Dickson, Gordon R - Dragon Knight 05 - The Dragon, the Earl ,and the Troll (v1.0) (html).html by Gordon R. Dickson

Author:Gordon R. Dickson
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

"We are met here today," he said, "to determine how best to work together to deal with another troll, who has got into the castle by somehow managing to adopt human appearance. This is something that not even my Master in magic, S. Carolinus, can conceive being done. Perhaps you, Mnrogar, know how a troll would be able to make himself look like a human being?"

"No," said Mnrogar. He was undoubtedly trying to speak as expressionally as he was looking, but such was his voice and his general physical make-up, that the word came out as much like a threat as the Earl's display of his sword.

"Why not?" demanded the Earl. "If one troll can do it, all trolls ought to be able to do it! If all trolls know how to be able to do it, this one—what's your name?

Mnrogar? You should know it, too. Or are you lying to us?"

"No," said Mnrogar, again. And once more the word, in what Jim was becoming more and more positive was an attempt by Mnrogar not to be provoked unnecessarily and not to give provocation if he could avoid it, came out with a much more threatening ring to human ears than was comfortable to hear.

"Hah!" said the Earl.

file:///J|/sci-fi/Nieuwe%20map/Gordon%20Dickson%20...0Knight%2005%20-%20The%20Dragon,%20the%20Earl.html (326 of 649)16-2-2006 15:30:47

Dickson, Gordon R - Dragon Knight 05 - The Dragon, the Earl ,and the Troll (v1.0) (html).html

"What is 'hah'?" said Mnrogar harshly.

"It means 'hah'!" snapped the Earl. "It means—I do not believe you, Sir troll!"

"I cannot make myself look like one of you," growled Mnrogar. "If I cannot do it, no troll can do it!"

"Then what makes you say there's a troll among my guests?" the Earl flung at him.

"Because I smell one up there!" retorted Mnrogar.

"And I'm to take your word for that? A troll's word, hah!"

"A human's word," snarled Mnrogar, "hah!"

The Earl's cheeks began to turn purple.

"What do you mean," he demanded dangerously, "hah?"

"I mean what you mean when you say 'hah'," said Mnrogar.

They were now both beginning to lean forward over the table toward each other.

Blessed are the peacemakers, thought Jim, and hurried to try to calm the waters.

"I think what the Earl was getting at, Mnrogar," he said as gently as was possible with his dragon voice, "is that if you say a troll can't be up there in human guise, then how can it be that you smell one? Because unless the one you smell there is in human guise, everyone in the castle must have recognized him as a troll, on file:///J|/sci-fi/Nieuwe%20map/Gordon%20Dickson%20...0Knight%2005%20-%20The%20Dragon,%20the%20Earl.html (327 of 649)16-2-2006 15:30:47

Dickson, Gordon R - Dragon Knight 05 - The Dragon, the Earl ,and the Troll (v1.0) (html).html sight."

"How do I know?" said Mnrogar. "Maybe one of your magicians helped him do it."

"The poor fellow doesn't realize what he's saying," said Carolinus's voice in Jim's other ear. "Don't let yourself be offended, Jim."

"I'm not offended," said Jim.

He had forgotten, however, to direct his thoughts and his voice to Carolinus alone; and clearly both the Earl and Mnrogar had heard him.

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