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Includes "Fire-Eye #12"
Cam journals the event: hoping some kind soul in Ahnn's kitchen would serve the growling
elf some raw fish. Jethel tells Chot to behave himself. Chot doesn't like how Ahnessah
is looking at Jethel. She is thinking he is so delicate looking and yet so like the
beasts he befriends. The humans drink gutwater (alcohol). Chot belches, Jethel tells
him to stop that, Cam sighs. When Ahnessah calls for Jooka to get more drinks she
sees two guards standing outside the hall, hands on swords. Also outside, Kibo, dressed
as a serving boy has a carrot in his mouth. Jooka sweats as Ahnessah touches his
chin, sending him for Ahnn Li's special medicine after she drugs Li's drink. Jooka
was to serve it. Jooka wonders if Ahnessah thinks he is that stupidóóhe will get
fed to the hogs if...he sees Kibo in a skirt and crossing his eyes at the carrot
in his mouth, slurping. Kibo wonders if Jooka is going to get all snorky again. Jooka
gives Kibo the drink to serve to Ahnn Li. Kibo trips and falls, making Ahnn Li angry
as the drink spills on his boots. He calls Kibo a fool, kraks him across the mouth,
and threatens him, in a rage. Cam yells at Ahnn Li. As Kibo's eye puffs up and water
comes from it and his other eye, Ahnn Li attacks him even as he is on the floor.
Cam's journal: AhnóLai, as a youth had been a nasty little creature, self absorbed
and self righteous, now grown into his size and brute strengthóóAhnn Li the manóóI
being to see the change of nameóówas even worse." Ahnn grabs Kibo's hair, pulling
but Cam gets behind him. Ahnn turns to attack Cam. As he does, he trips on the fallen
cup and falls over the edge. Before he goes over, Cam tries to save him, "AhnnóLi!"
Ahnn Li falls to die on the cobblestones below. Ahnessah calls the guards in, telling
them Cam killed their lord. A mustached guard comes in and another beardless one,
telling them they all die. Chot barrages them with a flurry of I told you sos. Chot
and Jethel jump off the balcony to a tree. Chot prefers to let the five fingers stew
in their own juices. Jethel tells him to wait. Cam takes Kibo, "Come on, little
Kiboóótime to fly like the spirits themselves!" He tosses him over to Chot and
Jethel. Chot says, "I hate thisóóbut you too, human." Cam tells them he
cannot jump that far. Kibo cries more tears, his eye okay now it seems. The guards
get the big oneóóCam. Jooka asks if Ahnessah is mad at him since it has worked out
better than she suspected. "Of course not," she smiles, then slaps him
with a hard whack, "Only disobey me one more time in any way and I promise you,
you'll follow your former master to the stones below..." The crowd below see
the body of Ahnn Li dead on his back. They blame the demons. Among the crowd, Pei
Lar thinks, "Gone to feed the worms at last, eh? Hee Heeóónow this promises
to be most interesting |