The Wordsmiths and the Warguild by Hugh Cook Page B

hope."
            "Yes," said
Togura, who had a vague inkling.
            He feared he had
disappointed Brother Troop already, and that he would shortly have to
disappoint the wordmaster again. For he suspected that he was about to be offered
a job fit for a hero, and he had no intention whatsoever of accepting. He would
rather stay alive.
            "Well, boy,"
said Brother Troop, beaming. "I expect you know by now precisely what we
want of you."
            "Yes," said
Togura. "You want me to go to Estar to get the bottle which holds the box
which holds the index."
            "Excellent!"
said Brother Troop, slapping him on the back. "I thought you'd accept.
Let's celebrate with some bread and wine, hey?"
            "Tai-ho!" said
Togura, using a local idiom which meant something similar to "whoa!"
or "wait" or "stop."
            "What is it?"
said Brother Troop. "You're not going to decline the honour of questing
for the index, are you?"
            Togura hesitated. He
meant to say "yes," but did not want to leave without indulging in
the bread and wine that he had been offered. With a swiftly-developing
survivor's cunning, he equivocated:
            "The question of
payment arises."
            "Payment? But, my
boy - the glory! Isn't that enough? No? If not ... no, this is neither the time
nor the place. Come, let us eat and drink. The dinner table, my lad, is the
civilised place for prolonged discussion."
            Togura was gratified by
the success of his stratagem. Over their meal, he rewarded Brother Troop for
his hospitality by showing an eager interest in the odex, the index and related
matters.
            Precisely what markings
identified the box which held the index? Brother Troop sketched the heart and
the hand for him.
            What was the Word which
opened the box? Brother Troop gave him the Word once again, and he memorised
it: Sholabarakosh.
            What did the index
inside look like?
            "Ahaha," said
Brother Troop. "An astute question, truly. When you open the box, you'll
know. Remember, it speaks the Universal Language."
            "Whatever that
is."
            "Yes," said
Brother Troop, with an unfamiliar hint of sadness and defeat in his voice.
"Whatever that is." Then, brightening: "Ah, the chicken! They've
brought us the chicken! Beautiful. Come on, eat, eat. You're not full already,
are you?"
            "No," said
Togura, who was, but thought it wise to stock up a little. He started on a
chicken wing. "What," he said, "happened to everyone else who
went questing for the odex?"
            "An intersting
question."
            "Interesting
indeed, as the chicken said to the chopper. Come on, I'll know the truth sooner
or later. It might as well be now."
            "Then, young man,
since you insist, I must tell you that the truth is that we don't know. Five
have been sent out so far. None have returned."
            "Hmmm," said
Togura, thinking.
            He was trying to
calculate how many more meals he could get out of the Wordmiths before they
forced him to make a decision to commit himself.
             "I see the quest
takes your fancy, hey?" said Brother Troop. "Your young blood boils
with hot excitement! Horizons call you! Oh, you'll be a hit with the girls when
you come back, young man. Every damsel loves a hero."
            "Give me a day to
think it over," said Togura.
            And, after some further
discussion, the good Brother did.
            However, Togura did not
get the chance to spend that day in rest, relfection and decision-making.
Events were moving swiftly now; unbeknownst to him, he was well and truly
embroiled in the world's turmoil. As he would soon find out.

Chapter 7
     
            Disturbed by the
manifestation of the monster which had escaped from the odex, the City Council
of Keep met in an emergency session at noon