e&tg 32

(ugh, now i'm REALLY stuck — time to extrude the words.  avert your eyes.  really.)

---

"What, d'zee have something important t'tell yez?"  He barked laughter.

"No.  I mean, yes.  Look, he's bonded to me, well, we're bonded to each oth—"

"Ha!  Rubbish!"  He waved a hand.  "Bonding's an instictive thing with reg'lar animals.  Ain't no such thing as bonding with intelligent beasts.  If he goes'n takes a shine t'yez, that's a conscious decision he's making, no question.  Who told yez he bonded t'yez?"

"Uh, Master Druid N'Jeet, um, Nallim something Jeet."

"Never heard a him!" he yelled.  He turned around and picked up a seedling.

"He's with one of the druid/ranger unions out east, if that helps."

"Oh, one a those master druids."  He walked a few steps away and knelt.  "Always nattering about balance and ecosystems and parts per million a pollutants..."  He shook his head as he finished planting the seedling.

I felt like i had inserted myself in some internecine philosophical argument.  "Umm, yeah.  So."

He turned his head to me and gave me a withering look.  "I han't forgotten what yez asked for, if that's what yer trying t'insinuate with that babbling."  He dusted his hands and got up.  "So yez want t'talk t'yer friend, eh?"

"No, sir, i want to understand him when he talks to me," i repeated patiently.

"I knew that!" he growled.  "Just testing yez."  He motioned at us with his fingers.  "Come this way."

We walked towards the wall of the greenhouse, where there was a small windowed shed.  He opened the double doors so Kohasadi could come in.  Inside it was cool and dry.  "Ohhh, this is nice," i said as he closed the doors.

"Can't have the heat and humidity muck up the paperwork and instruments in here, now, can we."  He rummaged in boxes and drawers filled with odds and ends for a while.  "Ah!"  He pulled out two thin metallic arches.

"What are they?" i asked.

"Beast translators.  The archdruid types lend `em t'novices during their training.  I managed t'hang on t'mine, if yez know what i mean."  He snickered.  "Well, let's just make sure they still work."  He wrapped one around the base of each ear.  "All right, gryphon, so what's this about yez being bonded t'the biggun here?"

e&tg 32

(ugh, now i'm REALLY stuck — time to extrude the words.  avert your eyes.  really.)

---

"What, d'zee have something important t'tell yez?"  He barked laughter.

"No.  I mean, yes.  Look, he's bonded to me, well, we're bonded to each oth—"

"Ha!  Rubbish!"  He waved a hand.  "Bonding's an instictive thing with reg'lar animals.  Ain't no such thing as bonding with intelligent beasts.  If he goes'n takes a shine t'yez, that's a conscious decision he's making, no question.  Who told yez he bonded t'yez?"

"Uh, Master Druid N'Jeet, um, Nallim something Jeet."

"Never heard a him!" he yelled.  He turned around and picked up a seedling.

"He's with one of the druid/ranger unions out east, if that helps."

"Oh, one a those master druids."  He walked a few steps away and knelt.  "Always nattering about balance and ecosystems and parts per million a pollutants..."  He shook his head as he finished planting the seedling.

I felt like i had inserted myself in some internecine philosophical argument.  "Umm, yeah.  So."

He turned his head to me and gave me a withering look.  "I han't forgotten what yez asked for, if that's what yer trying t'insinuate with that babbling."  He dusted his hands and got up.  "So yez want t'talk t'yer friend, eh?"

"No, sir, i want to understand him when he talks to me," i repeated patiently.

"I knew that!" he growled.  "Just testing yez."  He motioned at us with his fingers.  "Come this way."

We walked towards the wall of the greenhouse, where there was a small windowed shed.  He opened the double doors so Kohasadi could come in.  Inside it was cool and dry.  "Ohhh, this is nice," i said as he closed the doors.

"Can't have the heat and humidity muck up the paperwork and instruments in here, now, can we."  He rummaged in boxes and drawers filled with odds and ends for a while.  "Ah!"  He pulled out two thin metallic arches.

"What are they?" i asked.

"Beast translators.  The archdruid types lend `em t'novices during their training.  I managed t'hang on t'mine, if yez know what i mean."  He snickered.  "Well, let's just make sure they still work."  He wrapped one around the base of each ear.  "All right, gryphon, so what's this about yez being bonded t'the biggun here?"