The Ultimate Helm

Chapter Seventeen

Far beneath the inhabited citadel that stretched across the back of the Spelljammer, the being once known as Romar, who was once a captain of the great ship many years ago, sat upon his bleached throne of bones. In a globe of sight floating above the floor the Fool watched the neogi community being attacked by the beholders and their vicious allies. He watched as the neogi were chased into their tower like the sadistic cowards he knew they were.

He gestured with a skeletal hand. The globe's view shifted, and he watched as the Cloakmaster shook an enchanted human in the Tower of Thought, and the guard erupted in black flame.

"Coh." The Fool hated the sound of that disgusting neogi name.

He should not have been surprised, but he had had no idea that Coh could possibly have been that cunning. "He has his own agenda," the Fool spoke to himself. "And he has nowhere else to run but to sanctuary." He laughed. "Here."

His laughter echoed off the walls. "But I have my own sweet agenda," he said, "and it does not call for a further alliance with a trained neogi. The woman will be mine, whether he knows it or not, and Coh…"He giggled madly, mocking the neogi master. "And mine will neogi master be. Coh meat will be."

The Fool rose from his throne, laughed, and kicked out at an undead rat, laid flat on its back. The corpse bounced off the wall. The Fool was still weak from the fledgling's psionic attack, but she would not be given a second chance to defeat him at his own work.

Oh, no.

"Gaeadrelle Goldring, the kender… oh, she will die, too. Oh, yes… a glorious, painful death, one especially suited for hurting me- me! — the one true captain…"

The Fool glowered angrily and screamed to himself.

"She will return… if only to help her precious Cloakmaster… and I will be ready to taste her fear…"He pondered a moment and grinned. "Perhaps my… servants would enjoy the taste of her soft, raw flesh… her cold terror…"

He decided. "The kender will be dealt with. But first, the neogi.

"Then, death for all… as I take the Spelljammer to its ultimate destiny… inside the fiery depths of the Broken Sphere."

Even in his humiliation, the Fool laughed and laughed and laughed.

The Fool knew that Death, ultimately, was a cosmic comedian. And who better to be court jester to Death than the Fool?