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‘At least on’t have to worry about those cursed burrows that kept cropping up back in the ravine during that last war,’ Danal said

‘I never did get the straight of that,’ Andar ads that people don’t like to talk about,’ Danal said with a shudder ‘The bug-things hadtih the h up on the sides of the ravine We didn’t know about them, so we just marched on up to the head of the ravine, built a nice sturdy fort, and waited for the bug-things to attack us They wasted quite a few of their fellow bugs to keep us occupied while their friends crept through those burrows and came out behind us That pretty o’

‘I never really understood that very clearly How could bugs chop holes through solid rock?’

‘Chew, not chop, Andar,’ Danal corrected ‘Fro they always called "the Vlagh" had been preparing for that invasion for centuries’

‘Bugs don’t live that long, Danal,’ Andar scoffed

‘We’re not in the land of reality any s happen here that couldn’t possibly happen anywhere else in the whole orld We had floods and volcanos working for us during that last war, and you don’t see things like that out in the real world’

Andar peered down the slope in the growing light of dawn ‘It looks to ed, Danal,’ he said

‘Oh?’

‘It would appear that the bug-people don’t go back out into the desert when the sun goes down like they used to It looks like they’ve set up cah thing’s still back out in the desert, though I’ve heard it bellow a few times since its soldiers - or whatever you want to call them - occupied those last two breast-works, and the belloas still coh with everything they’ve got, Andar,’ Danal said, ‘which does le bug out there, and children really should protect dear old etting used to,’ Andar said, shaking his head ‘I’ve never had occasion to fight a wo end of several lectures that dealt with the creatures of the Wasteland ere back in Lattash waiting for the snow to melt,’ Danal told his friend ‘There was a very skinny old bow He told us that alh lays the eggs that produce new variations of the original bug-people The old h steals characteristics from other insects - and even anis - couess the Vlagh decided that it was going to need big ones’

‘Whos use that word all the tier soldiers in Narasan’s advance ar" other creatures -or each other, for that matter If you listen carefully, you’ll probably hear those youngto "whomp" just about anybody alks past It’s the newest "stylish" word, so they’ll all keep repeating it until they’ve worn it out Then they’ll find another word to play with’