down at me.
down at me. Slowly lowered her cleaver. Shook her head.
“You’re as crazy as he is,” she growled.
“Perhaps some introductions are in order,” said the giant in his oddly high-pitched voice. “I am Wolfgang Laebmauntsforscynneweëld, of the noted scholarly clan of that name. This magnificent lady with the great cleaver in her hand is Gwendolyn Greyboar, famous throughout Grotum for—”
“Shut up, Wolfgang! He’s an Ozarine, by the looks of him.”
“Well, of course he’s an Ozarine. As I was just about to say, Benvenuti Sfondrati-Piccolomini, of the noted scholarly clan of that name—and not just scholars! Oh no! Artists and condottiere galore! Come to Goimr to seek his fame and fortune.” Here he broke into a horrid cackling. “And they say I’m crazy!”
My feebleness was rapidly fading. I muscled myself up into a sitting position. In the process, I noticed that my wound had been expertly bandaged. Looking around, I saw that I was in a chamber hewn directly out of bare rock. Along one side was a stone bench, where Wolfgang was sitting. Behind him, bored into the rock wall, were some odd-looking holes. The chamber was otherwise bare, except for the entrance to a dim tunnel which loomed in the far wall. The woman leaned against the wall next to the tunnel.
“How do you know so much about me?” I demanded.
The giant stopped cackling and shrugged. “Well, I read the letters in your pocket, while Gwendolyn was bandaging you up. Quite impressive. An invitation from the King. A recommendation from the Consortium’s Director of Companies. A letter of—Gwendolyn!”
I turned, flinched. The woman was looming above me again, cleaver upraised.
“An Ozarine agent!” she raged. “A Consortium spy!”
“Nonsense!” boomed Wolfgang. “He’s an artist.”
“What kind of artist would have letters in his pocket from the Director of Companies?” hissed Gwendolyn.
“A Sfondrati-Piccolomini, of course. They didn’t get to be one of the two great learned clans in the world by being wallflowers, you know? Great self-promoters, the Sfondrati-Piccolominis—take it from a Laebmauntsforscynneweëld! Besides, the letter wasn’t even written by the Director. I recognized Giotto’s
“You’re as crazy as he is,” she growled.
“Perhaps some introductions are in order,” said the giant in his oddly high-pitched voice. “I am Wolfgang Laebmauntsforscynneweëld, of the noted scholarly clan of that name. This magnificent lady with the great cleaver in her hand is Gwendolyn Greyboar, famous throughout Grotum for—”
“Shut up, Wolfgang! He’s an Ozarine, by the looks of him.”
“Well, of course he’s an Ozarine. As I was just about to say, Benvenuti Sfondrati-Piccolomini, of the noted scholarly clan of that name—and not just scholars! Oh no! Artists and condottiere galore! Come to Goimr to seek his fame and fortune.” Here he broke into a horrid cackling. “And they say I’m crazy!”
My feebleness was rapidly fading. I muscled myself up into a sitting position. In the process, I noticed that my wound had been expertly bandaged. Looking around, I saw that I was in a chamber hewn directly out of bare rock. Along one side was a stone bench, where Wolfgang was sitting. Behind him, bored into the rock wall, were some odd-looking holes. The chamber was otherwise bare, except for the entrance to a dim tunnel which loomed in the far wall. The woman leaned against the wall next to the tunnel.
“How do you know so much about me?” I demanded.
The giant stopped cackling and shrugged. “Well, I read the letters in your pocket, while Gwendolyn was bandaging you up. Quite impressive. An invitation from the King. A recommendation from the Consortium’s Director of Companies. A letter of—Gwendolyn!”
I turned, flinched. The woman was looming above me again, cleaver upraised.
“An Ozarine agent!” she raged. “A Consortium spy!”
“Nonsense!” boomed Wolfgang. “He’s an artist.”
“What kind of artist would have letters in his pocket from the Director of Companies?” hissed Gwendolyn.
“A Sfondrati-Piccolomini, of course. They didn’t get to be one of the two great learned clans in the world by being wallflowers, you know? Great self-promoters, the Sfondrati-Piccolominis—take it from a Laebmauntsforscynneweëld! Besides, the letter wasn’t even written by the Director. I recognized Giotto’s