Henglop-Loob

"Thish ting 'sh a ver' del'cate n' preshishe inshtr'ment," said Jorc, gesturing extravagantly at the mass of steel and wire behind him with his sandwich, "it'll bring you back 'sh far 'sh y'want, give 'r take…"—he chewed thoughtfully—"ten 'r sho yearsh." He swallowed and looked critically over at Richard, who was standing in a corner, arms crossed. "So stop complainin'." Richard shifted position slightly, still looking skeptical. "Okay, but why do you have to do so much…" he waved one arm desperately, as though trying to snatch the words from the air "fiddling?" he finished, looking questioningly at Jorc, who had looked away. He was now reac

Kraea drew the long, thin dagger from the tattered leather sheath hanging from his side, watching reverentially as the yellow tunnel light glinted on its jagged edges. There was a glass tube, filled with a transparent green liquid, running down the center in a zig-zagged path that exactly matched that of the edges. Bubbles floated, suuspended in the liquid, which glowed dully as it sat, cradled in the pointed finger of his bony, gloved hand.      There was a roar as a car sped down the road a few feet below him, rebounding off the walls as it rocketed past. One of its headlights was cracked and dark, but the other hang loosely outside of it

      The truck sped down the tunnel, its tires bumping over pot holes and piles of decomposing matter. It was a stained gray and looked like it had once been an ice cream truck. There was a metal plate bolted to its side, which was painted a similar shade of gray and rattled each time the truck passed over uneven ground. Loud music boomed from the half-open driver's window, the guitar chords echoing off of the walls of the tunnel as John, sitting in the passenger seat, bobbed his head enthusiastically. The song changed to one that was more fast-paced and he leaned forward to twist the volume knob higher.      Leon grimaced, "Could you turn