Concerning Thingummy's Wotsit Deflector

"Aren't you going with them?" Irena asked Fred.

"Will you be all right on your own?" Fred asked, mindful of how she had accused him of being about to abandon her, not many minutes before. "Supposing some fierce wild creature was to happen by?"

"Well, none has so far. I'm willing to take my chances, since I think that Wincerind will be much more likely to persuade a mage to come and help me if you are with him to back up his story. Let's face it; if you were a mage, how much notice would you take of Wincerind? But if the nearest aviary - strange word for him to use, didn't you think? - is a few leagues away, then you could easily be gone for twenty-four hours or more. So do you think you could leave me some supplies? I'm not exactly in a position to go foraging for food."

It occurred to Fred that, once the mages were told about the treasure chest, there would probably be no shortage of volunteers to come and help Irena. In his experience, mages were an avaricious lot. But he left Irena a substantial portion of the supplies from his pack and then hurried after Wincerind and Destiny. As they headed back towards the exit from the caves, he said to Wincerind: "This Thingummy's Wotsit Deflector..."

"Urkjant's Bibliographical Deflector. What about it?"

"Well, you said that it prevented anyone but the rightful recipient reading the scroll. But it's just occurred to me: surely I'm the rightful recipient? After all, the Mysterious Apparition placed the scroll at my feet."

1. "In spite of appearances, you can't be the intended recipient. Even mysterious apparitions have been known to make a mistake."
2. "It wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong," Wincerind conceded ruefully.

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