"Well, well, well," Rollvag said loudly, a grim look clouding his face. He crossed his arms carefully--almost as in insolence. He slowly rolled his gaze across the select group, finally alighting upon Tato. Rollvag tilted his head back slightly, staring down his nose directly into Tato's eyes, boring into them; unwavering, unflinching, unblinking. Fire and brimstone brewed behind that glare, as if the very heart of a volcano had been exposed.
Cher started to rise, but a gesture from Elkin cut short her effort. Rollvag held his stern look a few seconds more, then intoned, "You hold the title, but do you hold the will?"
Tato remained steadfast, although his eyes narrowed slightly in response to Rollvag's mannerism and question. Long it seemed that the two held their ground, as if they were dueling adversaries.
When Tato spoke, the words came slowly and deliberately, the way the sun's rays would burn away the morning fog. "I hold the empathy, but do you hold the understanding?"
Rollvag softened his gaze, the embers in his eyes dying as a thin smile creased his face. He polled the group with a quick glance, then returned to look at Tato. "Spoken," Rollvag said respectfully, "like a true Torontair."
Cher wasn't the only member of the band to dislike Rollvag's treatment of Tato. Finnie and Flippie hovered in front of Rollvag. They sang,
- "Nasty, Rascal,
What's in all this hassle?
We don't! We don't!
Why do you?"
Rollvag looked unperturbed, although his smile turned into a grin as he pointed with his finger and retorted,
- "You Frick! You Frack!
Both get off my back.
I say! I say!
Go away!"
Elkin turned to Murki and Kuros and whispered, "I don't think Rollvag knows what he's getting into."
Kuros guffawed as Murki snorted in agreement. They turned back to center stage, where Finnie and Flippie unleashed a barrage of rhyme at Rollvag.
- "Sideswipe, Sideswipe,
Insults from your windpipe?
We will! We will!
Match your skill!"
"Bonehead, bonehead,
Nothing but a stonehead.
No pain! No pain!
You've no brain!"
"Brain died, brain died,
Always empty inside.
Think fast! Think fast!
You'll not last."
"No tongue, no tongue?
Where did all your words run?
We wait! We wait!
Eat your bait!"
Rollvag reeled under a quadruple helping of rhyme. Vainly he struck back,
- "Frick-Frack, Frick Frack,
Both of I will hack.
Corncob! Corncob!
Shish-kabob!"
Only to be pummeled again by the pair.
- "Threaten? Threaten?
We don't need a weapon.
Bully! Bully!
You're woolly!"
"Fencer, Fencer,
You don't have an answer.
Witless? Witless?
We say yes!"
Too late Rollvag realized the error of his ways. "Once you let the genie out of the bottle you cannot put it back," he thought to himself. He spread his hands to his sides and said, "You won. You won. Queen/Queen of rhyming fun."
He stopped and groaned, "I'm starting to talk like them. I gotta get out of here." Looking around wildly for an ally and finding none to take his place, he announced, "I gotta check the pegasi. See you later." And with that he turned and walked rapidly toward their winged steeds.
Finnie and Flippie traded mischievous looks and giggled. They flew at top speed toward the retreating Rollvag, singing,
- "No stay, No stay,
Why do you run away?
No glue? No glue?
We'll find you!"
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© Copyright 1999 by Abram Paradies.
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