A fray! Rufferto thought. Surely destroying the empire would require a fray or two, or at least some slaying. Groo will destroy the empire with one swipe of his mighty swords.
"Empire?" Groo asked. "I do not remember an empire. Or coming to your hut. I remember hoisting tankards with Taranto and being very sleepy."
Groo is the mightiest swordsman in the land, Rufferto thought. He can slay whole armies. With his faithful dog at his side, the outcome is certain. The empire is already vanquished. If only Groo would wake up. . . .
Once again, Groo was unconscious.
* * * * *
Drumm awoke to forest rodents sniffing about his feet and gnawing the bones of the previous evening's supper. Pal was gone, probably off again with the tall woman Drumm was almost certain now was Chakaal. But what would Pal want with Chakaal? Or Chakaal with Pal?
* * * * *
Sage was replacing the flagon on his staff when Groo awoke.
"Drink this, Groo," Sage said, handing him a small cup of clear, bitter liquid. "It will lessen the effects of the elixir you were given last night. The effects will not wear off completely for some time yet, but there is no time to waste if we are to defeat the empire."
"Empire?" Groo asked. "Does the empire have cheese dip?"
"There is no cheese dip to be found for leagues."
"No cheese dip? What about mulch?"
"There is no cheese dip, no mulch, no minstrels. The empire's hold is strangling the people. It must be destroyed. The force is strong with you, but you must learn how to harness the power to destroy the empire."
"Groo will do what Groo does best." Groo drew his swords.
"You will not need your swords with your father's katanas. The katanas are a weapon of another kind, not as clumsy or as random as the swords in your scabbard. You must learn to use them if you are to defeat Granny Groo."
"Granny Groo?" The hut began to spin again and turn black. Groo fainted again.
"The antidote is not helping," Sage thought. "The situation has become much more complicated."
* * * * *
Grativo stood at the empty cauldron with Taranto as the last of the newly-Groo soldiers walked out the door.
"Groo is slow of mind. Can an army of them really crush the rebellion?" Taranto asked.
"You doubt my powers?" Grativo pinched his fingers together slowly. Taranto tried unsuccessfully to gasp for air.
A short figure appeared in the doorway. "Release him."
Grativo relaxed his hand.
"But what of the real Groo?" Taranto asked. "He is never far from a fray."
"We are depending on it," the short shadowy figure in the doorway said. "The mendicant is slow of mind, but can easily be turned to the dark side."
* * * * *
Rufferto trotted off into the woods in search of a tree. Groo ails? It is not possible. Groo is the mightiest warrior in the land.
Suddenly, the ground was very far away and Rufferto found himself in a net hanging from a tree branch.
Groo stepped into the clearing and cut the branch, net and all, from the tree.
Groo has come to my aid! Rufferto thought. But the vacant look in Groo's eyes is not quite right. Another Groo stepped into the clearing. And there is one Groo too many.
The first Groo spoke, sounding very official and un-Groo-like. "Tell the emperor we have the bait."
Next up:
Chapter Three: Rufferto Strikes Back,
by Gary Grossmann
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