|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- CLOWN CENTAUR ARCHITECT--CUP 3--"EXIT THIRK" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Clown Centaur Architect  ||  -------> (Cup SRcc003, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "Safe journey!" King Drey yelled after them as they entered the gateway. So the three set their way upon the highway. It was a shimmering road, the sky above it thick with shooting comets and beautiful wispy clouds drifting in and out of existence "Quite a remarkable sight." Thalerdrad commented. "So what!" Thirk squealed "I was on a highway once when I was young! It's no big deal!" "Eh," Gorblame muttered metallically "it's like the seaskys of elder days, me lads! When I was a fine muscular feller rather than a clattery pile of heavy machinery!" "Well Gorblame," Thalerdrad commented "you must admit that your current state is better than your soular confinement in the palace walls--or death, for that matter." "Better than the imprisonment," Gorblame chimed deeply, "but as for death, who knows? It may be much more pleasant than this." "Well, we might all find out about that if we don't keep on our toes!" Thirk said. "Eh," Gorblame said "You know, I regret telling you this, but we will die very soon. In Darthule. You know, the Nomars have the Amarith, and will send our dead bodies back as an answer to that fool Drey--they'll never give up the Amarith, much less to a military state like Rilnar." Then Gorblame began to make loud clanging coughing noises. All three then stopped, Thalerdrad and Thirk having shocked expressions on their faces. "H... how do you know this, Gorblame?" Thalerdrad asked. "Eh," Gorblame said, "'twas, uh, fully more'n four centuries ago, as a young feller, I was a guest of the mystic Bazbith Ladies on the island Bheordiack. They were civil, and asked those of us on the crew of the ship if we wished to see the time and circumstances of our death. I was the only one with enough mettle. They took me into a cave and showed me a scene in a radiant waterfall. What I saw was you two guys and some Northern Nomars, we gave them the letter, then they slayed us. But since they said it was four-hundred years hence, I was happy. That gained me the respect of me fellow crewmembers--smiling after seeing me own death. That was the beginning of my great success on the seas. But soon, thank our Creator, I'll die once and for all..." Thalerdrad and Thirk were both wide-eyed as they listened to his tale. "Uh..." Thalerdrad began, "...uh... are you... are you sure, Gorblame? Are you entirely sure?" "Yeap." Gorblame clanged. "Eh, why not, uh, abandon the mission! Yeah!" Thirk said loudly. "Forsake the king and his stupid quest! I wanna live!" "Thirk," Thalerdrad said, "we cannot abandon the mission. We have sworn ourselves to Drey. If death waits for us in the valley Darthule, then so be it." "So be it nothin'!" Thirk yelled out "I'm going back!" With this, Thirk began running back the way they had come. "No!" yelled Thalerdrad, but it was too late. As Thalerdrad knew would happen, Thirk burst into flame and evaporated. Nobody can go the other way on a highway, Thalerdrad knew. He closed his eyes in sorrow for his childhood pal. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----