From: kring@efes.physik.uni-kl.de (Thomas Kettenring)
Subject: Bakr, Kloote [inn]: Looking around
Organization: FB Physik, Universitaet Kaiserslautern, Germany
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 00:03:40 GMT

Characters used (in order of appearance):  Bakr, Mopper Marux, Littlefair,
  Kloote, Voop-ki, Medor, Fizzle, Fleck

 (Magnus (Marux), are you still there?  I hope you don't object)

Characters mentioned:  Miggung, Saphire, Felix, Kadrys, 'Raelf, Lancos, Lucas,
  Kukul, Crolem and Spach

----

  Bakr sat at the fireplace, still looking like a big hairy ape.  Black fluff
was lying on the floor around him, which the mop boy removed now and then.
After his leg  - the one the earth elemental had broken - had been healed by
somebody after the battle, Bakr had gone to Miggung's Magic Shop to ask when
his magical fur would go away.  "Oh, it will fall out during the next twenty-
four hours."  Great.  Spending the day with loss of hair.

  From the Rabble he could hear the words "winter fur" and "moulting", and
Marux the mop boy was throwing him looks he could only answer with an
apologizing smile (almost invisible behind the hair) and a shrug.

  There were more known faces in the inn than last time.  Saphire Silkson had
returned, Felix was there, Kadrys, 'Raelf, and... ah yes, Lancos; and that
priest Lucas Something.  There were new ones too:  A bald black man with pointy
teeth, that tall man in a purple cloak talking to Littlefair, and his little
servile companion...

----

  "Did anybody bring a lizard in here?"  Littlefair said loudly.
  Nobody answered.
  Kloote noticed that Voop-ki the jailer had joined him again and was listening
attentively.  That fool!  Kloote was still enraged.  Creepy things crawling on
people's legs!  He should have gone to Nester's Inn instead.  First those two
brainless humanoids who wanted to get him back to the Mysty Mountains, then
that jailer clinging to him - OK, he had been of use to get rid of the other
two, and he had provided important information, but now he really could go
away.  And then this vermin on his leg.  He ordered a cognac, went to a table,
and sat down. Voop-ki lost interest and joined the Rabble.

  After a bit of snorting and cooling down, Kloote got the impression that that
black monster at the fireplace watched him.  It was difficult to tell, for it
didn't seem to have eyes.  He ordered another cognac.
  A thunder was heard outside.

----

  He seemed to be nervous... Bakr was interested in tall men in cloaks; the
Oracle had told him to be.  Perhaps this was the one he needed?
  Bakr jerked.  Something jumped out of the fire!  A fire salamander?  It
quickly disappeared under a table, leaving a trace of ashes.  The mage bowed
down but couldn't see it.  Again the mop boy came and removed the hair, and the
ashes.

  Soon after that, an "Auch!" came from the Rabble, and something small sailed
through the room.  Listener made himself heard.

  A tall scorched man entered with his small dragon, and they settled at the
fireplace.  Bakr knew the face and tried to remember his name...
The man said, "Darn....No-one is willing to listen to my old war stories...
hmmm...anyone interested, or should i just talk to the wall??"
A soft "What?" could be heard, coming from a sort of pixie.

  Bakr spoke, "Please, I'd like to hear them.  Spft.  Damn hair is getting into
my mouth when I speak.  Pftz."

----

  The second cognac was a bit too cold, and Kloote warmed it with his hands.
Behind him something hot was looking for him...

--
Bakr ibn Ja'far ibn Musa al Mekneshi, apprentice mage
aka Lifilis Kloote, conjurer and artist
aka Thomas Kettenring