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The soldier started

Orrinned ’Oh yes, warrior, I see all too well for your comfort, yes? Now Gumble, spew forth your co! Come now!’

’You are ive him, Shield Anvil, he softens his paint in his own mouth It has poisoned his brain-’

’Poisoned, pickled, poached, yes, yes, I’ve heard every variation from you until I’m sick to my stomach!’

’Nausea is to be expected,’ the toad said with a sleepy blink ’Shield Anvil, I am no critic Merely a huue-tied multitudes otherwise known as the commonalty, or, more precisely, the rabble An audience, understand, wholly incapable of self-realization or cogent articulation, and thus possessors of depressingly vulgar tastes when not apprised of what they truly like, if only they knew it My ift, therefore, lies in the communication of an aesthetic fra themselves’

’Ha, sliun plunged his paint-sers into a pouch at his side He withdrew a deerfly and tossed it at the toad

The still living but dewinged insect landed directly in front of Gued forward and devoured it in a pink flash ’As I was saying-’

’A moment, if you please,’ Itkovian interrupted

’I will allow aadmirable brevity’

’Thank you, sir Orun, you say it was the practice of the En artists to his armies Presumably to record historical moments Yet is not Onearm’s Host outlawed? For whom, then, do you paint?’

’A record of the outlawry is essential! Besides, I had little choice but to accompany the army What would you have ? I foundcontinent! As for the so-called community of artisans and patrons in the so-called city of Pale and their so-called styles of expression -’

’They hated you,’ Gumble said

’And I hated the worthy of mention in Pale? Did you?’

’Well, there was one mosaic-’