Monday, February 2, 2015

Dear Tom, by Ethan Goldman, Part One

Dear Tom B. Grimm


Hello, you don’t know me but my name is Jean Baptise. It’s pronounced Gene, or maybe John. Jee? It’s difficult to say. You see the Lardinals, blessed be thy craft, did not concern themselves with telling me it.


Rather, they and the rest of the Church of Glut (the “tony” on the sin has kind of worn away) simply handed me Baggins and pushed me outside. For a moment I freaked out don’t get me wrong. I mean, I never was outside so I thought I got thrown out for too many questions. But turns out thankfully that Baggins had a few books, a pen, and a letter detailing my sacred quest to acquire a new meal never tasted before in the temple, and they even gave me a name! It would have been nicer if I knew how to pronounce it, but beggars can’t be choosers. Well I suppose they can, not sure why people say that.


Fortunately for me though I was rescued from my aimless wandering by the members of Clan Riverhawk, who were glad to take me in. They probably felt sorry for me, but I don’t think any of them cook so it all evens out.


A few of them wanted me to tag along on one of these ‘quests’ people do, which appear to be charity work of some kind. Some investigation into a series of sick kids, something about a wellspring, I honestly wasn’t paying attention. But hey how bad could it be?


With a lot of love,

Jean Baptise.