Book 4: “Alone Into The Underwyrld!” Page 13
MANY WEAPONS HATH THE DOPPELGANGER
or
HUNTING THE HUNTER!
Greetings, most honored reader!
Bryan thought he was on top of the situation, but was blissfully unaware of how close the enemy really was—until it was too late! Better men than he, however, have fallen prey to the wiles of a Doppelganger.
As I recounted HERE, the Doppelganger has many powers that makes him/her or it (even we’re not sure yet ourselves here in Cognescentii Central, to be honest) a spy without peer.
Let us recount those powers again and perhaps expand our list in the process, shall we?
Doppelgangers possess—
- The ability to change shape to any medium-sized creature, male, female, human or otherwise. Could a Doppelganger assume the form of a Dwarf? Likely. A Gnome or Giant, probably not.
- Powerful ESP ability, useful for understanding your target of duplication.
- Heightened strength (the better to carry out assassinations when no weapons are allowed). As you can see, she threw Bryan over her shoulder like a seashore girl bringing home a small octopus.
- Excellent climbing ability (the better to reach high apartments undetected), again to carry out theft, assassinations, or spying.
- Somewhat elastic-like, pliable body, useful for squeezing through tight places.
- Mystical abilities? Trans-dimensional warping teleportation? If so, as the wizard Berp-Orthup conjectured, you couldn’t ask for a better getaway vehicle.
- Now today we see a new talent: the ability to mix mystical unguents and pastes!? What’s in that lipstick of hers which can even put a Dwarf to sleep? What else can she put into that lipstick—deadly poisons as well? This makes the Doppelganger the ultimate Femme Fatale (with emphasis on the “Fatale!”).
Now you have some idea why governments and other powerful individuals will bid up the price of a Doppelganger (which is never cheap): they are the spy-assassin without peer on the Wyrld!—as Bryan will find out to his regret—if he lives long enough. . .
Please tune in next time with me, honored reader, to find out!
Until then,
With Cognescentii blessings,
~The Traveller