From: ASG102@psuvm.psu.edu (The Dreamer)
Date: 29 Jun 93 15:48:58 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [MG] All Is Lost


Kyle Adams was late for work.  He had gotten up, as usual, at 5:30 in
the morning, taken a shower, had his coffee and toast, and watched CNN
Headline News until 6:30.  Then, he turned off the television, grabbed
his coat and wallet, and headed for the door.

He paused momentarily at the kitchen shelf to get his keys - they were
missing.  Reflexively, he patted his pockets, but they weren't there.
He flung the closet door open and checked his other coats...not there
either.  He re-checked the shelf and his pockets again. No, they were
gone.  He looked at the kitchen clock: 6:42.  If he didn't find them
soon, he would be stuck in traffic and be late for work for the first
time in his twenty-two years at Black and Helter Accounting Associates.

He paused to think.  He tried to remember what he did with his keys
the previous night, but his panic blurred his memory.  'Lets see,
I came home, sat down, watched the news, then Alice made steak...or
was it pork chops...no, that was Monday.  Damn.'

He dashed over to the couch and tore off the cushions.  A quarter.
A dust bunny.  A old gum wrapper.  No keys.

He looked at the clock again 6:47.  Certainly he would be late now.
After running out of ideas, he decided to wake his wife.

"Oh, Kyle, it's so early..." she groaned.

"I know honey.  I lost my keys.  Have you seen them?"

"Did you look on the shelf?"

"Yes"

"What about the couch?"

"Yes, yes, I've looked everywhere.  I think they were stolen..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luthor rushed around the Spitting Cobra.  His desperation threw him
into a blur of activity.  He checked and re-checked the kegs of beer.
He sent a runner out to get more bandages and herbs for the healers.
He got an update on the probability field by talking to Erik.  He
hired a few Low City kids to help clear the tables from the Spitting
Cobra.  He ordered someone find Trawm's missing head.

When he had a spare second, he went back in the kitchen to look at the
pocket reality that was causing his panic.  Something had changed.
Below the sphere was a small pile of objects that weren't there a
few minutes before.  He *carefully* approached, crouched under the
sphere and took them.

Curious as to their significance in the midst of this pending disaster,
he took the objects and showed them to Erik.

"What do you think of these?" he asked holding up the first one.  It
was a gold coin.

"It was probably there before and we just didn't notice.  Give it to
a street kid or something."

Luthor held up the next item.  It was a series of strange pieces of
metal that were apparently stamped or grinded to have a jagged edge.
They were connected to each other by a ring of light metal that was
equally unusual.  "What about these?  I've never seen metal like
this and I would have noticed them when we were in the kitchen
before."

Erik took a closer look at the metal objects.  "Hmm.  Maybe they're
holy items.  It doesn't matter, just get rid of them.  They don't
hold any magical or probable power, so they can't be that important."

He pointed to some writing one one of the pieces. "It says 'To Yota'
on this one.  It must be a holy item."

"Who is Yota?"

"Some foreign god I suppose.  Really Luthor, we have better things to
do than discuss theology."

"Alright.  How's the model looking?"  Luthor said putting the
objects inside his cloak.

Erik just looked at him and shook his head slowly.  It was going to
be a bumpy night.

Luthor walked away, joining Serene for a bit of fresh air outside the
Cobra.  He put his arms around her and held her tightly for a moment.
"It will be alright Luthor.  It has to be," she reassured him.  He
wished he could share she optimism.

When the runner came back with more supplies, Luthor and Serene turned
to go back inside the inn.  Before going through the door, Luthor
reached inside his cloak and pulled out the objects.  He held them
tightly in his hand and used ShadowMagic, "THESE COULD RETURN!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Slightly annoyed, Alice put on her slippers and shuffled toward
the kitchen with half-open eyes.  She walked to the shelf where her
husband had put his keys since they were married.

"I told you I looked there..." he began to protest.

He was silenced when she reached up and held the keys in front of his
face.  "What are these then?"

His face flushed in embarassment.  "Thanks.  I could have sworn they
weren't there a minute ago.  I gotta run."

He took the keys, gave her a peck on the cheek, and dashed out the door
(leaving his coat behind).  Alice looked at it sitting in the living
room and shook her head.  As she shuffled back to bed, she thought,
'that man would lose his head if it wasn't screwed on tight.'

When she opened her bedroom door, she screamed.  Sitting on her pillow
was the most ugly multilated head that she had ever seen.  It's one-green
and one-brown eyes stared at her lifelessly.  Still screaming, she shut
her eyes tight.  'It's not there.  It's not real.'

When she opened her eyes again, it was gone.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in the Spitting Cobra, someone finally found Trawm's head.

     Love and Peace and Missing Keys,
             -The Dreamer-