“Grimbledung?” Pollux smiled. “That you?”
“That’s me.” Grimbledung struck a pose. “I was under cover.”
“Nice hair.”
“Right?” Grimbledung ran his hands through his considerable mane. “I keep telling people that but they don’t believe me.”
Castor chuckled. “I just can’t imagine why.”
“Right?” Grimbledung struck another pose.
“In any case,” said Drimblerod, “as I was saying, it’s good to have you fellows back in town.” He turned to Koza and Gafr. “And we’d be honored to have you two posted in front of our shop.”
“We get our own Gargoyles to ride around on?”
Koza stared at Grimbledung.
So did Gafr.
“No, Grim. They are not there for riding.”
Grimbledung frowned.
“We’re there for ambiance,” offered Koza.
“You’re there to carry sick or injured folks?”
Koza stared at Grimbledung.
So did Gafr.
“It’ll be fine, Gents, don’t worry,” Drimblerod assured the pair. “I’ll make sure...”
“We’ll fill them in on the backstory, Drimblerod,” said Castor.
“Yeah. We’ve seen it up close and personal,” agreed Pollux.
“Sometimes more up close than we wanted.”
“Hey, if you gotta pee, you gotta pee! Besides it was dark.”
Castor shook his head. “Not that dark.”
“On that note, I think we’ll be on our way.” Drimblerod put his hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Enjoy the festivities and we’ll see you tomorrow or soon after.”
“Oooh!” Grimbledung hopped up and down. “Oooh! Oooh!” He raised his hand and waved it.
“Now what?” Asked Castor.
“Akita said to stay put because he was bringing Big Julie here!” He smiled broadly. “Hah! You all thought I’d forgotten, didn’t you?”
“How could we think you’d forgotten a message that we didn’t even know you were supposed to pass on?”
Koza nodded at his brother. “What he said.”
“Well you see...”
“We’ll see you later,” Drimblerod pulled his partner away before he could finish his sentence.”
“What’d you do that for? I was going to explain to them how they should have known what they didn’t know.”
“How about we just get something to eat and drink instead?”
“Sounds good, partner.” Grimbledung rubbed his belly. “I’ve only had two squirrels.”
“Two whole squirrels?”
“Well they were small. They only roused my appetite without bedding it down.”
“Well, let’s get that appetite of yours down for the night.” Drimblerod looked around the overly crowded square. Since most of the participants of the jamboree were human-sized, the two Gnomes were completely engulfed. “I can’t see a thing.”
“Me neither.” Grimbledung frowned. “We’ll never find anything to eat with everything set up helter-skelter like this.”
“How about the Duck?”
“Haven’t had duck yet.” Grimbledung licked his lips. “If it has that crumbly coating, I’m all in.”
Drimblerod shook his head. “No, no. Let’s go to the Duck Inn and Dine and get a nice table by the window.” He steered his partner in that direction. “We get a table by the window so we can see the folks and hear the music without being trampled.”
Grimbledung nodded. “I’m all for that.” He frowned again. “I’m kind of tired of having my face at butt-level, you know.”
“I’ll bet.”
The pair stayed close to each other and forced their way through crowds the entire way.
Chapter 55
The (Fireless) Great Jamboree
Drimblerod and Grimbledung arrived at the doors of the Duck Inn and Dine exhausted.
“I’m exhausted!”
“Me too, Grim.” Drimblerod leaned on the doorframe. “Let’s get inside and sit down for the rest of the jamboree. He pulled the door open for his partner.
With a nod, Grimbledung entered the foyer. “I’m telling you Drim, next year they really need me on the planning committee.” He held the curtain open.
Drimblerod nodded. “I hate to say it, but I agree. That place is a complete hot mess out there.”
The pair ducked past the curtain into the tavern portion of the Duck Inn and Dine. It was crowded.
Very crowded.
“Rolton chips.” Grimbledung put his hands on his hips. “Steaming piles of Rolton chips.”
“Seems we’re not the only ones to have this idea.”
Grimbledung looked around the room. There didn’t seem to be any tables available. “There don’t seem to be any tables available.”
“Well, we’re regulars so maybe we can get something worked out.” Drimblerod led his partner to the bar. “Evening, Will.” He smiled amicably at the one-armed bartender.
“Hey One-Armed Wil!” Grimbledung clambered up on the only vacant stool. “How’s things?”
“No minors at the bar,” Wil answered.
“That’s no minor,” began Drimblerod.
“He’s my wife!” Grimbledung interrupted. He waggled his ears. “Get it?”
“No, actually.”
Wil looked down the bar, then slid a drink to a patron on the far end. “Me neither, Drimblerod.” He looked at Grimbledung. “No minors at the bar.”
“Listen One Arm,” said Grimbledung as he stood on the seat.
Wil reached out and took him by the collar. “No minors at the bar.”
“Wil, he’s not a minor. It’s Grimbledung. He’s just been undercover at the school of magic for Big Julie.”
“Likely story.” Wil picked Grimbledung off the stool.
Flora put her trusty tray on the bar beside Drimblerod- -she had had it re-flatted by the blacksmith. She quickly moved a half-dozen empty mugs off it. “Refills of ale and mead, Wil,” she said with a smile. “It’s hopping out there.”
“Flora O. Willowfeet!” Grimbledung said. “It’s me! Tell him it’s me!”
Flora narrowed her eyes at the youthful looking Gnome. She pursed her lips for good measure.
“You vouch for this?” Wil shook Grimbledung around.
“Gah! Come on Flora O. Willowfeet! You know me!” Grimbledung took his hands off Wil’s arms and reached out to her. “Tell him!”
“Give her a compliment to remind her, Grim,” suggested Drimblerod.
“You look great today, Flora O. Willowfeet. Absolutely great.” Grimbledung waggled his ears.
“Oh, Grimbledung,” said Flora with a smile.
Wil lowered Grimbledung back onto the stool. “Good enough for me.” He took two empty mugs from the bar and turned to refill them with ale.
“Nice, Grim, real nice.” Drimblerod patted his partner’s shoulder.
“So I look great?”
Grimbledung nodded furiously. “You sure do!” He waggled his ears. “Niflheim, anyone would in this light! Can we get a table now?”
Flora knocked Grimbledung off the stool and marched off.
“Nice, Grim, real nice.” Drimblerod shook his head at his partner. “Now we’ll never get a place to sit.”
Grimbledung sat up. “What’d I do? How it is my fault that that female can’t accept a heartfelt compliment?”
“Well, we can share this one stool until a table opens up.” He looked around. “If one opens up. I think these folks are in this for the long haul.” He slipped onto the stool. “I suppose you can stand on the rungs.
Wil finished filling the empty mugs. “Yowp!” He called.
“Two ales, please Wil,” said Drimblerod.
Wil was still looking out into the dining area. When Flora looked, he raised his hand and then pointed at the grouping of mugs. He lowered his hand when she nodded at him. “Two ales coming up after I do a circuit of the bar.”
Flora moved beside
Drimblerod- on the opposite side of where Grimbledung was - “Thanks Wil.” She moved the mugs to her tray . “Got you a table over by the window.” She gestured over her shoulder. “Over there.”
Drimblerod tracked where she was pointing. There was a small table nestled between two larger ones. The tables seemed to have been moved apart to make the space. The table was right in front of an open window- a prime spot. “Wow, thanks very much Flora.” Drimblerod smiled at her. “No hard feelings?”
“Oh, there’re hard feelings. But they’ll be soothed by the exorbitant tipping from a certain Gnome along with a proper compliment...” She gave a blazing look under Drimblerod’s chin to where Grimbledung was cowering. “Or else.”
Before his partner could respond with his obligatory ‘or what?’, Drimblerod slid off the stool, pulling his partner with him. “Don’t you worry, Flor’, I’ll remind him.”
The Gnomess nodded at him as she moved off with her full tray.
“All right, Grim. We’ve got a place to sit and drinks on the way. So you need to be on your best behavior and give that female a compliment like no other compliment she’s ever gotten.”
Grimbledung nodded. “Sure, sure. I can do that. Bestest behavior is what I do best.”
The pair made their way to their table.
“This here is a prime location” Drimblerod eased into his chair.
Grimbledung nodded. “Prime.”
“So that means you need to be nice to Flora. Real nice.”
“You want me to dance with her or something?”
Drimblerod shook his head. “Just say something nice.” He paused for a moment. “And before any other thought can pop into your head, just stop talking.”
“That’s what I do best, you know.”
A serving wench slid two drinks onto the table as she walked past.
“Prime location, this,” said Grimbledung as he picked up his mug. He took a tentative sip. “Ahh, Ale. That’s what’s good for you.”
Drimblerod laughed. “That’s what I hear.” He picked up his mug. “A toast to a successful jamboree.”
“This is successful?” Grimbledung pointed out the window. “It’s a mess. A hot one.”
Drimblerod nodded. “And we get to watch it from in here without getting trampled.” He tilted his ear towards the window. “We can hear the music.” He gave a broad smile. “And the best part?”
“There’s a best part?” Grimbledung raised his mug.
Drimblerod nodded as he clinked his mug against his partner’s. “With the mess those booths caused out there, there’s no way you won’t get on the steering committee next year.”
“Oh baby.” Grimbledung took a deep drink of his ale. “Music to my ears.” He sat back. “Above and beyond the actual music, that is.” He put his drink down and peered out the window. “Prime.”
Drimblerod saw Chéri and Colossus come through the curtain. They looked around and frowned- it seemed they had the same plan. Drimblerod waved at them. He held up two fingers and pointed at the table.
Colossus gave a smile and a nod. He had a quick discussion with Chéri- who looked toward Drimblerod twice. When she nodded, Colossus scanned the room again. There were no extra chairs either.
Drimblerod held up his hands in defeat.
Colossus pointed at the table and said something to Chéri, then disappeared back under the curtain.
Chéri made her way to the Gnomes’ table.
“Sorry, Chéri. We’ve the table space, but not the chairs to go with it.”
Grimbledung smiled. “Chéri! How is the house building going?”
“It’s going pretty well. I think we have enough wood to probably get it almost all done.”
Grimbledung looked at the two chairs he and his partner were occupying. “You wanna sit?” He hopped off his chair. “You can sit there. I’ll sit on the window.”
“That’s all right, Grimbledung.” Chéri smiled. “I think Colossus has gone to fetch some chairs.”
Grimbledung frowned. “You sure? I was looking forward to sitting on the window sill.”
Chéri laughed. “Well, I’ll sit until he gets back, how’s that?”
Grimbledung clambered up onto the window sill and sat. “I’m usually too big for this.” He held out his hands. “Can you pass me my drink?”
Chéri obliged the Gnome as Flora approached the table. “Do I need to find more chairs?”
Chéri shook her head. “I think we’ll be fine. Colossus has gone in search of chairs.” She smiled. “And Grimbledung has offered me his in the meanwhile.”
“Grimbledung?” Flora narrowed her eyes at him. “Did something nice?”
Grimbledung held his mug up. “Don’t act so surprised; I do nice things all the time.”
“I’ll bet.” Flora shifted her tray under her arm. “So shall I bring another couple of drinks on my next pass?”
“That would be nice.”
“How about you and me go find a nice quiet corner?” Grimbledung said quickly. He waggled his eyebrows at Flora for good measure.
“What?”
“Well, you said you wouldn’t serve any more drinks until you got a pass.” He leered. “Want something tawdrier?”
Flora rolled her eyes. “I’ll go get those drinks before I end up bending my tray again.”
“Grim. You really need to stop pushing that Gnomess’ buttons like that,” Drimblerod tut-tutted.
“It’s not my fault, Drim.” He moved his mug to one hand and pointed across the bar. “She brings out the worst in me, I think.”
“Brings it out? I didn’t realize it was ever put away.” Chéri waggled her ears at Grimbledung.
“Saaaay!” Now Grimbledung pointed at Chéri. “You offer a gal your chair and the next thing you know she’s casting aspersions at you. Aspersions, I tell you.”
“All I’m doing is minding my own business until Colossus gets back,” Chéri said innocently.
“Speak of the devil, here he comes.”
“The devil?!” Grimbledung leaned back. “In person?”
“Drink your drink, Grim,” Chéri said. “Or I’ll bop you with Flora’s tray.”
Grimbledung returned to drinking.
Colossus approached the table. He had only one chair.
“That’s one hot commodity you’ve got there.” Chéri smiled.
“It seems so,” Colossus held up the chair. “Last one in the joint.”
“I was talking to the chair.” Chéri waggled her ears again.
“Oh, baby.” Colossus put the chair down. “Looks like you found a seat.”
“You’ve been hanging around Grimbledung too long, Cheri.” Drimblerod took a drink of his ale. “I seem to be immune, thank goodness.”
“Infected with Grimbledung antics? I don’t know if I like the sound of that.” Colossus sat in the chair.
“I’m right here you know.” Grimbledung said between sips.
Colossus smiled. “And I’m glad you are.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, otherwise we’d have nowhere to sit.” Colossus reached up and waggled his ears with his hands.
Flora sidled up beside him. “So it is contagious.”
“I’m immune, thank goodness,” offered Drimblerod.
“I think I’m infected,” admitted Flora. She moved two drinks onto the table.
“I can hear you.”
“Well we can hear you too,” said Drimblerod. “And since Flora can hear you, you have something you need to say to her.”
“I do?”
“Yes, you do,” said Chéri. She pointed a finger at him. “Right now.”
“Well, if I have something to say, I should at least stand, right?”
Drimblerod shrugged. “You’ve no idea what you’re going to say, do you.”
Grimbledung shrugged. “Something’ll come to me.” He held his drink out and Chéri took it. Using both hands, he stood in the windowsill. He reached a hand towards Flora. Realizing he was too far
away, he hopped to the table. “This works.”
“Watch the drinks, bub,” warned Colossus.
“Hush,” said Chéri, “he’s going to say something romantic.”
Flora tightened her grip on her tray. “We’ll see.”
Grimbledung put one hand on his hip. The other he reached out toward Flora. He cleared his throat. Twice.
“Grim?”
Grimbledung held out his hand to silence his partner. “I got this.” He looked directly at Flora and cleared his throat again.
Flora shifted her tray to one hand. She was prepared to fling it at the Gnome and knock him out the window.
“My dearest Flora O. Willowfeet. It is strange to think, I have not seen you in a day. Yesterday, I saw the new moon, but not you. I saw the sunset and the sunrise, but nothing of your beautiful face. The pieces of my broken heart could pass through the eye of a needle. I miss you like the sun misses the flower. Like the sun misses the flower in the depths of winter. Instead of beauty to direct its light to, the heart hardens like the frozen world your absence sent me to today. Tomorrow I’ll be working at my shoppe. I’ll find it cold and empty if you don’t come by. Hope guides me. It gets me through the day and especially the night. The hope that after you leave my sight, it won’t be the last time I look upon you. With all the love that I possess, I remain yours Flora O. Willowfeet. Yours.
“Wow,” said Chéri. She wiped a tear from her eye. She looked up appraisingly at Flora.
Flora was speechless. The tray trembled in her hand.
“So...” Grimbledung raised an eyebrow.
“Quit while you’re ahead!” Drimblerod hissed at his partner.
“Mistress Flora O. Willowfeet...”
Drimblerod put his head in his hands. “Here we go.”
“When was the last time you made it with a minor?”
“Wow,” said Chéri. “And it all goes out the window.”
Flora gripped her tray tightly. Her eyes were still trained on Grimbledung.
“If I told you you needed a little wickedness in you, would you let me?”
“Grim, stop.” Pleaded Drimblerod.
“Wow.”
Colossus nodded at Chéri. He was staying out of the conversation entirely lest the blast zone encompass him as well.
A New Hope (Tales From a Second-Hand Wand Shop Book 4) Page 38