He had to keep them alive. If they died without being quickly interred in his second stomach the magic would be lost to him.
It wasn’t a case of nourishment to build strong bodies but to gain greater magic to pulse and grow within him. Since he had never met a dwarf it took him eating roughly thirty percent before he realized that he should and could take off their metal outer skins.
The armament the dwarves wore not only added to the bulk in his stomach leaving less space for the skin and bones but took a lot longer to digest. Once the black dragon removed the mail, greaves, helms, etc the number of dwarves which could reside in his stomach increased.
The magic meal had sated the dragon but as with any addiction he would need more.
THE END
By Peter Butterworth
OTHER BOOKS by Peter Butterworth
Historical Adventure
THE ATLANTEAN KING’S QUEST
Historical Caper
THE FRESNO TWIST
Epic Fantasy
THE ATLANTEAN CYCLES
THE WIZARD’S GIFT SERIES
THE BLUE SWORD: A GIFT FROM A WIZARD
THE SILVER SWORD: A GIFT FROM A WIZARD
ANTHOLOGY
THEN AND THEN AGAIN
Soon to be released:
(Modern) Thriller
A GHOST OF A CHANCE
PS: If you find errors or detect flaws in any part of the story please let me know. If you like any of the stories please give a review. Mahalo, Pete
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Former psychiatric nurse and formerly a bookseller in the co-op TALL STORIES in San Francisco (the largest co-op bookstore in the country at the time). Afterwards, I sold modern 1st editions (collectibles) on ebay under the DBA Mr. Butterworth’s Books and even sold vintage Hawaiian (aloha) shirts on ebay until the great recession.
Moved around a lot in my life; 3 high schools (two states), 2 junior high schools (2 states) and even 2 kindergartens. I was born in Rhode Island and kept moving west until I ended up in Hawaii. Any more west would be east so I returned to California.
Even hopped freights and hitch-hiked around the country in the early 1970’s (I wouldn’t recommend that now) and I’ve traveled to Central and South America and parts of Asia. Currently I am in Thailand.
Began writing as a teen - poetry as any teenager with angst is prone to do. Started to work in school newspapers in high school and continued this with several colleges but usually in different capacities. Had a Hemenway scholarship from the University of Hawaii - Manoa.
Could slam dunk at age fifteen and was told by a pro baseball scout after I pitched a game at 15 that I had a Double A arm. Originally went to a college (LSU- Wisconsin) to play baseball but life, as it’s been said, happens.
I have skeletons in my closet so to speak.
Mary Peck Butterworth was a famous counterfeiter.
But I cannot say I’m too upset about my great, etc., etc, grandmother. She wasn’t convicted. Everyone of importance in the town in the year she was arrested in 1705 was either a Peck or a Butterworth which certainly didn’t hurt and she was so clever they could not find the materials she used to forge the colonial bills of that period.
Lou Boyd (Grab Bag) did a blurb on her one time. And the only bills of that period to survive were her bills which has been said to be better made than the British bills and better liked by the colonists.
My great grandfather, Frank Butterworth, was the inspiration for my historical caper novel THE FRESNO TWIST. Turns out he was the typical ne’er-do-well and was kicked out of all the prep schools in New England. He eventually was arrested for stock fraud.
I’m very proud that three sides of my family fought in the Revolutionary War; a Butterworth, an Allard (Huguenots arrived in 1710) and Frank Cassidy. Frank probably arrived to fight the British and after the war settled in New York, one of the few places a Catholic could go without a lot of hassles.
The fourth side arrived here in the mid-1880’s and I am equally proud of them. My grandfather, Nathaniel Frucht, was the first in the family to be born here. He was the first Jewish patent attorney in Rhode Island and was one of the last to pass the bar without going to law school. He had been an engineer which helped him in his practice.
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