of casual conversation find out how the Dilbians really felt on the human-versus-Hemnoid question. John slipped down from the bench and headed off toward the inner door through which the inkeeperess had just disappeared.
The door, like the one outside, had a hide curtain. Pushing the heavy mass of this aside, John found himself in a long room, halfway down the side of which ran an open stone trough in which charcoal was burning. A rude hood above this ran to a chimney that sucked out most of the smoke and fumes to the quick overhead whip of the constant mountain winds.
Various Dilbians of all ages, mostly female or young, he noted, were moving around the fires in the trough and a long table that paralleled it, running down the room's center. Produce and carcasses hung from the wooden ceiling rafters and kegs were racked up near the back entrance of the kitchen. He recognized the innkeeperess through the steam and smoke, busy filling a double handful of mugs from one of the kegs; but the Bluffer was nowhere in the room. Those who were, ignored him as completely as had the spectators in the common room earlier, before he had spoken up. He waited until the inkeeperess was done and headed toward her. Then he stepped directly into her path.
"Eeeek!" she said, or the Dilbian equivalent, as she recognized him. She stopped dead, spilling some of the beer. "What are you doing in here? Get out!" She looked at him, uncertainly. "That's a good little Shorty," she said, changing the tone of her voice. "Go back to your nice table, now."
"I was looking for the Hill Bluffer—" began John.
"Bluffer's not here. Now, you go back to your table. Is your mug all empty? I'll bring you some more in just a minute."
"Just a second. As long as I've got you," said John, "can you tell me if the Streamside Terror came through here yesterday? He'd have had a Shorty like myself along. Did they stay here for the night?"
"He just stopped in for some meat and beer. I didn't see any Shorty," said the inkeeperess, a hint of impatience creeping into her tone. "In fact, I didn't see him. Wouldn't have cared if I did. I've no time for hill-and-alley brawlers. Fight, fight, that's all they think of! When's the work to get done? Now, shoo! Shoo!"
John shooed, back toward his table. The Hill Bluffer was still among the missing in the common room; but as John was climbing with a certain amount of effort back up onto his bench, he felt himself seized from behind and lifted into the air. Craning his head back to look over his shoulder, he saw he was being carried by a large male Dilbian with a pronounced body odor reminiscent of the woodchopper's, and a large pouch slung from one shoulder. This Dilbian seemed rather more than a little drunk.
Whooping cheerfully, the Dilbian staggered across the room, carrying John and came bang up against another table where two more villainous-looking characters like himself were waiting.
CHAPTER 5
John found himself dropped on top of the table between them, as the Dilbian who had brought him over thumped down heavily on a bench behind John. Instinctively, John scrambled to his feet. He found himself surrounded by three large, furry faces in a circle about three feet in diameter. One of the faces had halitosis.
"There he be," said the one who had brought John over. "A genuine Shorty."
"Full-growed, do you think?" inquired one of the others, a Dilbian with a broken nose and a scar creasing the fur of his face. It was the third one at the table, evidently, who needed to brush his teeth.
"Sure, he is," said the drunken one, indignantly. "You don't think they'd let him run around here unless he was all the way grown up?"
"Give him some beer," interjected the halitosis one, hoarsely.
A mug was thrust at John, who in prudence took it and tilted it to his mouth.
"Don't drink much," said Halitosis, after John had set the mug down, his already somewhat alcoholized head swimming after what had actually been a healthy
The door, like the one outside, had a hide curtain. Pushing the heavy mass of this aside, John found himself in a long room, halfway down the side of which ran an open stone trough in which charcoal was burning. A rude hood above this ran to a chimney that sucked out most of the smoke and fumes to the quick overhead whip of the constant mountain winds.
Various Dilbians of all ages, mostly female or young, he noted, were moving around the fires in the trough and a long table that paralleled it, running down the room's center. Produce and carcasses hung from the wooden ceiling rafters and kegs were racked up near the back entrance of the kitchen. He recognized the innkeeperess through the steam and smoke, busy filling a double handful of mugs from one of the kegs; but the Bluffer was nowhere in the room. Those who were, ignored him as completely as had the spectators in the common room earlier, before he had spoken up. He waited until the inkeeperess was done and headed toward her. Then he stepped directly into her path.
"Eeeek!" she said, or the Dilbian equivalent, as she recognized him. She stopped dead, spilling some of the beer. "What are you doing in here? Get out!" She looked at him, uncertainly. "That's a good little Shorty," she said, changing the tone of her voice. "Go back to your nice table, now."
"I was looking for the Hill Bluffer—" began John.
"Bluffer's not here. Now, you go back to your table. Is your mug all empty? I'll bring you some more in just a minute."
"Just a second. As long as I've got you," said John, "can you tell me if the Streamside Terror came through here yesterday? He'd have had a Shorty like myself along. Did they stay here for the night?"
"He just stopped in for some meat and beer. I didn't see any Shorty," said the inkeeperess, a hint of impatience creeping into her tone. "In fact, I didn't see him. Wouldn't have cared if I did. I've no time for hill-and-alley brawlers. Fight, fight, that's all they think of! When's the work to get done? Now, shoo! Shoo!"
John shooed, back toward his table. The Hill Bluffer was still among the missing in the common room; but as John was climbing with a certain amount of effort back up onto his bench, he felt himself seized from behind and lifted into the air. Craning his head back to look over his shoulder, he saw he was being carried by a large male Dilbian with a pronounced body odor reminiscent of the woodchopper's, and a large pouch slung from one shoulder. This Dilbian seemed rather more than a little drunk.
Whooping cheerfully, the Dilbian staggered across the room, carrying John and came bang up against another table where two more villainous-looking characters like himself were waiting.
CHAPTER 5
John found himself dropped on top of the table between them, as the Dilbian who had brought him over thumped down heavily on a bench behind John. Instinctively, John scrambled to his feet. He found himself surrounded by three large, furry faces in a circle about three feet in diameter. One of the faces had halitosis.
"There he be," said the one who had brought John over. "A genuine Shorty."
"Full-growed, do you think?" inquired one of the others, a Dilbian with a broken nose and a scar creasing the fur of his face. It was the third one at the table, evidently, who needed to brush his teeth.
"Sure, he is," said the drunken one, indignantly. "You don't think they'd let him run around here unless he was all the way grown up?"
"Give him some beer," interjected the halitosis one, hoarsely.
A mug was thrust at John, who in prudence took it and tilted it to his mouth.
"Don't drink much," said Halitosis, after John had set the mug down, his already somewhat alcoholized head swimming after what had actually been a healthy
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