EXT. SKULLMOUND SHRINE, THE SCENIC SOUTH BOG, PRAX - DAY GRISHNARL, a hulking male baboon wearing a horned iron helmet, wades up to the shrine carrying a single rotting head. Once on dry land, he is met by another, even larger, male baboon with an unnatural upright posture and legs that have been altered to allow it to ride. This is KROLL, the Uber-Baboon, Chief High Priest and Khan of Skullmound, Most Blessed Servant of Storm Bull, Alpha Male of Alpha Males.
GRISHNARL Hey, Kroll. Got nother head for pile. KROLL (examining the head) You sure that's a chaos thing, Grish? GRISHNARL Pretty sure. Him not make me Itch or nothing, but Kroll know how tricky chaos been since Lunars... (spit) showed up in Prax.
Kroll nods sagely.
KROLL Like that Broo who had no chaos features and claimed to be a Sword of Humakt. GRISHNARL Him not even make _you_ Itch. But was Chaos sure thing. KROLL True.
Kroll looks at the head again.
KROLL But Grish... this guy doesn't have horns, or ogre fangs, or anything. How can you be so sure he was chaotic? GRISHNARL Me met him in oasis near Paps. Him was _counting_ things. Making weird claims about numbers. KROLL Grishnarl, how many times do I have to tell you, education doesn't make you chaotic? Maybe he was just a Lhankor Mhy. GRISHNARL Then why no beard? Why no big Y on his shirt? KROLL Grishnarl, you can't just go around indiscriminately killing travellers just because they act a little strange. GRISHNARL Wait. Me not say all. Him ask me question. Have whole bunch of numbers in it. But one of them was _seven._ Like Seven Mothers, me think. Him say answer was "most Illuminating." KROLL And then you cut off his head. GRISHNARL Rip throat out with teeth.
Grishnarl smiles to reveal and entire mouthful of iron capped teeth.
KROLL Good work. Throw him in the fire then toss his skull on the mound.
Grishnarl puts the head in the Fire of the Cleansed One, then when all the flesh has been consumed, tosses it onto the Skullmound, where it's soon lost in the tangle of horned, fanged, and otherwise chaos-warped skulls.
FADE OUT. THE END
End of Glorantha Digest V4 #478
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