“I told Gruggle he was too old to fight Draiths. He should have stayed with the females,” growled the giant who had checked Ubough’s hiding place.
“Fenytek, you know as well as I do that King Krable has pressed everyone into service. In case you didn’t notice, we just got our butts kicked out there!” the third giant muttered.
“Topmacks! You blowhard! We might have fared better had you fomented a better plan! They baited us! And we fell for it! You ordered us to charge into three of ‘em! Thirty others were just waitin’!” the kneeling giant growled.
“If I wanted your opinion, I would give it to you, Tegrah Tall! Your name belies your deeds. It’s only the luck of having tall parents that makes you a half a finger taller than anyone else. You should have been called the teller of tall tales,” Fenytek growled.
Tegrah the Tall harrumphed, “I’m glad it’s you, Fenytek, and not I, who must inform King Krable of this debacle. With old Gruggle’s demise, we’ve now lost eight on this foray! You jest at my height, but were you not old Krable’s spawn, you’d not be in command.”
The third giant Topmacks raised a thick furry sixth finger and shushed his quarreling comrades. He said, “We may have been followed!”
The commander Fenytek chided, “You old fool! You are older than this pile of rubbish lying before us! Draiths can’t descend into the depths. They can’t see in the dark. Their torches can’t reach these depths! As far as our ‘debacle’ goes, I have learned the location of their females and young. Yes, we lost a few comrades, but we learned much in return. So Krable, my father, will laud my efforts. Now, if both of you will grovel before me, I’ll forgive your impudence and impotence in battle. I might even give you a bigger ration of ale. You may start begging now.”
Topmacks and Tegrah the Tall sighed and then whimpered together.
“I’m sorry, boss,” Tegrah the Tall, whined.
“I’m sorry, too, boss,” Topmacks chimed in.
“That’s more like it,” Fenytek gloated.
benjamintowe 