"That's I and my boys putting the arm on
you, dumdum," an unfamiliar voice replied to Marv's rhetorical question. A
big fellow wearing a faded and patched but recognizable uniform resembling that
of the Royal Artesian Pioneer Corps stepped from the underbrush, holding in his
fist a naked short-sword with which he whacked idly at the obstructing brush.
-
"Uh-oh," Marv said in a stricken tone.
"General Frodolkin hisself, if I ain't mistaken."
"None other, Marv," the great man
acknowledged.
"Chee, sir," Marv said in tones of
wonder. "Hows come Yer Worship to know my name and all?"
"Surely you recall, Marv: Last fall you
turned your coat and for some days were one of my most trusted retainers.
Unfortunately, after that you blotted your copybook badly by turning it again
and redefecting to the upstart Trog with my second best dirk—with sheath—and
wild tales of an imminent attack by me."
"I can explain, Yer Lordship," Marv
came back uncertainly. "See, I got a idea to spy out old Trog, which he
never did appreciate my loyal service, and come back to tip you off, which ya
could beat him to the punch."
"Umm," Frodolkin murmured. "A
matter into which my PPS will inquire later. Now, who's your companion here?
Didn't I hear you call him Allegorus?"
"Ya could've," Marv conceded.
"Capital!" Frodolkin cried. "I
have need of your services, sir," he went on, looking at Lafayette
directly for the first time. Then he turned to yell over his shoulder:
"George! Iron-Head Mike! Take me this pair at once! On the double!"
In response to this bellow, two surly louts came
thrusting through the screen of trees, glowering. At sight of O'Leary, they
moved in eagerly. At that moment, it occurred forcibly to O'Leary that he had
definitely been hasty in leaving the shelter of the laboratory.
"No rough stuff yet, boys," Frodolkin
said, easing into their path. "I got a use for this prisoner," he
explained, deftly palming off the nearer of the two heavies. "Now, you
just quiet down, George," he admonished. "You'll have your chance to
hear bones breaking later, if he fails to cooperate."
"Aw, these pansies wit' clean fingernails
always cooperates easy," George complained.
"Yeah," Iron-Head agreed, nodding his
unkempt mop soberly. "We ain't had no fun since that little sap-sucker in
the fancy britches come pokin' around here, Monday a week."
Frodolkin turned to Lafayette. "Well, you
see how the wind blows, sir," he said silkily. "So, what is it to be?
Gracious cooperation, or grudging cooperation? I assure you, in the end the
result will be the same, so you'd be wise to cultivate a bit of good will on my
part by willingly performing the trifling task I have in mind for you."
"Say, Al," Marv muttered
conspiratorially from the side of his mouth, "this here'd be a swell time
for you to pull one of them nifties outer yer sleeve, OK?"
"Sorry, General," Lafayette said,
ignoring Marv. "First I have to find Daphne—she's lost here somewhere ...
Have you seen a beautiful brunette wearing a blue velvet cloak? Probably scared
to death, poor kid."
"If I had," Frodolkin responded,
"I'd not be here now, nattering of trifles—not that your presence is to be
regarded lightly."
Lafayette was thinking furiously: if he could manage just one little trick now ... After all, he didn't absolutely know there wasn't a squad of the Royal Artesian Household Guard concealed in the
brush, awaiting the moment to move in on these interlopers ... He concentrated
on the details of their red-and-blue uniforms with
you, dumdum," an unfamiliar voice replied to Marv's rhetorical question. A
big fellow wearing a faded and patched but recognizable uniform resembling that
of the Royal Artesian Pioneer Corps stepped from the underbrush, holding in his
fist a naked short-sword with which he whacked idly at the obstructing brush.
-
"Uh-oh," Marv said in a stricken tone.
"General Frodolkin hisself, if I ain't mistaken."
"None other, Marv," the great man
acknowledged.
"Chee, sir," Marv said in tones of
wonder. "Hows come Yer Worship to know my name and all?"
"Surely you recall, Marv: Last fall you
turned your coat and for some days were one of my most trusted retainers.
Unfortunately, after that you blotted your copybook badly by turning it again
and redefecting to the upstart Trog with my second best dirk—with sheath—and
wild tales of an imminent attack by me."
"I can explain, Yer Lordship," Marv
came back uncertainly. "See, I got a idea to spy out old Trog, which he
never did appreciate my loyal service, and come back to tip you off, which ya
could beat him to the punch."
"Umm," Frodolkin murmured. "A
matter into which my PPS will inquire later. Now, who's your companion here?
Didn't I hear you call him Allegorus?"
"Ya could've," Marv conceded.
"Capital!" Frodolkin cried. "I
have need of your services, sir," he went on, looking at Lafayette
directly for the first time. Then he turned to yell over his shoulder:
"George! Iron-Head Mike! Take me this pair at once! On the double!"
In response to this bellow, two surly louts came
thrusting through the screen of trees, glowering. At sight of O'Leary, they
moved in eagerly. At that moment, it occurred forcibly to O'Leary that he had
definitely been hasty in leaving the shelter of the laboratory.
"No rough stuff yet, boys," Frodolkin
said, easing into their path. "I got a use for this prisoner," he
explained, deftly palming off the nearer of the two heavies. "Now, you
just quiet down, George," he admonished. "You'll have your chance to
hear bones breaking later, if he fails to cooperate."
"Aw, these pansies wit' clean fingernails
always cooperates easy," George complained.
"Yeah," Iron-Head agreed, nodding his
unkempt mop soberly. "We ain't had no fun since that little sap-sucker in
the fancy britches come pokin' around here, Monday a week."
Frodolkin turned to Lafayette. "Well, you
see how the wind blows, sir," he said silkily. "So, what is it to be?
Gracious cooperation, or grudging cooperation? I assure you, in the end the
result will be the same, so you'd be wise to cultivate a bit of good will on my
part by willingly performing the trifling task I have in mind for you."
"Say, Al," Marv muttered
conspiratorially from the side of his mouth, "this here'd be a swell time
for you to pull one of them nifties outer yer sleeve, OK?"
"Sorry, General," Lafayette said,
ignoring Marv. "First I have to find Daphne—she's lost here somewhere ...
Have you seen a beautiful brunette wearing a blue velvet cloak? Probably scared
to death, poor kid."
"If I had," Frodolkin responded,
"I'd not be here now, nattering of trifles—not that your presence is to be
regarded lightly."
Lafayette was thinking furiously: if he could manage just one little trick now ... After all, he didn't absolutely know there wasn't a squad of the Royal Artesian Household Guard concealed in the
brush, awaiting the moment to move in on these interlopers ... He concentrated
on the details of their red-and-blue uniforms with
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