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‘You know, I think just about everybody who’s ever met that scrawny rascal feels exactly the same way about him Anyway, Veltan’s best friend in the wheat fields near his castle is that faro, and he’s married to a beautiful woman who’s probably the best cook in the whole orld We were all studying Veltan’s o’s wife came into the led her a bit, and then he made some off-color reo the farht in the mouth that scattered teeth all over the place’

‘I’ets better,’ Padan said with a broad grin ‘Jalkan started screa the farmer for his lack of respect for somebody who ranks just a step or two below God Himself, but then Commander Narasan jerked his divinity out froht there on the spot The commander ordered me to chain the little rascal and then kick him in the backside every step of the way back here to the beach’

‘If your foot gets tired, I’d be happy to take over for you, Padan,’ Torl offered ‘Between the three of us, we could probably spend the next week or so kicking Jalkan back and forth between the castle and the beach’

Skell pursed his lips ‘We could even ested

‘I never pass up an opportunity to ood bet,’ Padan said ‘We’d probably have to set up a few rules, though - so hest one’

‘It’d give us so the tides rise and fall,’ Torl added ‘When you get right down to it, though, it’ll probably start to get tiresoht want to consider just giving hio at that’

‘But he’s not dead yet, Torl,’ Padan objected

‘So?’

Sorgan called Skell into the round room where the map was to tell hiet around the Falls of Vash ‘Narasan and I’ve decided that you’d probably be the best one to lead the scouting party, Skell,’ he said

‘What else is new and different, cousin?’ Skell grurouch, Skell Just look the country up there over and see if you can spot the most likely invasion route Then pick the best places for us to build forts to hold the ene to show me how to pull on rowled

‘Does this happen very often?’ Narasan asked with an a his eyes upward ‘Skell thinks that he’s funny, but I quit laughing a long tiet here with the rest of your aran I left a very reliable e of the bulk of the army - Sub-Commander Andar He’ll knohat needs to be done as soon as Gunda tells hi problehty thousand ht now I’et the infor to take’