Garong Gets a Holiday

“Go home, Garong. There’s no work for you today.” The hooded figure didn’t even look up.

“Wait, but, I need…”

“I know Garong, it’s all taken care of. You’ve got a holiday.”

“A… What.” The minotaur stammered, frustrated and fearful of missing the day’s wage… and the meals that went with it, for that matter.

With a deep breath, Garong composed himself and continued: “There’s clearly plenty of work to be done. I can see you all made a mess of the place after I left. Maybe even more than usual. Are you still drunk? Now excuse me, I’ve got cleaning to do and I expect to get the agreed upon wage.”

A long moment passed before the hooded man turned up and responded.

“You take all the fun out of it. Here!” The hooded man slung a small pouch that clanked against Garong’s chest. “That’s your whole week’s pay. You get some time off.”

The massive minotaur continued to stand, mute and motionless. Eventually, he knelt down to collect his coins. “I don’t understand. This is more than a week. How will you…?” He gestured toward the piles of filthy costumes, half eaten food, and spilled drink.

The hooded man smiled, suddenly amused. “Visarin is taking care of it all.”

Another long pause, punctuated with stifled chuckles.

“He’s the one who drank too much. He probably won’t even remember the bet – which is why we made him pay in advance. We assumed he’d be too drunk to count properly, so I grabbed a few extra coins for you to make sure it was fair. He’s taking care of everything.”

“…Everything?”

“Yup. I’m going to wake him up as soon as we’re finished here. I think I’ll start him with the laundry.” Both men laughed. “I figure the look on his face when he figures out what he’s in for will be worth more than those coins you’ve got.”

Garong Gombek stood tall and thought for another minute. “Maybe to you, but I’d rather be gone with my pay before he comes to.”

“I thought so. Have a nice vacation, Garong.”

“Thank you. I will.” And with that, he took his leave as quietly as a minotaur in a hurry can. With a little luck, he’d have enough time to get a second breakfast at his favorite inn.