"You're confused?" said Ranma. "I don't even know what he's talking about!"
"Don't worry about it," said Enchanter Tim, "for death awaits you all, with big, nasty, pointy teeth!" He waggled his forefingers from his mouth.
Haruka turned to Ranma again. "What an eccentric performance!"
One of the crushed inquisitors groaned. "I'm not dead," he said.
"Yes you are," said Enchanter Tim.
"I'm not."
"Well, you will be soon, you're very ill."
"I don't want to go in the cart."
"Huh? Who said anything about a cart?"
There was a sound of hoofbeats in the distance, and a king and his servant came skipping along.
"Whoa, there!" said the king, and made motions as if dismounting from a horse. "Your pardon, good people. I am the ruler of the Britons, and this is my trusty servant, Patsy. We require shelter for the night for us and our horses."
"Horses?" asked Ranma. "I don't see any horses. You've got two coconuts, and you're bangin' 'em together!"
The king regarded him with an uncomprehending stare, and then addressed the Author. "Greetings," he said.
"Greetings, Arthur!"
"You know who I am?"
"I do!"
"And to whom do I owe the honour of this, er, honour?"
"There are some who call me... Tim?"
"I don't understand any of this," Haruka whispered to Ranma. "Who is this Arthur, anyway?"
"Must be a king," Ranma whispered back.
"How can you tell?"
"He hasn't got shit all over him."
Tue Aug 13 21:06:25 2002