'I have a meeting with the royal copper smith,' Tom lied. 'We are engaged in the manufacture of a miraculous device which will extract the soul light from beer and mead.'
'You're talking about fire water again.'
'I am,' said Tom. 'I can't understand what you've got against it.'
'The consumption of beer and mead in their present forms is creating enough problems.' Thunder preened the ends of his moustache. 'Of course, if you are planning to supply it to the enemy, that would be a different matter.'
'That is my intention.'
Thunder continued his inspection of the vats. He went slowly from one to the next, sniffing the contents and examining the froth on the surface. Reaching the last, he signalled to a portly man with a leather apron.
'Brew Master, bring me a ladle.'
The man produced a huge wooden spoon and watched as Thunder dipped it into the brew.
'We seem to be short on hops. Her Majesty is very strict about hops. Make sure you get it right next time.'
He leant out and prodded a furry ball floating in the vat.
'Holy Mother. What's this?'
'A hare, Master.'
'Hare. It looks like a frigging rabbit to me.' Thunder pulled the small corpse towards him and turned to Tom. 'I'd like to have your opinion on this, Sky Warrior.'
Tom scrutinised the decaying lump of flesh.
'It looks to me like a rabbit with the tail cut off.'
'Right.' Thunder swung round to confront the Brew Master. 'The Sky Warrior believes this to be a rabbit. Do you agree?' He scooped up the animal and thrust it in the man's face.
'It does look a bit like one,' the Brew Master conceded.
'A bit like.' Thunder exploded. 'It is a frigging rabbit.'
'There's an awful shortage of hares.' The Brew Master turned to Tom. 'A young princess gave a giant a hare's paw. Now every girl from Dun Atoll to Galboreth is at it. There's hardly a hare to be found.'
Thunder threw the corpse back into the vat and rounded on the man. 'Stop making excuses. Her Majesty is very fussy when it comes to hares ... no substitutes ... that's an order.'
The man bowed.
'And no females.' Thunder barked. 'They're needed for breeding.'
He turned to Tom. 'Tell me, Sky Warrior, what would they do to a Brew Master in your former realm if they found him using rabbits instead of hares?'
'The problem wouldn't arise.'
'What do you mean?'