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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
The map was more than Telenstil had hoped to find, he pulled a
razor edged knife from his belt and began to cut the map loose from where
it had been nailed to the wall.
"Telenstil?" Talberth asked, he stood near to the wizard and spoke
up as the elf pulled himself along.
"Yes, yes." Telenstil replied, distracted as he cut the map with
haste.
"Should I magic the door closed?" Talberth asked.
"Yes." said Telenstil, then he paused. "Can you cast another wall
of flame?"
"I can... I have this ring..." said Talberth.
"No need to reveal the secrets of the trade." Telenstil said
quietly. "Block the door, and if it seems that the giants will force it
open, cast your spell just inside. Now make sure to explore this room, and
the next room as well...through there." he pointed to a stout wooden
door set with bands of iron and studded with flat headed nails that was in
the eastern corner of the room. He then turned back to the map and began
to cut away once more.
The halfling thief walked about the room, everything was so vastly
big that he would need a rope to climb into a chair. "Nothing but lost
dinner rolls, under here", he walked below tables and chairs that towered
far above his head. "I could put up some walls and move right in." he told
himself, standing beneath a bench. This room held nothing that interested
him, the skins upon the wall might fetch a goodly price, but give him some
gems or golden coins that could be carried without a train of mules. He
looked over at a manticore, from tail to head they'd cut it fine, the
human seeming head left whole, even a full set of spikes remained in the
tail. It swung gently back and forth, like the pendulum of some ghastly
clock, a few feet above the floor. "I can sell those quills at least."
Some wizards paid a good price for such to use in the writing of arcane
tomes. Harold drew his knife and walked casually to the spikey tail, he
grabbed the hide and cut it loose, and let it dangle like a ball and
chain. It was then he noticed that this was no wall, a small space lay
between the floor and what must have been a door, obscured behind the
flayed hide of the manticore.
"...get him yet." Derue said to his brother as Ivo walked nearby.
Edouard caught sight of the gnome and silently nodded his head. Derue
did not continue but greeted Ivo pleasantly. "Master gnome, did you take
any hurt in the fight out there?"
"No, but I saw that you both were wounded, against that stag and
facing the giants as well." Ivo watched them with a canny eye.
"The good priest Henri has prayed for us and healed our wounds."
Derue explained.
"That was quick!" Ivo had not seen the priest since he'd entered
in the hall. "Where is he?"
Edouard smiled, his teeth even and white. He pointed to the roof.
"Up there."
"Holy Pholtus has not taken him from us." Ivo hoped.
"He has climbed to the table top, to cleanse himself, he said."
Derue told the gnome.
"Harald, Gytha," Talberth called to the ranger and the cleric.
"Telenstil asks that we explore that room as well as this while he, ah,
attends to the map." All three looked over to the floating elf, he stood
upon the air and edged his way from the western wall over to the east,
cutting free the top edge of the map, it hung a little loose but would
not fall till the sides were cut as well.
"Better tell him cut the bottom next or the job will be twice as
hard with the top hanging down." Gytha said.
"Well, I think he knows what he is doing." Talberth objected
"Humph!" Gytha laughed, "I've heard that before, never trust a man
with a map."
"I don't believe in maps. " said Harald, "A ranger doesn't need
them."
"Ha...my point, I believe, master wizard." She said and walked
over to Telenstil.
"Harald, round everyone up, I have to watch the door, get Harold
at least and Ivo, and please check out that room." Talberth turned and
watched as Gytha told the elf where he should cut next.
"Where has that little thief gotten to?" Harald asked himself and
left the wizard to cast his spells.
* * *