"Halfer, that was abser-fugging-lutely riveting, so it was. Best game of Bucketeers I've seen in a long while. If only the missus could 'ave seen it for 'erself... Oh, silly me. She couldn't 'ave anyway; I chucked her overboard." Declared Bunghoe.

"Whaaat! You chucked your wife overboard? Well, why ever for?" Halfer said, not half believing what he had just heard.

"Ah, now don't worry. She landed on dry land when I did it. Wanted to come along as well, she did. Can't 'ave that now. Next, she'd be wanting to bring both our entire clans, too. Somehow I don't think we would have been given so welcoming a reception with an almighty bunch o' strangers landing on your shores -- to be sure." Bunghoe said.

"Oh, yes, sure, I see what you mean. So... Erm, have you given any more thought about our little discussion the other night?" Enquired Halfer.

"Well, to be honest there Halfer, I haven't. Well, not that much anyway. On the surface, there doesn't appear to be much else I can do. But look yer here now, let us talk more of these matters beyond Hamalot's walls of built-in ears, and err, whatever more.

"There's a fellow I'd like you to meet, whose nature you may think to know, but, that you are much less in the know about. His reputation and hospitality are most known to our little ones." Said Bunghoe mysteriously, and then continued to speak, "No one will know of it, or see any comings or goings if they wish it not to be, and if you like, I'll set up a meeting with the man. Just give me the word, and it'll be done." Suggested Bunghoe.

"Can it be done in the same manner as was done tonight under your banner? For Hovelot is not a place that I would like to hover about in, or lose the plot." Halfer said worryingly.

"Ah now, we needed to be seen tonight, in less ways, if you know what I mean. So, there'll be no waiving of any banners either near, or around Hovelot manor. Don't you worry now, we'll be in and out quicker than you can down a pint of stout." Bunghoe said with a wink.

"Then make it so, Bunghoe, my good friend." Halfer announced, as he raised an index finger.




Under cover of darkness, then, did Halfer leave his castle covertly behind, but 'twas done in such a manner that was unknown, but only to a few of the learned mind.

Hamalot castle 'twas said to be, firstly built upon an ancient mound, while the city, itself, grew up (or should that be down?) and all around. No one should venture to enter a burial mound. For it could, let loose unspeakable spooks, unbound now, and unshrouded from hallowed grounds in ones, or even in twos.

Forsooth, 'tis truth, as that is what they say. But, an ancient burial mound? No, more like a largish hillock with a plateau-like flat ground. And though most creatures that do live in mounds are, of some ill-nature, grotesque and unsound, what lays beneath this hillock, or ancient like-mound are passageways built underground.




So, out rides King Halfer into the throes of night, accompanied by two others as knights, who in disguise, were really four? Galloping hard, and galloping fast, rushing through many a dale to meet the appointed time, via some high wooded, tree-lined, not oft used, lonesome trail.

Not long after, Halfer and his troupe came across a weird green light. Flickering, so it did, so as to be easily caught in their eye that night.

Now ended their gallop with a canter along some other kind of route, and in-between both in distance and the dark did these lights change in all manner of hues.

Halfer, then, was met half-way by a hooded group, or some weird looking crew...

"Hullo, good sirs," Said one of the hoodies, "I am Pete Bog, your guide, this night, and we look to make sure you are delivered to my master's master before sunrise." Said he.

"Then lead on." Said Halfer, disguising his voice.




After they had rested their horses, they quickly set off walking towards a new wending and winding course. When, finally they came upon a clearing in the forest. There did they find a little hamlet of man-made mounds, so they did. Honest!

There was no mistaking, for this was Tom O' Rourke's place. A place of much business undertakings. Where there's muck -- so they say -- there's brass. Though, you'd never hear that in mass or in class. Muck, or rather turf is the name of the game, and a man who is up to his neck in it, knows where he stands, my good man.

When all had alighted their mounts, Pete Bog alone had ushered them into an unassuming looking mound, and there they found O' Rourke himself already making ready a table with food and drink aplenty, but of a modest amount, I'm bound.

Ah, there you ares', and welcome to yer all. Sit yerselves down, now. Will yer take a sup and have a bite, for later -- once you are rested -- we make moves, again, towards all of our goals.




The King, not wanting to let on, if indeed it was already known, that he would, by his right, liked to have stayed a while longer for what was left of that night. But he was soon to be most surprised, as no horses were made ready for the next part of their journey, but, a horseless truck that chucked along by some practical means, that I surmise?

"This is how we transport most of the little sods, err, of soil, that is, in-order to enrich our spoils." Let out the cork, so to speak, said Tom O' Rourke.

And so Halfer and a fair few more flew through that hewed out underground rock, and right on through towards its very core.

Not long after, Halfer and his troupe flew past a small cavern, which happily sat -- for those in the know -- underneath Hovelot's one and only tavern.

Very soon, then, did Halfer arrive into another sort of cavern, where it seemed was teamed with another life that thrived.

He was met by his old friend, Bunghoe, who I must say, was damn glad to see him show. "Ah, hello there. And how the dibble are yees?" Said Bunghoe.

"How the what, am I's? ...Oh, you mean the devil? Oh, well I'm quite fine, despite my time down this dank and sodden mine." Answered Halfer.

The cavern in which they now found themselves was more some kind of goods in and out sort of store, in which to distribute all manner of the manor's wealth.

Tom then, leads Halfer, Bunghoe, and his little retinue through an unlocked door, and up through the deep rock-bed, where a spirally staircase now lay dead ahead.