Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber ...
Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber ...
Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber ...
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amazing how barbarians are hypnotized <strong>by</strong> brass along with any odd bits of glass<br />
colored like rubies and sapphires -- I think the three primary colors paralyze<br />
their primitive brains."<br />
"Clever, _clever_ Nemia," the Eyes of Ogo cooed with a tender caress. "My<br />
little fellow almost caught on too when I made the switch, but then he got<br />
interested in threatening me with his knife. Actually jabbed me between the<br />
breasts. I think he has a dirty mind."<br />
"Let me kiss the blood away, darling Eyes," Nemia suggested. "Oh, dreadful ...<br />
dreadful."<br />
While shivering under her treatment -- Nemia had a slightly bristly tongue -<br />
- Eyes said, "For some reason he was quite nervous about Ogo." She made her<br />
face blank, her pouty mouth hanging slightly open.<br />
The richly draped wall opposite her made a scuttling sound and then croaked<br />
in a dry, thick voice, "Open your box, Gray Mouser. Now close it. Girls, girls!<br />
Cease your lascivious play!"<br />
Nemia and Eyes clung to each other laughing. Eyes said in her natural voice,<br />
if she had one, "And he went away still thinking there was a real Ogo. I'm quite<br />
certain of that. My, they both must be in a froth <strong>by</strong> now."<br />
Sitting back, Nemia said, "I suppose we'll have to take some special<br />
precautions against their raiding us to get their jewels back."<br />
Eyes shrugged. "I have my five Mingol swordsmen."<br />
Nemia said. "And I have my three and a half Kleshite stranglers."<br />
"Half?" Eyes asked.<br />
"I was counting Ixy. No, but seriously."<br />
Eyes frowned for half a heartbeat, then shook her head decisively. "I don't<br />
think we need worry about Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser raiding us back. Because<br />
we're girls, their pride will be hurt, and they'll sulk a while and then run away to<br />
the ends of the earth on one of those adventures of theirs."<br />
"Adventures!" said Nemia, as one who says, "Cesspools and privies!"<br />
"You see, they're really weaklings," Eyes went on, warming to her topic. "They<br />
have no drive whatever, no ambition, no true passion for money. For instance, if<br />
they did -- and if they didn't spend so much time in dismal spots away from<br />
Lankhmar -- they'd have known that the King of Ilthmar has developed a mania<br />
for gems that are invisible <strong>by</strong> day, but glow <strong>by</strong> night, and has offered half his<br />
kingdom for a sack of star-jewels. And then they'd never have had even to<br />
consider such an idiotic thing as coming to us."<br />
"What do you suppose he'll do with them? The King, I mean."<br />
Eyes shrugged. "I don't know. Build a planetarium. Or eat them." She thought<br />
a moment. "All things considered, it might be as well if we got away from here for<br />
a few weeks. We deserve a vacation."<br />
Nemia nodded, closing her eyes. "It should be absolutely the opposite sort of<br />
place to the one in which the Mouser and Fafhrd will have their next -- ugh! -adventure."<br />
Eyes nodded too and said dreamily, "Blue skies and rippling water, spotless<br />
beach, a tepid wind, flowers and slim slavegirls everywhere..."<br />
Nemia said, "I've always wished for a place that has no weather, only<br />
perfection. Do you know which half of Ilthmar's kingdom has the least weather?"<br />
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