#anywhere

In Jefferson City, a Karoke bar, several Tall men, now just drunk enough to give this a shot, rise up, and look at each other then start the music up.

Oswald grabs the mic first "Yo listen up, here's the story
About a little guy that lives in a blue world
And all day and all night and everything he sees is just blue
Like him, inside and outside
Blue his house with a blue little window
And a blue Corvette
And everything is blue for him
And himself and everybody around
'Cause he ain't got nobody to listeeenn"

The other troll thanes, also off duty, join in

"I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa
I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa"

And they do the footwork swivel thing

Another troll takes a turn, "I have a blue house with a blue window
Blue is the color of all that I wear
Blue are the streets and all the trees are too
I have a girlfriend and she is so blue
Blue are the people here that walk around
Blue like my Corvette, it's in and outside
Blue are the words I say and what I think
Blue are the feelings that live inside me!"

None of them are nearly as good as the troubadours.

But that's okay, thank goodness there are no other kithian anywhere around. Whew

"I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa
I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa"

"I have a blue house with a blue window
Blue is the color of all that I wear
Blue are the streets and all the trees are too
I have a girlfriend and she is so blue
Blue are the people here that walk around
Blue like my Corvette, it's in and outside
Blue are the words I say and what I think
Blue are the feelings that live inside me!"

Yes, truly the thanes would die if not for the somewhat anonymous nature of things. As it is, this song probably wasn't meant to sound as deep as a Gregorian chant.

"I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa
I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daaaaaaa!"

They finish up, and while applause is not thick, neither is it booing

"SO glad Rollo has main duty tonight" One says as they retake their beers

----------

August wakes up. He's been cleaned, Dejuiced, Dewounded, and Deloused- Emma is nothing if not through.

But it is not Emma there... but Oswald, the thane, "Hello, Sir."

August blinks, clearing his vision, and tries to wet his lips. "Home?"

"Yes sir..." Indeed, August feels really good. no pain... kind of a buzz that he can't describe. But his leg seems totally healed

He checks his arm.

Nary a scratch!

He turns and flexes it, then sets up abruptly. "Where's Coradel? And Magnus and Claire?"

"I think still at the hospital sir. You just missed Emma. She's amazing isn't she?" He smiles "I mean, I'm glad she likes the shirt, of course, but the talent? That's all her."

"Still.... Oswald, help me up, I need to get dressed, get back to the hospital."

"Ah, sorry sir, no can do. The Steward sent orders.. healthy or not, no one injured should go back there. " An aside "There's a risk of banality, and it's complicated enough. Don't worry. I brought Uno cards. You ever play? It's a classic."

August just gapes at him. "Of course I'm going! That's my wife and son in there. I'm going to go see them."

"I'm afraid you're outranked sir. Steward outranks Scribe. Now.. if you don't like Uno. I have Monopoly, but sometimes that game makes folks mean"

August swings his feet out of bed to the floor. "Steward doesn't outrank knight. I'll be careful."

"Sir? The Regent is busy. And Dame Claire says to back The Regent, the Healer, and Steward in that order."

"And... so, your daughter is the only one who can get you out of here. And she's busy."

"She's put the Steward in charge of this operation"

"So.. about that ranking ? Uno or Monopoly?" Oswald says

"Oswald, please don't' take this the wrong way... but I don't want to play a game. I -need- to see Coradel. I don't even... what happened, how did we end up in the hospital?"

"AH yes.. uhm.. maybe I should give you the summed up version. You had rescued a forgotten knight. Put him in a car with the rest of you after mini golf. The Baroness, your wife, was driving. Some Eshu challenged her to a street race. Someone put a median in the middle of a road... and the Eshu avoided it, the Baroness didn't. Median is probably a modernist... or just hard to spot. Car hit it full tilt.. many flips, lots of hurts. You were all hurt to varying degrees. Woke up in the hospital. And now you, just you, are here. Would you like your squire to get you anything? I mean Tylar, of course."

August nods along with what he remembers... then shakes his head and runs fingers through his unbound hair. "A car crash?" He sighs. "I remember getting -in- the car... Sir Dulf, he's ok?"

"From what I understand, Dame Claire was the least hurt, but he wasn't far behind. He ..thinks we're all crazy."

"I might agree with him." Muttered.

August takes stock. "I need to get dressed. We have a car that works, right?"

"No sir." He says "Sparkplugs are missing"

"A bike? I can't take one of the horses." Grimly determined "I can walk."

"Sure, and .. uhm that'll be over an hour." The troll says "You know, if you are patient, I think we can get an X Box in here. You look like a dragon age kind of guy to me."