(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

up and contented himself by playing with his crossbows. They made a
variety of clicking noises, first one, then the other, as if conversing.
"What are you doing with your crossbows?"
"Attention, Nordom: required!" Nordom turn-swiveled to me, stuttered in
mid-path, then re-oriented himself with a klank. "Response to Query: Action
being performed on crossbows? Submit Request for Clarification: Null
crossbows present."
"You have a pair of crossbows right there, Nordom," I pointed with a chicken
bone. It was in the process of being gnawed clean.
"Clarifaction: Statement 'rife with fallacies.' Nordom does not employ
crossbows." He stuttered for a moment, then suddenly the crossbows were
pointing at me - but I didn't see them move. "N-N-N-Null crossbows."
"Don't point those crossbows at me."
I blinked for just a moment - and the crossbows were suddenly pointing at
Nordom. He seemed oblivious to their movements, his gaze remaining
focused on me. "Contradiction not initiate contraction. Null crossbows."
"Oh, really? What do you call those two -klicking- things in your hands,
Nordom?"
"Response: Two -KLICKING- objects held in opposable digits." Nordom raised
his riveted fingers and waved the two crossbows, which suddenly started
klikking and twanging, as if in irritation. "Response: Objects = Gear spirits."
"Gear spirits? What do you mean?"
"Query: Define: Gear spirits. Response: Gear spirits."
"Yeah, but what are gear spirits?"
"Chief, as much fun as this is, prying a bar stool out of a baatezu's rear might
prove more worthwhile than rattling our bone-boxes with this stupid
polygon."
"Do you know what gear spirits are, Morte?" I cleaned off my fingers with a
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