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“SO, TALK US THROUGH your crazy plan, Tali,” Myrch said.
“Well,” she said, “first we need to set a trap.”
“Okay...”
“And the stunning?’ Padg said.
“Ah,” Tali said, warming, “leave that to me.”
They huddled down and shared rations in the room that had become their fort while Tali rattled about in her backpack doing something alchemical sounding and certainly alchemical smelling. Occasionally there would be sotto voce cursing interspersed with gurgling and hissing. All of the smells seemed to be different degrees and variations on the theme of “acrid”. Finally, with one last grunt of triumph, the noises abated to be replaced with more polite gurgling noises.
With Tali quieter inside the room, the din outside grew by comparison.
CHAKKA CHAKKA CHAKKA OOOOUUUURRRRRRAAAAIII OOOUUURRRAAAIII!
“I hope that stunning potion is coming along, Tali, it sounds like our friends outside are getting restless,” Myrch said.
“I think so,” Tali said.
“Good. Now I think I’ve found some likely metal cartons slotted into the wall at the back here. If I can pull them out... I can drag them behind the door, and you can stand on them behind it. Reckon you can get it on target?”
“It will affect all of us anyway, but we should come round first as we’ll be farthest away from the bottle when it breaks.”
“Did I mention how much I was loving this plan?” Padg said.
“Yes!” everyone said else in concert.
Once Myrch dragged the makeshift metal step into place behind the door, Tali took her place behind it. It had been decided that Dun and Padg should fake a quarrel with the door open and then hope for the best.
The door opened with its characteristic hiss.
“Take your sorry furry hide and drown it!” Padg yelled.
“At least my furry hide’s worth drowning!” Dun screamed back at him. “Get the hells out of here and take your chances with the natives.”
“Not before I give you a piece of my mind, you pipe-rat!”
“I’ll give you pipe-rat!”
And they set to, in what sounded and felt, to Tali like a very realistic fight. She was just thinking, I hope the idiots don’t really hurt each other when there was a smack, then a dull metallic bunk sound and the other side of the door rattled slightly. Then a slight hiss and a thump and the “fight” was over.
“Serves you right, ass-hat,” Dun shouted. There was no reply from Padg. Then a brief moment of stillness, inside the metal chamber and out.
chakka chakka chakka chakka chakka chakka chakka chakka
CHAKKA CHAKKA CHAKKA CHAKKA CHAKKA CHAKKA CHAKKA!
CHAKKA CHAKKA AIEEEEOOOUUUUUGGGGHHH!
OUGGHH!!!!!!
Then Dun and Tali’s air-sense bulged as the “Chakka-folk” burst through the door. Their noses bulged to the scent of sweat, blood, and an odd smell of rotten meat.
“Now!” Myrch yelled.
There was a crash of glass and a whizzing noise as a moisture that smelled sickly sweet burst into the room.
“Get the door shut!”
CHAKKA CHAKKA CHAKKA
“I can’t; it won’t move!”
CHAKKA CHAKKA
“There’s something blocking it...”
CHAKKA CHAKKA CHAKKA
“It’s one of them, I can smell it.”
“We’ve already got one in here, kick it out.”
“... feeling dizzy...”
“That’s the gas... move quick...”
“... can’t... I...”
CHAKKA
chakka
