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Old 04-06-2004, 08:56 PM   #165
The Saucepan Man
Corpus Cacophonous
 
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Join Date: Jan 2003
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The Saucepan Man has been trapped in the Barrow!
The Eye

When Soregum came round, he found himself staring into the faces of the Mystified-ship. Leninia was offering him a cup of tea, a reassuring look of concern entirely absent from her face. Politely, he declined.

“W-W-What happened?” he stammered in confusion. His hair was back to its normal state and the lightning-bolt mark had disappeared.

“You sang of Môgul Bildûr – and the Ent that was Broken,” said Grrralph, shaking Soregum violently. “What do you know of these things? And how do you know of the Dark Lord’s plans?”

“Er … nothing … I don’t …” replied Soregum, quickly masking his shock at what Grrralph had said. “I am just a simple Hobbit from the Mire. I-I-I don’t know what came over me.”

“The Dread Developer! He means to seize the Entish parts.” Merisu whispered anxiously, turning to her fellows. “Our mission is more urgent than I had thought. We must continue our journey Westward immediately.”

At the mention of Môgul’s name, the Gateskeeper had surreptitiously moved to the back of the group, his mind racing as he rubbed the mark on the palm of his hand.

“Dark Lord? Ha! Fie upon him. He is nothing but a red nostril. I fear him not!” bellowed Earnur fingering the hilt of his blade, which promptly sank down in its scabbard in terror.

“I heard he was some sort of beetle,” piped up Kuruharan.

“You know not of what you speak,” said Grrralph, his voice cutting across the general confusion. “He is as old as time itself, and more powerful than you can imagine. At this very moment, his forces move to conquer the realms of Muddled-Mirth and turn it to his profit.”

At this, Orogarn Two arched his eyebrows.

“Merisuwyniel speaks true,” Grralph continued. “We cannot hope to withstand him on our own. But, if I understand correctly the meaning of this Halfling’s song, the reunification of the Entish parts will bring his downfall.”

“Yadda-yadda-yadda,” interrupted Leninia, twirling her umbrella impatiently. “But what of the competition? You see, the way I see it, I’m still the winner.”

By now, Soregum had recovered his wits sufficiently to put into effect the final part of his plan.

“With the greatest respect,” he said. “The score is yet to be given for my own performance.”

“May I remind you that you are the judge,” countered Leninia. “You cannot simply award yourself points.”

“It matters not who awards them,” continued Soregum, his confidence building once again. “The minimum score is two, I believe. So shall we say I score two?”

“What of it if we do?” said Leninia, her sense of foreboding returning.

“Well, on the assumption that I am admitted into the company of these esteemed travellers, my score should be added to their total,” explained Soregum, glancing pointedly at Merisu who, after pausing for a moment’s thought, nodded her assent. “Which, if I am not mistaken, brings our total to twenty-five.”

“Meaning that we win,” declared Merisu, favouring Leninia with a victorious smile.

“Bah! And I would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn’t been for this meddling Halfling!” exclaimed Leninia, stamping her foot in frustration.

“Now, now. Don’t be such a sore loser, my dear” admonished Soregum, relishing the moment. “I think that you owe these nice people an apology – and that rather remarkable guitar too, I believe.”

“So,” he continued, turning to the Back-On-Course-Ship. “Where is it that we’re going on this mission … quest … thing?”

Last edited by The Saucepan Man; 04-06-2004 at 09:08 PM.
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