The Flying Sorcerers

That settled, I went back to Hinc and the others and reported that we had nothing to fear from an immediate duel. Shoogar would not move without consulting me first. I told them we would stay here.

There was again some grumbling, but we were committed to this course of action — if not by my authority as Speaker, then certainly by the authority of the all-encompassing sea. Clearly, they had not expected me to fare so well with Shoogar, but since I had, they were left with no choice but to honor my claim to the office. It was as if the Gods themselves were backing me up.

As they wandered back to their tents I called my two sons, Wilville and Orbur, to me. Wilville, noticing my smile, asked, “Why are you so eager to stay here? This area teems with trouble. That Purple is still alive bodes not well for us.”

“Oh, I think that situation can be handled. The advantages of staying here far outweigh the disadvantages.”

“Advantages?” asked Orbur incredulously. He was the darker of the two.

“Certainly — you’re a bicycle builder — you must have noticed the quality and variety of woods around here. Fine bambooze shoots, spirit-pine, sparkling aspen, birts, vampire-oaks — also fibertrees, nevergreens and cranials. One can build fine bicycles with the materials at hand here. In fact, one could probably build anything with the materials here. Did you not notice there are no bicycles or bicycle builders at all in the lower village? You will have the market all to yourselves.”

Wilville nodded eagerly. “Our father is right, Orbur. There is much work here.”

“You are thinking right, Wilville — there is. You can start by contacting the neighboring villages for me. I want you to locate the nearest sources of dry bone, wet bone, petrified bone and so on. It seems they don’t have a good bonemonger here either …”