imagine me state o’ mind, chucked in ‘ere like an old
coat.”
“No, I cannot,” said the jaiier. “I do my job and go
home to my family. I do not imagine your state of mind.”
“Excuse me,” said Jon-Tom, “but have you any idea
how long we are to be held in here?”
“Ah, no.”
46
Alan Dean Foster
THE DAY or THE DISSONANCE
47
Slow. Their jailer was a little slow in all areas. It was a
characteristic of all porcupines, and this one was no
exception. That didn’t mean he was a moron. Tread
slowly, Jon-Tom warned himself.
“Our possessions have become separated from us,” he
went on. “Do you know what was done with them?”
Lazily, the porcupine pointed upward. “They are in the
main guard chamber, to be taken out and sent along with
you when word comes for you to be moved.”
“Do you know what’s going to happen to us?”
The porcupine shook his head. “No idea. None of my
business. I do my job and stay out of other people’s
business, I do.”
Mudge instantly divined his companion’s intentions,
said sadly, “We were searched before we were sent down
here. I wonder if they found your sack o’ gold, mate?”
“Sack of gold?” Evidently the porcupine wasn’t all that
slow. For the first time the half-lidded eyes opened fully,
then narrowed again. “You are trying to fool me. Chenelska
would never leave a sack of gold in a place where others
could find it and steal it.”
“Yeah, but wot if ‘e didn’t think to look for somethin’
like that?” Mudge said insinuatingly. “We just don’t want
‘im to get ‘is ‘ands on it, after ‘im throwin’ us down ‘ere
and all. If you wanted to find out if we were lyin’ or not,