The Stranger's Woes Read Online Free PDF Page A

treasure if you live in a forest? Actually, that slyboots Jiffa had the temerity to come sniffing around Echo. He managed to squander some of the fortune before they were hot on his trail. After that, Red Jiffa buried himself in his lair for good.”
    “Well, well,” I said. There was no hint in the account of anything that smacked of robbing from the rich to give to the poor. And even in Robin Hood’s case, I had my doubts.
    “During the reign of the old king, things stayed pretty quiet,” Shixola went on. “But when the present monarch, King Gurig VIII, took the throne, he decreed a Royal Hunt for the Magaxon Foxes. This time His Majesty enlisted the help of a bunch of former Magicians, though not Mutinous Magicians, of course. These fellows had their own issues with Red Jiffa. Back in the day he had cut down a number of their close friends. And so we add yet another detail to his portrait: he adored wielding cold steel. It made him dizzy with rapture.”
    “How vile,” I said sincerely, recalling my own meager but unfortunate experience with dangerous sharp objects. “So tasteless.”
    “You must admit, though, Sir Max, that there’s a certain fascination in it,” Shixola said.
    Touché! Live and learn, Max, I reminded myself. And don’t forget for a minute that you are surrounded by intensely interesting people.
    “So how did this tale of romance and adventure end?” I said.
    “The only way it could end. The Magicians received special permission to resort to some unheard-of degree of magic. So the foxcubs crawled out of their lairs at a whistle, ready to be shot. You have to hand it to Jiffa—he wasn’t an easy target. He and a few others held out till the end. Jiffa is a man of the old school, so he was able to counter every spell with one of his own. But there were many Magicians and only one of him. The fellows who held out with him were no great shakes. Capturing them was just a matter of time. In the end, they were able to lure Jiffa out of his den, too, but not before he killed four of the huntsmen. They did finally manage to quell his unruly soul, though.”
    “A happy ending for someone who wants to become a living legend, of course,” I said. “As far as I’m concerned, though, it’s better to live a long and happy life, completely devoid of romance and adventure.”
    “It’s a matter of taste,” Shixola said. “Aren’t you being a tad disingenuous, Sir Max?”
    “Certainly not. I’m a cautious and practical individual, very typical as far as they go. Haven’t you noticed? Well, Captain, go forth and round up the Magaxon Foxes Fan Club. You won’t be bothered by the good intentions of Boboota the Terrible any time soon. And be sure to fill me in on new installments of the legend, all right? You’re quite a raconteur.”
    “Thank you, Sir Max. I’ll keep you posted on developments if you’re truly interested.”
    “I am interested in everything. Up to a point, that is. Good night, Captain. I see I’ve worn you out. You’re so tired you can barely stand up. Go visit dreamland and put life on hold for a while.”
    Shixola, considerably more cheerful now than when he had arrived, drank the last of my kamra and went off to get some shuteye.
    I looked at Kurush. “Did he tell the story right?”
    “For the most part,” the buriwok said. “Although he did leave out some important details.”
    “Details are the last thing I need right now,” I said. “I’m fine without them.”
    I spent the rest of the night even more idly. I couldn’t even get my hands on a fresh newspaper. For a dozen days I had been wondering which of the junior staff cleaned up the office. The fellow had a bad habit of chucking out the unread copies of the Royal Voice along with the trash. Of course, I kept forgetting to get to the bottom of it.

     
    Just before dawn, Kofa Yox put in an appearance. This time, he had chosen such an absurdly round, snub-nosed face for his pub peregrinations that I