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The Never Ending Quest - Episode 15667

"Let's get the others in on this," said King Emry, and his wife with the other four councilors reentered. They were told of all that Fred had said, and asked their opinions.

"Let me get this straight," said the youngest of the group. "Nim just assumes our best knights are too dim to make for themselves a map - even if for nothing more than as an exit strategy?"

"If there is anyone who is dim," retorted Nim. "It is the one who can't see beyond his own rather large nose!"

~~ouch!~~ thought Vlado.

"A knight's first priority," continued Nim. "is to locate and dispatch the dreadbeast. They are all trained in the minor arcana, those spells that aid in memory, stamina, and such; of what use is a map made of paper in light of these other gifts?"

"You cheesehead!" growled the youngster. "It's always magic with you! Make a hex here, intone an incantation there. Magic, magic, magic! Its a wonder you didn't become a whitethumb yourself. You are far too close to those deviants, and you have no faith in human intellect!"

"You haven't faith in divine powers!"

"Well you have no faith in brain and brawn!"

"And you haven't faith in... well, any... you haven't got any brain to speak of!"

"Fool!"

"Twit!"

"Ninny!"

"Poo-head!"

"STOP!" roared the king. "Nim! Rod! You will-- poo-head?!? Did you just call him a poo-head?" A very red-faced Nim just nodded in embarrasment. The king centered himself and continued. "Power is a game, and one I am losing. The plethora of lords within my Provinces is a burden of intrigue and lust. Only my dukes have been loyal to me, so let us grant this power to others. By sharing the wealth we make those wolves in the royal families indebted to me."

"Yes," agreed Vlado. "Did not Camden say, 'it is best to keep one's rivals close at hand'?

~~kiss ass~~ thought Nim and Rod.

"I say," spoke up Councilor Allan, "that we cut out the western lands of Trescent and the northen of Suffix and bind them into the Royal Provinces once again."

"Good show, brother!" exclaimed Councilor Edgar. "In this way good King Emry can grant not only two dukedoms but two additional lordships as well!"

"Hmmmm," murmured the king. "Yet to which Houses shall I give this power?"

"I think the House Gordon shows potential," remarked Vlado. "They own a great many textile mills and have ties with many of the clothing guilds."

"There is the House Rodham," said Nim.

"Oh," said Queen Sovay. "I don't really like that House. That littl girl Hilary, you know the things they say of her."

"I think the King should give the duchy of Suffex to the Family Usher," said Edgar.

"Ooh yes!" agreed Allan. "Can't you just see the standard of the Great Raven flying high above the turrets of Montfort?"

"Good thinking Edgar and Allan," said the king. "The House of Usher shall be one of the four."

"But what of the House of D'Honaire?" piped in Nim.

"My dear Nim," cooed the king. "That House must be made example of. Frederigo knew the stakes were high when he went after the Dragon. Even in running from the foul beast it seems to have bitten him in the ass. He and his sister and their servants shall return to the fief from which their Family first came."

  1. Zular dead! Fred demoted! For whom shall the bell toll next?!? Will Fred begin to hear the beat of a telltale heart? To what extreme shall the pendulum of intrigue swing? And shall a crimson death ovecome those fleeing Croix?
  2. Meanwhile Astra and Andrea...
  3. Meanwhile Lucien and the Drangon's men....

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4/19/2001 7:39:52 AM

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