is!” snapped
is!” snapped her husband. In the singsong tone of one reciting memorized words: “No dwarven slave may be purchased without payment from the seller, lest the foul notion be established that dwarves are worth anything.” In a less stilted manner: “Sorry, sair. No point arguin’ th’matter. Thazza direct quote from ye Honorable Judge Greased Hand’s decision in th’ case o’ The Dreaded Scot vs. the Pewling Dwarf-Lovers’ Association.”
He lifted his nose. “The Dreaded Scot bein’, as I’m sairtain yer aware, reckinized ’cross Grotum as th’slave trader’s slave trader.”
“In the Hall of Fame, ’e is,” snapped Gertrude. “Made it on th’first ballot, too.”
These words spoken, the mage proceeded to open up to the understanding of Sophists, man and wife, the preposterous and pernicious nature of their logic, reason, rationale, sanity—
But he had barely warmed to the subject before the distaff member of the couple, displaying a vigor quite out of keeping with her anorexic appearance, threw him bodily out of the establishment’s doorway. Dislodging, alas, the final hinge in the process, the which produced a shrieking promise from Gertrude Sophist that she intended to sue the mage for every penny he owned in damages.
Shelyid scuttled out of the building, nimbly evading a savage blow from Gertrude on the way out—so nimbly, indeed, that the hapless woman overbalanced and injured herself on the doorframe, the which mishap produced yet another shrieking promise that she intended to sue the mage for every penny he might ever own in damages.
But, by then, Shelyid had hoisted the mage back onto his feet. Master and apprentice hastened from the scene, followed by the shrill curses and imprecations
He lifted his nose. “The Dreaded Scot bein’, as I’m sairtain yer aware, reckinized ’cross Grotum as th’slave trader’s slave trader.”
“In the Hall of Fame, ’e is,” snapped Gertrude. “Made it on th’first ballot, too.”
These words spoken, the mage proceeded to open up to the understanding of Sophists, man and wife, the preposterous and pernicious nature of their logic, reason, rationale, sanity—
But he had barely warmed to the subject before the distaff member of the couple, displaying a vigor quite out of keeping with her anorexic appearance, threw him bodily out of the establishment’s doorway. Dislodging, alas, the final hinge in the process, the which produced a shrieking promise from Gertrude Sophist that she intended to sue the mage for every penny he owned in damages.
Shelyid scuttled out of the building, nimbly evading a savage blow from Gertrude on the way out—so nimbly, indeed, that the hapless woman overbalanced and injured herself on the doorframe, the which mishap produced yet another shrieking promise that she intended to sue the mage for every penny he might ever own in damages.
But, by then, Shelyid had hoisted the mage back onto his feet. Master and apprentice hastened from the scene, followed by the shrill curses and imprecations