The Wordsmiths and the Warguild Read Online Free PDF Page A

Slerma,
my dear?" said the king.
            "She's just coming
now, my lord," said his wife.
            "Ah, there you
are," said the king. "Hello, Slerma. Meet our new guests."
            As he was speaking, a
vast and slovenly giantess was in the process of forcing her way into the room.
She was huge. She was gross. She was impossible. Togura wanted to scream and
run, but found himself paralyzed by fear.
            "Is this it?"
she said in a thick, slurred voice, eyeing him with disapproval.
            "Yes, my
dear," said the king happily.
            "There's not much
to it," said Slerma, laying one prodigious paw on Togura's shoulder.
            She squeezed. He felt as
if he was being crunched by a vast nut cracker. Then, just before she did
permanent damage to flesh and bone, she released the pressure.
            "There's no meat on
it," she complained. "I want Guta."
            "No!" said her
father sharply. "You cannot marry the baker's boy. I forbid it."
            "He's a real
man," said Slerma. "Not like this - this thing. Do you speak,
thing?"
            "I am articulate,
intelligent and proud of it," said Togura, finding his voice at last.
            "What does
articulate mean?" said Slerma.
            "It means,"
said the king, "that all his working parts are in good order."
            "They'd better be
in good order, thing," said Slerma, addressing Togura. "I'm a girl
with big appetites. Remember that! Once we're married, you'd better be
faithful, too. Or I'll kill you."
            "Now dear,"
said her father mildly. "Don't frighten him. He's a good little boy. I'm
sure he'll behave himself."
            "Far too
little!" said Slerma. "Not like Guta."
            "I'm sure you can
fatten him up," said the king. "In fact, now is as good a time as any
to start."
            He clapped his hands,
and their meal was brought in. There were two or three plates apiece for
Togura, the baron and Prick, a number of heavily laden platters for the king
and his wife, and a large trough for Slerma.
            Togura found his
appetite had failed him.
            "Eat!" ordered
Slerma, filling the room with the ominous rumble of her thick, slurred voice.
"Eat! Food is good for you!"
            And she set an example,
gouging out huge handfuls of swede, rutabaga and kidney, slapping them into her
mouth then swallowing, apparently without chewing. Togura tried to see if her
teeth were missing, but failed. It was impossible even to tell whether her
vast, wallowing face had a jawbone. Technically, some of that flesh must have
belonged to her face and some to her chin, but such distinctions vanished in
the awesome slurry of fat which constituted her face.
            "You're not
eating!" she bellowed.
            She seized Togura and
plastered his face with kidney. Some went up his nose, some squeezed its way
into his mouth and some fell into his lap.
            "Eat!" she
yelled, hurting his ears.
            She gave him a shake. If
she used any more force, she was going to dislocate bones. Togura tried to
wriggle free, but it was impossible.
            "Eat, thing!"
hissed Slerma, spraying him with spittle.
            To his dismay, he began
to weep, crying hot tears of agony and shame. Slerma gave him another shake
then tossed him aside.
            "Your son insults
us," said King Skan Askander, his voice going very cold.
            "Togura!"
shouted Baron Poulaan. "Pull yourself together!"
            His son got to his
knees.
            "I hate you!"
he said, clenching his fists.
            He sniffed.
            Then he took another
look at Slerma, and suddenly vomited.
            Then he fled.

Chapter 4
     
            Towards the end of the
day, Baron Chan Poulaan finally managed to locate his son Togura, who had taken
refuge in the Murken Hotel. This