Tales From a Second Hand Wand Shop- Book 1: They Were the Best of Gnomes. They Were the Worst of Gnomes.

by Robert P. Wills

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Wherein Grimbledung is Forgiven

  By Everyone

  Except Dummy

  Grimbledung mulled over his current situation. Things looked bleak. That meant it was time for drastic actions. After decades of being involved in bleak situations, he knew that ‘sooner’ was always better than ‘later’ for drastic actions. With a howl, he bounded to the front of the wagon, clambered onto RatShambler’s back and made a jump over his head. He was hoping for an impressive landing that would get everyone’s attention. He landed in a heap. When he got back on his feet, everyone was looking at him. Mission accomplished.

  “OK. Let’s have this out,” he began angrily.

  “Don’t you dare spit at me.”

  “Shaddap Drim!” Snapped Grimbledung as he moved beside RatShambler to get a good view of everyone, “Everyone shut up and listen.”

  “No one’s saying anything, Grim” offered Nulu.

  “SHUT. UP!” He howled, “That’s the whole problem!” Nulu opened her mouth to offer a response but a glare from Grimbledung made her just close it again. “Not a word from you people while I talk.” He realized that RatShambler had not actually stopped walking and he was now beside the wagon instead of in front of it and he was steadily losing ground. He drew his wand, “Rat, I swear if you don’t stop walking, I’ll cut you in half and we’ll see how the enchantment deals with that!” He pointed his wand menacingly at RatShambler’s midsection. RatShambler, not wanting to have to deal with what would invariably be called The Great Splitting Incident of 978, stopped.

  “That’s better,” said Grimbledung as he once again moved beside RatShambler. “Now listen up.” He frowned. “I. SAID. LISTEN!” He aimed the wand from Drimblerod, to Nulu, then Dummy, then back at Drimblerod. He did two complete revolutions of wand aiming.

  “For Delberger’s Hand, what are you getting on about?” It was RatShambler. Since Grim hadn’t pointed the wand at him (last), he felt he was in the best situation to demand an explanation. In the back of his mind, he was also fairly certain that cutting him in half - although probably painful and messy - would not actually do him in. And, truth be told, he was actually interested in knowing how his two parts would reattach.

  Grimbledung did another circuit of pointing his wand at everyone- this time including Rat then he took a deep breath. Then another. Finally, Grimbledung dropped his wand to the ground and began to sob. Great wailings escaped from him as he half-fell, half-sat down. He tugged his ears with his hands as tears ran down his face.

  No one moved a muscle. A Red Bellied Shambler Fly39 landed on Rat’s shank and chomped down to drink its fill, and even then, he didn’t twitch.

  “I AM SORRY!” Finally made its way out past the sobbing that wracked Grimbledung’s body. He tugged furiously on his ears. “IT’S MY ENTIRE FAULT AND THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO TO CHANGE IT!” He looked up at his companions, eyes red and wet. “I RUINED EVERYTHING!” He fell back and sobbed at the cloud streaked sky. “Streaks.” He said.

  “Grimbledung,” said Nulu as she moved around the back of the wagon, “It’s all right. It was an accident.” She moved forward beside RatShambler. She had her arms outstretched and began to kneel to console the Gnome.

  Grimbledung sat up, “You’re just saying that” he sobbed. There was a substantial tendril of snot dangling from his nose but he did not seem to be aware of it in his current state of anguish. “None of you will ever forgive me.” This began another round of ear tugging. The tendril swayed back and forth but still refused to lose its grip somewhere in the nether regions of Grimbledung’s sinuses. He turned and looked up at Nulu.

  When Nulu spied the wayward tentacle, she straightened quickly - Trolless or not, there were things that gave even her the heebie jeebies. Consoling would occur at a distance. “Listen Grimbledung ...” She began. Saying ‘no one blames you’ was definitely not the right phrase since - rightfully so - everyone did.

  Grimbledung looked up at Nulu and finally ran his arm across his nose. Nulu’s stomach did a little flip. Her biggest fear now became the probability of a hug at the end of her pep-talk. “Listen Grim,” she began again. “It’s alright. We can work through this together.” It was noncommittal, non-accusatory, and, more importantly, most likely correct.

  Grimbledung sniffed as he wiped his eyes, “You’re just saying that. I’ve ruined everything,” his tears began to finally dry up, “I had a good place to live, good income, a good job, and good friends.” He looked up at Nulu. “No, I didn’t have good friends. I had a family for the first time in centuries.” A torrent of tears followed along with another round of ear tugging. “Now I have nothing!” He pulled his legs up to his chest and began to rock back and forth.

  “Grimbledung,” offered Drimblerod, “Nulu’s right. We will work through this. And you haven’t lost everything. We’re all safe and together. And we’re not getting rid of you because of a little fire.”

  RatShambler turned to look at Drimblerod, “Little Fire? Have you not looked over your shoulder lately? Even from here you can still ...” He was cut off as Nulu slapped his flank. Hard. To add insult to injury, she didn’t even hit the Shambler Fly. “We can work through this.” He finished simply through clenched teeth.

  “Do you really mean it?” Asked Grimbledung as his tears slowed again. The rocking was still going on.

  “We do” said Nulu. Drimblerod and Dummy nodded. RatShambler, rear stinging, nodded as well. Even door underneath Dummy clattered his latch.

  “So why don’t we all get in the wagon and get to Big Julie’s place and see what we can lay our hands on as far as land?”

  “You really mean that Drim?”

  “I do, Grim,” Drimblerod smiled at his partner, “Let’s go find a new home. For all of us.”

  Grimbledung stood and wiped his nose again. This time with the other sleeve. Nulu took a precautionary step backward.

  “If you say so.” He moved past Nulu (who had moved her hands to her pockets to avoid implying there were hugs to be had) and to the back of the wagon. Pushovers. As he hopped on the back of the wagon, he was unable to control himself so he gave Dummy a sly wink.

  Dummy flailed its arms around frantically. He had just been going along with the others to ensure his continued employment and existence. Even with a head full of cotton bunting and straw, he knew what that crazy Gnome was doing. Now, he had no way to warn the others.

  “Yes, Dummy. We’re all glad that’s behind us. Now let’s sit still while we make up some time. We really need to be at Julie’s place before nightfall,” offered Drimblerod.

  Drimblerod snapped the reins at RatShambler who begrudgingly picked up a faster than normal (for him) pace. Mercifully, the snapping reins finally made the nearly gorged fly go in search of a nice shady spot for a nap.