Post by Edwin Gault on Aug 27, 2008 3:02:52 GMT -5
The innkeeper glanced again at the door. Check-out time was two hours ago. He knew he was going to charge the strange man for another night, but he just couldn't bring himself to go into the room and tell him. He wasn't intimidated by the fragile-framed man, but deeply unnerved. After another minute, he stood and walked to the door. There was no reason to put it off any longer.
The innkeeper knocked at the door. No response. He knocked again, "Mr. Gault? It's the innkeep. You're being charged for another night." No response. "Mr. Gault!" He knocked harder. "MR. GAULT!" He stopped knocking, "If I don't hear you object on the count of three, I'm coming in there." No response.
"One!" Nothing. "Two." Nothing. "Three!" He took his master key and unlocked the door. Opening it with normal force, he looked around. The room was littered with odd tools, strange vials, and the tousled figure of frailty hunched over a crude wooden table with several notches and holes cut into it. Edwin Gault had paid to stay at the Guadosalam Inn for three days. He spent them locked away, not once leaving, not once causing any sound for those outside to hear. The innkeeper's eyebrow rose as he walked around to the side of the table to see what Edwin was tinkering with. Three Vials, all tinted a different color, adonred with strange markings. The first, a turquoise, had a strange jumble of lines carved into it. The second, red, was melted into an intricate shape. The final vial, violet, glowed slightly, and was etched with the image of a seedling sprouting from the ground. Each one was affixed to a chain, set to clasp on the end.
"Dear sir..." Edwin's voice cracked, slightly crazed, but mostly unpracticed from the three and a half days it had spent inactive, "I believe you are trespassing on what is rightfully mine by rent..."
"Dear sir..." The innkeeper took on a superior tone, commonly used by Guado, "I believe you are late in payment..."
Edwin cackled, "Beg pardon, my good man. I was simply distracted." He stood, "I'll tell you what... I'll vacate within the hour... But instead of payment... Could I offer you an exclusive trial of my new wares."
"I'm not in the business to barter..."
"Simply hear me out... Then, if not satisfied, you can bill me."
The innkeeper mused, then shrugged, "What is it you've been working on."
Edwin grabbed the first vial, "Now, please bear with me... One of these vials will work just as it should. The others will probably fizzle. Allow me to discover which one is worthy of your ownership, and which I should merely discard. Then, if you still want it... I'll give it to you!" Edwin held the vial, by the chain, above the innkeeper... And waited... ... ...
"Nothing..." Edwin tossed the vial against the wall. It exploded in spectral flame, "Oh! Well, you don't see that every day, do you!?"
"Now, wait just a minute... I'm not going to let you put some curse on me."
"Curse? Heavens! I'd never dream of it... Now for the second one..."
Edwin didn't waste anytime flaunting this one. He simply shoved it into the torso of the innkeeper. The innkeeper burst into pyre.
"Huh... Sent the poor fool. Guess he doesn't want the gift..." Edwin laughed, gathering what was important to him. His portable lab, and his third vial. He knew all along which was the success. He simply didn't want to pay... He reached into his pocket and tossed a vial into the room behind him as he left. He slammed the door shut. A white smoke burst from the slat under the door, then disipated. Those who came to the room later would find a clean room... Nothing but the furniture. The linens would be gone, but they could be replaced. Where had the innkeeper gone? Nobody would be too sure. Edwin didn't care. He was on a mission of his own. He clutched the violet vial in his hand. This will work...
The innkeeper knocked at the door. No response. He knocked again, "Mr. Gault? It's the innkeep. You're being charged for another night." No response. "Mr. Gault!" He knocked harder. "MR. GAULT!" He stopped knocking, "If I don't hear you object on the count of three, I'm coming in there." No response.
"One!" Nothing. "Two." Nothing. "Three!" He took his master key and unlocked the door. Opening it with normal force, he looked around. The room was littered with odd tools, strange vials, and the tousled figure of frailty hunched over a crude wooden table with several notches and holes cut into it. Edwin Gault had paid to stay at the Guadosalam Inn for three days. He spent them locked away, not once leaving, not once causing any sound for those outside to hear. The innkeeper's eyebrow rose as he walked around to the side of the table to see what Edwin was tinkering with. Three Vials, all tinted a different color, adonred with strange markings. The first, a turquoise, had a strange jumble of lines carved into it. The second, red, was melted into an intricate shape. The final vial, violet, glowed slightly, and was etched with the image of a seedling sprouting from the ground. Each one was affixed to a chain, set to clasp on the end.
"Dear sir..." Edwin's voice cracked, slightly crazed, but mostly unpracticed from the three and a half days it had spent inactive, "I believe you are trespassing on what is rightfully mine by rent..."
"Dear sir..." The innkeeper took on a superior tone, commonly used by Guado, "I believe you are late in payment..."
Edwin cackled, "Beg pardon, my good man. I was simply distracted." He stood, "I'll tell you what... I'll vacate within the hour... But instead of payment... Could I offer you an exclusive trial of my new wares."
"I'm not in the business to barter..."
"Simply hear me out... Then, if not satisfied, you can bill me."
The innkeeper mused, then shrugged, "What is it you've been working on."
Edwin grabbed the first vial, "Now, please bear with me... One of these vials will work just as it should. The others will probably fizzle. Allow me to discover which one is worthy of your ownership, and which I should merely discard. Then, if you still want it... I'll give it to you!" Edwin held the vial, by the chain, above the innkeeper... And waited... ... ...
"Nothing..." Edwin tossed the vial against the wall. It exploded in spectral flame, "Oh! Well, you don't see that every day, do you!?"
"Now, wait just a minute... I'm not going to let you put some curse on me."
"Curse? Heavens! I'd never dream of it... Now for the second one..."
Edwin didn't waste anytime flaunting this one. He simply shoved it into the torso of the innkeeper. The innkeeper burst into pyre.
"Huh... Sent the poor fool. Guess he doesn't want the gift..." Edwin laughed, gathering what was important to him. His portable lab, and his third vial. He knew all along which was the success. He simply didn't want to pay... He reached into his pocket and tossed a vial into the room behind him as he left. He slammed the door shut. A white smoke burst from the slat under the door, then disipated. Those who came to the room later would find a clean room... Nothing but the furniture. The linens would be gone, but they could be replaced. Where had the innkeeper gone? Nobody would be too sure. Edwin didn't care. He was on a mission of his own. He clutched the violet vial in his hand. This will work...