The House of Yeel - By Michael McCloskey Page 0,5

odd pose you’ve struck, which looks to me rather uncomfortable and might in fact damage your knees if you do not eventually continue the natural motion by lying on the ground or else perhaps reverse the idea and return to your normal…that is, our normal standing position. Normal being the usual configuration of our bodies. Being normal regular people, of course, which clearly we both are.”

“Forgive me, Great Yeel,” Jymoor said, rising cautiously. “About the beast. May I ask what’s it doing inside? I thought it was holding some tools.”

“Oh. Well, it can’t very well be outside with the harapins, now can it? May I take your travel cloak, ah…?”

“I’m Jymoor, a gift to you, my lord. I’m sorry for coming into your house unannounced, but my people seek your aid, mighty one.”

“No harm done, Jymoor. That is, ah, yes, no harm done. First we shall endeavor to locate you some food and drink so you may shake the weariness of the road. Then perhaps you can tell me what this aid is you require. That would be an optimum series of events as near as I can figure.”

Yeel stepped hesitantly one direction and then the other.

“You…you do know where the kitchen is?” Jymoor asked uncertainly.

“Of course I—that is, I…well, you know, it…just follow me. I shall deduce its location.”

“Deduce? Is this your home?”

“It is my sanctuary. I’m familiar with the basic principles upon which it has been laid out, therefore I should be able to locate the kitchen quickly,” Yeel said.

“The kitchen is this way,” Jymoor said. “I remember I went through there on the way in.” The traveler had a troubled look on her face. “Are you really the Great Yeel?”

“I assure you that I am Yeel. Lay your doubts to rest,” the odd man said. “I feel sorry that you were forced to remember where the kitchen is. It seems such a shame. Really, my humble abode is hardly worthy of such effort on your part, my friend.”

Jymoor stared at Yeel for a moment, trying to understand just what the man was saying.

“No need to feel sorry, Lord Yeel. I just happened to remember because I was just in there recently—”

“But to have put forth such heroic effort to remember such a minuscule detail and it’s not even your sanctuary! Indeed, I am indebted to you. Lead on, by all means,” Yeel said.

“Yes, it was this way…”

Jymoor retraced her steps with the skinny white-haired man in tow. They came into the kitchen and Yeel looked around.

“An adjoining room must be set aside for consumption of food items,” Yeel said. He turned full circle looking around the kitchen and then spotted a small table. Moving the table into the middle of the room, Yeel indicated a chair to Jymoor. “Please have a seat, be my guest. No doubt there is a supply of food in this area,” he said.

Jymoor stared at Yeel from her seat at the table, trying to take in the man and his frenzied dialogue. The maroon robe flowed oddly, almost disturbingly, as Yeel moved about, bringing plates of food to the visitor. It almost seemed as if the man floated. Long, thin hands extended from the arms of the richly colored garb. She examined his narrow head framed in short dark hair. He was handsome, she decided, though his dark eyes bulged just a bit. He had flecks of gray at the temples, which was to be expected considering his reported age of greater than one hundred years.

“However did you manage to get past the harapins?” asked Yeel. “I distinctly remembered a lot of them, since they would be so dangerous to forget. They’ve kept visitors from this place for quite some time, I fear. Did you come by land or sea? Or other? I really must know, please do not deny me the details of your arrival, my dearest of friends named Jymoor.”

“Uh, by land, my lord,” Jymoor stammered. “There were the remains of a large beast, perhaps a harapin. But truly, no such monster attacked me.”

“Of course you speak truly! I would entertain no other such thought, not for a second, I assure you. May I ask for clarification? You came to the house without resistance?” Yeel asked. “Your way was unbarred? Uncontested? Without opposition? Please, do take some sustenance.”

Jymoor bowed again. “That is so. I apologize, my lord. I did not mean to invade your—”

“No problem at all. Quite all right. Anytime. I am, after all, not at all opposed to