Everybody gasped in abject horror at the bizarre and disturbing scene of Apil's attempts to throttle the ostrich. Everyone was even more horrified when Lalika knocked herself cold in an attempt to save the ostrich. But the situation was relieved slightly when the ostrich fluttered its eyelashes seductively at another ostrich, causing general mirth all round.

Another ostrich...

"Wait a moment!" said Apil. "How did that ostrich get there? Ye gods! The door to the farm must have been improperly shut!"

Nausaebundus looked rather sheepish at the suggestion.

"And where," began Cail, sitting up, "is that Roman...guy?"

"Good question," said Apil. "I went out to fetch this ostrich expressly for him, and now he's gone. And now I'm going to throttle his slave."

Suddenly, however, there came the sound of yet more commotion by the door. In the pale moonlight, an ostrich was seen rearing as a small, lithe figure sat on its back.

Suddenly, the ostrich galloped forward through the door and into the light of the tavern, revealing the light Roman delegate, Addisonius Furius, riding it as though it were a donkey.

"My Gods!" shouted someone. "It's a miracle! By Jove!"

"Gilgamesh, Ishtar, and Inanna!" cursed a Babylonian.

"Is this sage riding a qilin?" demanded Sankira.

"No, it's just my boss," said Nausaebundus, smugly.

"Get off my ostrich!" exclaimed Apil.

"Oh, don't worry, my good man," said Addisonius, reining in the beast, which looked up at him in the same way that a dog looks up at its master. "I have a way with ostriches."

"I thought you wanted to eat one of them."

"Not this beauty," said Addisonius. "She's a nice one."

"I thought that an ostrich's back couldn't hold the wait of a human being," said Cail.

"It's a qilin - they can do anything," responded Sankira, stroking his beard in a sage fashion.

"Strong ostrich and little man," said Addisonius.

"Explain!" cried Apil.

"I noted with my keen eyes and ears and sense of smell and that sort of thing that the gate had been left open and that the ostriches were sneaking away stealthily," began the Roman. "Therefore, using all of the skills of tracking that I picked up in Gaul, I hunted down the ostriches and brought them back - taming this little dear along the way. The two you have there are the only ones who aren't where they are supposed to be."

"Wow."

"Hooray for Add'son' Furius,
The Wild Ostrich Tamer!"

"Did someone call me tapir?"

"Hooray, hooray, hooray!"

"He went into the bird pen
Where all the ostrich' eat nuts!"

"If I stay here I'll...ummm...what rhymes with that?"

It did not matter. There was great rejoicing anyway. At least, there was until Addisonius noted the still unmoving body of Lalika. Bowing his head sadly, he dismounted the ostrich and walked over to see what he could do to assist her.