Guards Guards - Protective

“Ah. Yes, it can be very damp down there, so I've heard. Protection. Very important. ” He turned around and added, dramatically, “This belonged to my great-grandfather. ”

It was a strange, vaguely hemispherical device surrounded by straps.

“It's some sort of sling?” said Carrot, after examining it in polite silence.

Varneshi told him what it was.

“Codpiece like in fish?” said Carrot, mystified.

“No. It's for the fighting,” mumbled Varneshi. “You should wear it all the time. Protects your vitals, like.”

Carrot tried it on.

“It's a bit small, Mr Varneshi."

“That's because you don't wear it on your head, you see.”

Varneshi explained some more, to Carrot's mounting bewilderment and, subsequently, horror. “My great-grandad used to say,” Varneshi finished, “that but for this I wouldn't be here today.”

“What did he mean by that?”

Varneshi's mouth opened and shut a few times. “I've no idea, ” he said, spinelessly.

Anyway, the shameful thing was now at the very bottom of Carrot's pack. Dwarfs didn't have much truck with things like that. The ghastly preventative represented a glimpse into a world as alien as the backside of the moon.

***

Guards Guards p40