The Gooblin King 's work is never done...

"It's been a while since The Party," smiled Hir'aeth, the Gooblin King.  "What can I do now to annoy that grumpy old troll?" he thought.

Calling the King of the Trolls, Druzzy, a grumpy old troll always put Hir'aeth in a better mood.  In fact, this time he repeated it again out loud so anyone who overheard him would spread the word that he was talking about the Troll King.  Hir'aeth understood the usefulness of spies and already knew that he had one in his court that would report everything he did to the King of the Trolls.  "That will make him wonder what I am up to and keep him busy," Hir'aeth smiled again.  This was turning out to be the beginnings of a good day.

Late last night Rave, his mechanical bird, had reported a story that was still traveling through the King's twisted mind.  He had found a group of "borrowers" who had discovered a tablet dating back to way before the last of the Dragons had left the realms!  Few tablets of this type had ever been found in the Realms but even fewer still were those who could decipher what was written on one.  "It's a good thing I am one of those few that can read these things.  I wonder what it says," he pondered.  "It is probably a recipe on how to cook trolls."  That thought made him smile again.  Here it was, not even breakfast time, and he had smiled three times.  "I better get hold of myself.  They will think I am getting soft!"

Fixing a scowl back to his face, he settled back on his throne and began his daily update about the status of his realm.  An iron hand was his rule.  For he wore his heart on a chain to keep it close by but not to allow it to rule his decisions.  After all, a smart decision was one that was made based on knowing all the information and deciding without the upheaval of messy emotions.  He was fair and just with enough pressure to keep his rowdy clan under control.  Compassion was not his style as he ruled with keen intellect and calculated determination.  "Unlike that stupid Druzzy," thought Hir'aeth, whom he knew he could goad into rash decisions just by making the Troll lose his temper.

"Report," he told his chamberlain.  Instantly the chamberlain begin the routine briefing of all of the doings of the Kingdom in exactly the order the King wanted.  As he droned on and on, as the King wanted no details left out, a small chirping began in King's ear.  It was loud enough for the Hir'aeth to hear it, but low enough that no one else in the room even noticed.  Rave, his mechanical bird, had silently flown into the room and had landed on the King's shoulder.  It was letting him know that there was something important to report.

"That is enough for the morning," the Gooblin King told his chamberlain.  "Dismiss all of the courtiers, I will be unavailable for the rest of the day."  Bowing to the King and backing out of the chamber was the only response the chamberlain gave as he knew not to question.  "This had better be worth changing my day for..." growled Hir'aeth as he rose from his chair and started towards the door into the private room where he could listen to Rave's report in secrecy.