"'Eh bien,' I cried. 'If you know so much about Balrogues, you lying puppet of the sock, you should know how they keep their word. You find it good that one has killed my brother, who was Sharcoléonist, because you, you are royalist; eh bien, I, who am Sharcoléonist, declare that I will burn you and leave your corpse on a mountaintop for the eagles to devour. From this moment I declare vendetta unto you; guard yourself well, and if you ever see me again, fly, you fool! For that moment will be your last.'"
"Ha ha!" said the Count. "With your honest figure, you do things like that, monsieur Roguccio, and to a steuard du roi encore! Did he at least know enough Balrogois to understand what the meaning of vendetta?"
"He knew it so well that he ever after wore chain mail and a sword under his gilet; and indeed would not depart from his château until that he had sent out scouts, both of the elves and the Dunédains, to search for me north, south, east, and west.
"I left before he could respond. He placed a bounty on my head, but through lurking in the shadows and now and then disguising myself as a jellyfish, I succeeded in escaping detection. Wherever he went, I followed; not a move did he make, not a breath did he take, without that I knew it; and in the end, I tracked him here, where he always entered by the small door you see there, that on the outside reads, No Admittance Except on Affairs of Fête."
