The Riddle of the Tea Leaves

Fred stared at the cup in admiration and alarm. He felt admiration, because whoever enchanted these leaves was good. No journeyman conjurer could form such an image across a surface 6 cm in diameter. Whoever did this paid attention to the little details. For example, the steam from the hot tea rose from the leaves used to represent the dragon's plume of flame, an extremely clever effect. This image was indeed a masterwork of the hydraulic arts. Fred felt alarm when he realized what this implied. With the amount of work that went into this demonstation, it could be no mischeivous prank, but only a warning.

But where was the dragon going to attack? The dragon typically did not campaign against the castles; he sought the easy plunder in the villages and fields. The last time Fred could remember the dragon attacking a castle was in the time of his great-grandfather, and even then that was more of an accident. Fred pondered the matter for a few minutes, and then decided to

1. tell the King and raise the alarm.
2. consult the Seer of the Great Kingdom.
3. try the Earl Gray instead.

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