The cabin door opens with a bang and Lisutaris strides into the room, her rainbow cloak flapping around her legs. She looks agitated. #51 | | |
"This is more serious than I thought," she says. #52 | | |
"Have the Orcs advanced?" #53 | | |
"No, I can't get any thazis anywhere. Can you believe it's completely outlawed in Samsarina? Damn this new King and his anti-thazis policies." Lisutaris gazes with concern at her almost-empty thazis pouch. "Even Kublinos doesn't have any. Have you ever known a Sorcerer without any thazis? What's the matter with these Samsarinans?" #54 | | |
I nod in sympathy. "They're strange. Have you noticed how they don't seem to have much beer around?" #55 | | |
Lisutaris sits down heavily and looks glumly at her shoes. She seems to have borrowed a nice pair, probably from the Baroness. They aren't cheering her up any, even though she's a woman who does like shoes. #56 | | |
"Is there any war news?" asks Makri. #57 | | |
"I really thought Kublinos would have some thazis somewhere," says Lisutaris. "There had better be some in Elath, or there's going to be trouble." She rises to her feet. "I'm Head of the Sorcerers Guild, damn it! You can't expect me to obey every petty little law in a no-account country like Samsarina." #58 | | |
"There will be thazis in Elath," I say, reassuringly. "It's just a matter of knowing how to find it. I'll sort it out." #59 | | |
"Will you?" says Lisutaris, eagerly. "Good. As my Chief Adviser, this is your number one priority." #60 | | |
"I'm not actually your Chief Adviser." #61 | | |
"Well now I'm appointing you as a wartime emergency." #62 | | |
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"No," snaps Lisutaris. "You just do it as your patriotic duty. And that duty is to find me thazis so I can function." She peers out the small window. "I wonder if this barge can go any faster? Maybe I could work some sort of spell… " #64 | | |
Makri looks frustrated. "About the war?" #65 | | |
"Yes I know there's a war," says Lisutaris. "You don't have to go on about it." #66 | | |
"Don't get angry with me because you're running out of thazis," protests Makri "You're as bad as Thraxas and his continual craving for beer. " #67 | | |
"What?" roars Lisutaris "Didn't you once collapse in Quintessence Street because you'd taken enough dwa to knock out a dragon?" #68 | | |
Makri purses her lips. Dwa is a much more powerful drug than thazis. "That was only one time," she says. "It hardly counts." #69 | | |
"One time?" I scoff. "And the rest. Who was it that vomited over the floor at the Sorcerers Assemblage?" #70 | | |
"Almost everybody," retorts Makri. "After the Turanians drugged and poisoned them all." #71 | | |
"The fact is, Makri, you're no more sober than anybody else." #72 | | |
"I'm much more sober that you. How can you compare the occasional experiment with dwa with your continual heavy drinking?" #73 | | |
"I prefer to think of it as moderate indulgence. It's not like I'm addicted. Like Lisutaris with thazis, for instance." #74 | | |
"What?" yells Lisutaris. "You dare to criticise me? You haven't been sober in the last fifteen years." #75 | | |
"Well," comes a voice from the cabin door. "Perhaps it's no surprise that Turai fell so easily to the Orcs." #76 | | |
It's Baron Mabados. He brushes away a few strands of his long grey hair, enabling him to fix his glare firmly on me. He's a very large man, tall and brawny. The sort of Baron who's used to leading his men into battle. #77 | | |
"I see you decided to accompany us," he growls. #78 | | |
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"Take care your manners improve." His eyes flicker towards Makri. If anything, his look of distaste becomes even more intense. #80 | | |
"Is it customary for your serving girl to carry a sword?" he barks at Lisutaris. Not waiting for an answer, he tells Lisutaris that Kublinos has invited her to share his table. #81 | | |
"Decent of him," I say, affably, and head for the door. The Baron flings out an arm out to prevent me leaving. #82 | | |
"The invitation is for the Head of the Sorcerers Guild only." And with that, the Baron leaves. #83 | | |
"He called me a serving girl!" says Makri. #84 | | |
"How dare they not invite me to eat with them," I protest. #85 | | |
"Oh be quiet," says Lisutaris, irritably. "I'll make sure someone sends you food." She departs, leaving Makri and I to reflect that so far, we don't like Samsarina. #86 | | |
