Book 3: “Death On Mt. Undenkhark!” Page 24
TRAVELOGUE
SNOPSING THE THINKER! and GOPPO’S MOMENT OF TRUTH
9 May 2015
Greetings once more, most honored reader, and thank you for visiting the Tales of the Travel!, where I, your host, now recount the epic Saga of the Terrific Trio!
Hmm…it vvould seem the Thinker has a ready answer to nearly all of the Trio’s questions , doesn’t he? But how much of it is truth, how much half-truth, and how much outright fabrication and lie? On a planet without Internet, instant electronic encyclopedias, or other instant authorities-save for those rare but powerful mages, sorcerers, witch-es and wizards who have access to arcane know-ledge-how are our young heroes to discern fat from fiction? Friend from foe?
Let us examine some of the Thinker’s statements and explanations a little more closely: he claims he had little control over the reincarnation process. This is generally true; the user of this spell cannot generally control what form the reincarnated body will take. For all intents and purposes, the kids could have come back as nearly anything, a dog, a beaver, a Groc or Goblin, even a human again. But what’s most interesting in this instance is how or who is to account for the Thinker pulling a royal flush-not once, but thrice!-out of his sleeve and giving the kids such magnificent peak-of-perfection new bodies?
And he certainly told the truth when he said that he vvas not Darya’s captor. However, he neglects to mention the reason for his note’s cryptic wording which created the appearance of guilt on his part. Was this just a ruse to get the three motivated and on the way?
Most interesting, however, is his reply regarding the powerful Vanguard-Z armor: “If I had known that your father wanted it so much, well, I would have simply given it to him!” Hmm…perhaps, but if this were truly so, how do we explain THIS ?
Nonetheless, whether fact or fiction, it is plain that the wily old wizard strongly desires the Trio’s friendship and good will, having even invited them to rest the night within the safety of his realm, a rare honor indeed.
Meanwhile, poor little Goppo makes a momentous decision-he abandons his friend, the one who had helped him survive the past half-year in a vampire GULAG and had rnost recently helped him up the cliff, saving him from whatever other monsters dwelt below. Face-to-face with his own mortality and fear, the little River-Man chose to die the “thousand deaths,” as your great Bard wrote. But in truth, what could a diminutive three-foot-four, fifty-eight pound River-Man do against a ten-foot massive Ogre? Not much. But might he havet least distracted the monster long enough so that Alyona had enough time to maneuver to freedom? This is a question that may come to haunt poor Goppo for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, can our resident warrior-shaman outmaneuver a Size-44WVVVVVVVV Ogre boot? Let’s find out together next week, shall we, dear reader?
Until then, may your week be one filled with-
Cognescentii blessings!
—The Traveller