Game of Thrones Tales: The Ultimate Game:Book I-Back to the Throne Room

Game of Thrones Tales: Back to the Throne Room... Part XX

Game of Thrones Tales: Back to the Throne Room...

Summary: There's only one solution when Tyrion and Sansa have found the new King as mad as the Mad Targaryen and cynically evil, once on the throne, as Joffrey. So evil he's happily allowed the world to be invaded by unspeakably hideous creatures from some little planet out on the spiral rim of the Galaxy, to secure his reign of terror.

Part XX...

The Hall of the Watchers' Keep...Evening...

Night's Watchmen off duty taking their ease, within reason and in the favored pursuits of reading, study, the occasional story-telling, games of strategy and craft, and under the watchful eyes of the various stewards, led by Samwell Tardy, enjoying a rather pleasantly supplemented range of evening snacks...The Minister of Defense having seen and urged the usefulness of improving morale at the Wall with such simple pleasures, especially with the reduction of tension since the various treaties with the peoples, settlers, wildlings, and former Walkers, of the North...and various ales and other refreshments, including that wondrous import from Dirt, cafee or, coffee...Which some had come quickly to see as a true elixir of life as did it seemed, most of the Dirters. Some even going so far as to believe it was Dirter cafee that gave those amazing and terrifying people their remarkable abilities in science and the tech-no-logies. Given the very few Dirter guests about seemed reasonably nice fellows, forbearing to act like overlords and displaying honest curiosity about the Watch and its men, the evening was passing quietly for Sam and his men.

Of course it was generally quiet now here, Samwell sighed to himself as he set out a dish of baked apples on a sideboard. And after all the past excitement while it was admittedly nice to see the Hall not full of broken, wounded, dying brothers and to be facing imminent death every moment, there was a part of him that did miss the old days of action...

Not that there wasn't action, of a kind now...Action that in many ways actually suited a fellow like Sam far better, as Jon liked to point out to him. Where a nimble brain counted for far more than an awkward body's defects. He looked over to see Dr. Sinclair pleasantly chatting with a young Watcher, Mikas, new to the Watch...One of the new fellows, increasingly less "scruffy" than the old...The Watch having acquired both a certain cachet owing to its role in standing off the Walkers and wildlings attacks in the civil wars and a status as the one place where a Westerosian man could feel he was carrying on the old traditions, free of Dirters and those who'd accepted them. Sinclair nodding to him, raising a pot of ale.

He'd be at him again, soon, no doubt...Sam knew...

A slight thrill at the coming joust of minds pleasantly stimulating him...

It wasn't that Samwell relished the chance to torment anyone, even a Dirter who might be playing at being a friend, trying to ferret out information that would kill many friends and innocents or, with equally bad consequence, a well-meaning fool whose indiscretion might accomplish the same. But, over the days since Jon's departure for parts unknown...Thank the gods I really don't know for sure exactly where...He mentally prayed...He'd come to enjoy the daily bit of cat and mouse with Dr. Sinclair who seemed convinced that he was the key to locating Jon.

Nice to think someone believes I'd be that well-trusted...

Not that Jon meant anything by it...No one would have been told, it was far too dangerous, not to mention too limiting for any tale Jon might offer to explain his absence, from "I'm Watcher Commander and this was official business..." he pictured Jon in stern regard of the rather withdrawing Dirter or other interrogator to a long and eventually tiresome tale of his adventures in the far North...The receiver fuming with impatience by the end.

He felt no little pride at handling the "honored guest" with skill in their contacts of the last few days. Moving from polite explanations that he couldn't be sure of the Commander's whereabouts, would the good Doctor like anything from the stores? To a slightly more confidential assurance that he only wished he might have been entrusted with the information as the Commander did seem to be taking his time...And what a pity they couldn't have been asked to join him, it was looking as if he might be up to something exciting. To finally a whispered question as to whether the doctor might suspect it involved Mother Love and a bit of fighting...Not that he claimed any great warrior ability but a Watcher with any experience liked to be where the action was, you know, Doctor?