From: Harald Smith 617 726-2172 (SMITHH@A1.MGH.HARVARD.EDU)
Date: Mon 15 Aug 1994 - 14:25:00 EEST
How Ratslaff Saved Khelmal
by Harald Smith
(This story has been heard frequently in Hortugarth in recent seasons, though it is similar to stories told in the Archite, Gobindon, and Grigor marls.)
Though Khelmal's sacrifice at the Hill of Gold slowed his foes, it did not stop them. Orak, now burned and angered, followed the wounded Khelmal closely to achieve his vengeance.
Khelmal grew weak as he fled for he had given much of his life force. So he paused upon a hill to catch his breath and saw a tiny house nearby occupied by a tiny imp. Khelmal asked the imp for aid and shelter since he was grievously hurt and tired.
But the imp just laughed at him. Khelmal asked again, but the imp winked his evil eye and Khelmal howled as his good leg burned as if with flame. Hopping on his wounded leg, Khelmal fled on in pain and agony while the imp just laughed and laughed.
Khelmal staggered into a valley and collapsed. He knew Orak could not be far behind and his hope flagged. But as he raised his eyes he saw an even tinier house nearby occupied by an incredibly tiny man. Khelmal asked the tiny man for aid and shelter since he was so hurt and tired he could go no farther.
The tiny man looked up and replied, "Ho, son of Yelem, but do you not recognize me?"
Khelmal looked close then, drew back, and then looked close again.
"By the truth of my father, you are none other than Ratslaff the
Clown! I see I do know you, master of laughter and trickery. But how
do you come by this state?"
"How so yourself! But I shall tell you anyway. I came across a dwarf
as impassive as the stone he dwells in. And I told him I could make
him laugh. Well, I tried juggling first, but did not make him crack a
grin. And then I tried tickling him, but his rock-hard skin felt
nothing. Finally, I got mad and promised to make him as small as his
humor. But the spell went awry, I fear." Ratslaff the Clown paused,
but then laughed, "An awfully good joke on me though don't you think?"
Khelmal, bone-weary, still found the strength to smile and shake his head. "There is still laughter after all, though it seems it's as rare and small as you yourself."
Khelmal raised himself. "Enough, I guess. I must go on lest Orak catch me here."
But as Khelmal started to walk on, Ratslaff called out "Wait! Perhaps if I help you, you can help me return to normal size."
Khelmal stopped and though he considered briefly, he agreed for he was
desparate. So Ratslaff told Khelmal to hide behind the tiny house. Khelmal laughed and thought this absurb, but went around anyway. And as soon as he passed behind it, he was engulfed in shadow.
Ratslaff laughed. "You see, though my house has shrunk, the shadow's as large as before. You just stay there and wait."
Khelmal did as he was told, but soon heard the roaring of Orak the Hell Wind approaching. Peeking out of the shadow, he saw tiny Ratslaff alter his appearance. And where before he saw Ratslaff, he now saw a tiny duplicate of himself.
Tiny Ratslaff-Khelmal leapt up and down on one leg. "Come, mighty Orak, do your worst! I shall slay you anyway."
Orak looked about, but couldn't see anyone, though it certainly sounded like his foe. "Down here, you howling fool!" the tiny figure shouted. And Orak looked down and laughed for he knew he had his foe now.
Orak raised his foot to stomp out the figure, but suddenly the tiny Ratslaff-Khelmal waved his hands and a feather floated down from the sky to attack Orak. With stroke after stroke, Orak was paralyzed with laughter as the feather tickled him again and again. Orak tried to flee to higher ground, but the feather followed, still tickling. Orak tried to flee to a mountain top, but the feather followed, still tickling. So Orak ran and ran to ever farther places, and still the feather followed and attacked, until Orak had disappeared from sight.
Khelmal laughed at the sight. "You have certainly done me a favor, master of laughter and deceit. So I shall do you a favor in turn."
Khelmal cast his spell of true sight and showed Ratslaff the Clown the real truth. Ratslaff laughed, too, when he discovered that he had never been tiny after all, but that his size and his house's size were nothing but illusions.
Ratslaff invited Khelmal in and though Khelmal tried to rest, he could barely do so for all the laughter therein.
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