“Well, I guess there’s only one thing for me to do now,” Grunthaar observed nervously as he lowered his weapon. If only he could figure out what. He thought hard and and tried his best to look nonchalant before the terrifying human, who had obviously been turned into the bane of all bugbears by the warforged gang's artificer. It did amazing things for concentration, that thought did. “Ah ha! … Eh, ahem. That is, I half to admit that youse passed the test with flying colours, my friends. Ah heh hee…”
“Test?” Ranma arched an eyebrow and pointedly examined the dents and bludgeoned into his new student and his armored companion. “You seemed quite serious about it.”
“It certainly felt serious enough,” Karma agreed sternly. Though he seemed relieved not to have to continue the fight, it was clear from his stance that he was ready to take it up again at a moment’s notice. “I won’t say it was as hot as any action I saw in the last war, mind you, but it is not as something we can just forgive and forget, now is it?”
“That… that’s nothing that can’t be fixed,” Grunthaar temporised. “What’s a few dents and dings between friends, hey? My boys here won’t be holding a grudge when they wake up, see, and I –ah– my employer will be glad to cover the cost of repairs. Sure, sure, no problem. More than happy to! He’s guts this leet-ole job for …peoples whiff youse abilities, ya see?” It was even true, Grunthaar reflected, and best of all, there was a respectable finder’s fee involved — although Mister Corsone hadn’t exactly assigned his little gang to do the finding.
“I won’t say we couldn’t use a little extra bankroll,” Karma seemed to consider, “and it is hard to find good work in times of peace, but our needs are few and someone who’s idea of an introduction is an attack by hired thugs… well, that isn’t exactly what I’d look for in an employer, now would you?”
“It was not exactly good first impression, no,” Issandra agreed as the rest of the party moved cautiously closer. “On the other hand, some of us do have to eat now and then,” she added drily, “and I find myself somewhat curious to meet this so-called ‘employer’.”
“So, what do you think, Commander?” Tao asked, then corrected himself when Ranma remained quiet. “Er, sensei?”
Ranma scratched his head, as he belatedly realised that he was being asked for input and didn’t know what to say. He was just not used to being asked to make a decision as if it mattered. However, the 304th were all looking at him as if they considered his opinion worth weighing. Obviously, he preened, they’d been most impressed by his martial arts skills.
(Posted Wed, 18 May 2005 14:56)
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