Still sitting on top of Thothalas, the Dark Elf looked at Tuculcha with a wry grin and said, "I'm sorry, my dear, but your bargaining posture is highly dubious." Instantly the Drow did his best Marlon Brando impression saying, "However, I'm going to make you an offer that you can't refuse."The Drow calmly continued in a normal tone of voice, "Here's the deal: You will return Zakiyah, Ashleyien and Cadbury to us alive and unmolested along with Ashleyien's backpack, sword, and anything else you took from her! Do this and I won't ask the Erl King and his retainers to turn you into a grease spot and reduce your fortress to rubble--right after I ask them to perform a room by room search for our friends!"
Smiling with a malicious grin, Sterling mentioned, "Do you honestly think that your 'impregnable' fortress can stand up to the primal power of The King of the Earth Elementals? Get real, the Erl King and his boys will snap that place apart like its so many matchsticks. And you would lose everything; any magic items you have in there, any magic brooms you like to ride on, any grimoires you have lying around--EVERYTHING including your life!"
"However, that can all be avoided if you return our friends to us and allow us to proceed on our way." surmised the Swordsman evenly. "You say that Venger's going to fry you later if you let us go? Well, as I see it, that's a hell of a lot better than getting fried right now! At least with Venger, you stand a chance of getting away and a chance of survival. Here, you have no chance of getting away--and with the Erl King--even less chance of survival!
Concluding his thoughts on the matter at hand, the Swordsman said, "But look on the bright side, Tuculcha, he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. Give us our friends back, and you will live to fight us another day! Don't return our friends to us, and you lose everything! The choice is yours, my dear, I'm only going to give you thirty seconds to decide. So start putting on your thinking cap, Tuculcha, time's a wasting!"
And with that, Sterling began to sing the theme song from the T.V. game show 'Jeopardy' and encouraged his friends to join in as well.
A Point To Ponder
((NEXT))
