Interlude 3: Glass works
“Allo! Welco to tha Glassworks!”
Ralph Ralphson of Ralph and Ralph Glassworks turned to the door as the bell rang. He put down the piece of stained glass he was working on and looked at the custor standing on the other side of the counter. Ralph pulled at the long braids of his goatee as he put on a bright welcoming smile.
“Can I ‘elp you?”
The custor in front of him was different from his usual fare. Ralph was used to noblen and clergyn coming for clear glass for their windows or the occasional wine glass for a gnomish oligarch. He also had a few dwarves co in for a one-off or two, but that was about it. He had never had a gnomish tinker trader co in the door, and certainly never one that looked so… wild.
“Do you do requests?” The gno asked in a squeaky voice. He kept looking over his shoulder like he was afraid sothing.
“Aye, of course! What are ya looking fer?” Different custor or not, gold was gold! Ralph wondered why this Gno looked so twitchy, was he a thief perhaps? Ralph raised his guard; he wasn’t getting robbed today! His guard dropped as the gno placed a vase upon the counter.
“I want a copy of this.”
“Aye?” Ralph examined the vase and flipped it over to look at the makers mark. “Hmmm…. It’s got a maker’s mark from Kinshasa. I can make it. Any changes ya want made, or do ya want it ‘as is’?”
“Yes… make it as clear as possible, lose the colouring.” The gno pulled at his moustache as he thought.
“Aye, anythin else?”
“Can you add a handle? Like a tankard?”
“Uh.. yes?” What an odd request. Did the gno plan on drinking water from the vase? That struck Ralph as strange, but then Gnos liked to drink weird things. They preferred their coffee and tea and juice to a proper brew. Ralph shuddered a bit, perhaps this was so new way of drinking leafy flower water. “Anything else?”
The gno seed deep in thought for a while. He humd and hawed, while Ralph took the vase and began asuring it. This would be a simple order, and he could hamr it out before lunch. He was looking forward to eting so of his mates in the bar for a ga of hamrcup soon.
“Add so etching. I want it to say, 'Whistlemop'”.
“Whistlemop?”
“Yeeessss… No.” The gno’s voice grew firm. “Official Whistlemug”
“Official Whistlemug?”
“Yes, in gold, with a drawing of .” The gno grinned a bit maniacally.
“That’ll be a lot more expensive.” Ralph paused in his work. He could already see his early evening disappearing. He pulled out a note pad and began taking notes. This one was going to be a pain; he could tell already. “Anything else?”
“On the other side put ‘The best way to drink a beer’”
“’The best way to drink a' - WHAT?!?” Ralph put down his notepad and stared. Was this gno insane? Well, if he was, Ralph needed to ensure that he would get paid for this job. Far be it from him to stand between a gno and a bad idea. “I’m gonna need pay up front.”
The gno stepped outside without a word. Ralph sighed in relief, that was possibly one of the oddest requests he had ever received. Why on Erd – The gno entered again with a small cart filled with bags. His eyes glowed with avarice as he placed a bag on the counter. It clinked and a few coins fell onto the wood. “I sold everything. EVERYTHING. I don’t want one. Make it a thousand.”
Ralph stared as the gold rolled around on the counter in front of him. What was he getting himself into? Then again… gold was gold. “Alright, Mr. Whistlemop, you’re the boss!"
The gno began to laugh, and Ralph soon joined him. Their cackles echoed down market street, disturbing a couple of sleeping cats, who yowled in protest.
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