1.13: Managerial magic

Large sets of rusted, steel debris fell all around Mag and Sammoth. Instantly, Sammoth was gone, as the red dust and rubble showered over and buried him. Fimf, who was normally quite slow, flipped sideways, like an acrobat, to avoid the falling death.

Mag avoided some deadly, ridiculously heavy, chunks of machinery, which crashed to the floor like meteors. However, he was less lucky as smaller bricks and planks fell upon him.

When the dust settled, the group was shocked to hear Magi screaming in pain. A rod of rusted metal had impaled his shoulder and was sticking out of him like the stick on a lollipop. Sammoth was also moaning for help, from inside a pile of jagged bricks and rubble.

The other gnomes rushed to help them, except Billie, who stayed back and shouted orders, “Leave them! Let’s get out of here! Retreat!”

Groawn was appalled at Billie’s inability to effectively lead. It was the single most damaging aspect of the entire party, even more than the rusted bar sticking out of Mag’s collar.

Groawn slowly walked up to Billie and commanded him, “That’s enough! If you can’t help, then shut up!”

Even Mag momentarily stopped screaming to puzzle of what he had just seen. Billie just stood there, wide eyed and in shock. To the detriment of his character, no one in his whole life had ever told him to shut up. Groawn, the most proper and statutory of the children, had just broken a fundamental law of 9-Theta. He had just committed the capital offense of insubordination. The other gnomes shuddered, and they knew he’d pay a horrible price once they were done, if they survived.

Groawn wasted little time to support his actions. He marched up to Mag and, rested a hand on the wound. Groawn concentrated and spoke enchanted words, “As a designated representative of Divine Management, I command this worker-asset be returned to a state of functionality.”

Groawn was passionate about process improvement, and had studied the Principles of Efficiency his entire life. His devotion had paid off, and he had acquired skills beyond his professional title.

Immediately, Mag began feeling better. His wound began rapidly healing, and Groawn grabbed the rusted bar, pulled it out and dropped it to the floor with a “clang!”. The wound had totally closed and Mag stood up.

Next Groawn healed Sammoth the same way.

“incredible!” Mag stated. He had never seen Managerial Magic at work, as it was normally not known by anyone below the level of Senior Associate, and even then, only the best managers had command of it.

Billie, seeing his authority usurped among his subordinates, tried his best to take credit for the fortunate turn of events, “Good. Yes, good job. Go ahead and heal those two production mages, and lets continue our mission.”

While the young gnomes were relieved that their companions had been treated, everyone could see that Growan was now staggering and exhausted. The use of Managerial Magic was clearly taxing, and it seemed unlikely that there would be any more miracles.

The children climbed out of the debris, and slowly continued along the dusty and ancient racks.  Then they saw droppings: gremlin droppings.  They followed the tracks and droppings only a single step, when they heard shuffling in the racks around them and above their heads.

Then, within the empty racks the boys saw something putrid, that no gnome ever wanted to see: a nasty gremlin nest. The nest was made of jagged and inefficient sheets of twisted scrap metal. There was an ooze seeping from the base of the nest, which was either food, waste, or birthing substance. They each soured their faces at the reek that hit them all like a breeze.

The children stood in fear of what they had found. They were in deep trouble and they knew it. No gnome they had ever met had come this close to a gremlin nest, and gremlins were notoriously territorial and violent. This was a job for Senior Management, not children.

The kids tried to stay totally still. But it was no use. They had already been seen. Three gremlins lurked out of the racks around the children, ready to defend their nest at all costs.

next page

previous page