice. "What do you want?" She looked for the source. High on the wall, resting in a crack in the stone wall, was a small spider. "Did you say something?" She looked at the spider closely and saw it had Merlin's head. "Oh, it's you." "Yes, confoundit. Now be quiet or you'll scare away my lunch." Merlin-spider pointed a hairy arm towards a fly flying perilously close to his web. "Yuck," she said. "Forget that for now." She brushed the fly away at the last instant, saving its life and throwing Merlin into an angry coniption. "Dagnabbit!" Suddenly Merlin stood before her, returned to human form. "Haven't you got any respect for a man's dinner?" Merlin clawed for the fly as it buzzed around his head. "Leave it you old coot!" Syrillan tugged Merlin turning him to face her. "Now you look here, you work for me, so you'd better get this straight or you won't even get to do magyk acts at kids' birthday parties!" "Okay," Merlin said, grimmacing. "There's a new woman in this castle, and I want you to make sure she doesn't stay around here too long. Understand?" Merlin frowned, then, slowly, he nodded. "I understand." Chris -- _____________________________ Chris Vaughan space.cowboy@worldnet.att.net