By the Tilted Pagoda Of Loulan,
>>5344786you can see a large hanging bell, and an ornate golden lion. In the background further off there is the sound of gongs and cymbals, tambour and flower drums, as well as flutes and plucked zithers or citharas of the Orient.
Yet within the Pagoda you can see some figures who appear on the verge of a brawl. You hear the following voices:
(A nervous, increasingly desperate voice)
- But you see, you must let me in! I really am a very powerful Wizard! As Arvel Straunge-Trull... wait, no, I mean, er, um, Faldnag Bridge-Breaker of the Ruined Fire, I command you to let me in! Fly, you fools! And this man, this is my friend Sir Aguecheek... er, no I mean, er... Legolast. Yes, that is not a stupid fake name. This is Agu...I mean, Legolast, the Last Elf. And this is my friend er... let us call him, um, er... the Jolly Halfling. He is very jolly and pleasant and gay, I mean gay, in the old sense of the word, you know, not the insulting sense. You are not gay. Unless, er, you understand it in the old sense of the meaning, in which case you are? I do not want to offend you. Please, we really need to just go inside! Our friend is already in there and waiting, he has been waiting for so long. This is really important. We must meet him!
(An extremely sceptical masculine voice)
- What do you say, Willowjade. Shall I let them in?
(An angry girl's voice)
-No! I know what they are here for! They are here to... ogle our beautiful dancers! Who are not courtesans! They want to ogle and molest them inappropriately instead of listening and appreciating our beautiful operas and culture. (A loud clashing of gongs and maniacal screeching, discordant scraping of gutstrings and wolf-hairs heard in the rehearsal background) Please punch him, Brother Spade!
(The masculine voice again)
- They do not... seem violent. Tell me again, Wizard, where are you from?
(The nervous desperate voice again)
-But I have already told you five times! You just keep making me repeat myself! Look, maybe that stranger over there who is sort of naked for some reason yet also carrying a sword and a flower and a skull (?) might be able to help us. Can you come vouch for us, O kind stranger? Help us get inside?
