. . . By the time I'd finished a couple of Marabou Damsels, I was really dragging. All I wanted was some sleep. I closed my eyes for a few seconds. Instantly I was beset by visions of Harry Potter, fiction writers getting characters across the room and sitting down, entomology, flies . . . I shook myself awake and moved on to the Zug Bug . . .
Knight of the Peacock Sword
Scragword stood before the door, wondering where his quest would lead him next. What secrets lay behind that door? He fingered the amulet the dwarf had given him. “Let no man see the back of this,” the dwarf had said as he lay dying. “If it falls into the wrong hands, it will bring The Doom!”
Scragword tightened his sword belt and rehearsed the magic words in his mind. He would have only one chance to say it correctly. Then he spoke in a strong voice that sounded more confident than he felt. “Recto seven, verso heaven, isbn leaven, cinygmula ramaleyi, diphetor hageni! Open!”
The door swung slowly open, revealing a dark room with a single shaft of cold blue light from above. On the edge of the light was the Circle of Seven, the seven sorcerers of legend. At their center, his face hidden by the cowl of his plain black cloak, was Entomol, Grand Wizard of Limnephilid.
“We have been expecting you, Scragword, son of Malword," Entomol said with an amused sneer. “What is your quest, young knight?”
Scragword spoke boldly. “I seek the secret of Pteronarcys, the stone giant. I must know this secret to save the Princess Perlidae from the evil power of the Preston of Argentium.”
Entomol nodded. “Merely knowing the secret will not save her,” he said with disgust.
"I have my sword," Scragword said boldly. He pulled it slightly from the scabbard, revealing the deep, irridesent green shaft.
"Ah, the Peacock Sword," said Entomol. "I'm impressed." He switched suddenly to a deep growl. "Simply having the sword is not enough! You must know how to use it! You must strike deep, and with a deadly drift.”
“This I can do,” said Scragword bravely.
Entomol cackled. “We shall see about that.” His long boney finger pointed at an empty chair in the front of the room.
Scragword sat down tentatively. He returned to the reason for his visit: "I must know the secret."
Entomol looked at Scragword and spoke sternly. “The secret is . . . thread twist! Are you enough of a knight to deal with that.”
“Thread twist?” Scragword questioned, suddenly unsure of himself. “The secret is thread twist?”
Entomol pointed to the door. “Thread twist and irony. Go into the world and find what that means,” he said, his voice trailing off to a hiss. There was a flash of light and a peal of thunder. Scragword reached reflexively for his sword. But the sorcerers had vanished. Their fly tying vises were gone too.
* * * * *
Somewhere after my third Zug Bug I'd fallen asleep. The other tiers had quietly left the room. So I packed up my gear, got out of the chair, walked across the room to the door. And headed home.
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