Snorri was so impressed by the feat that he forgot to pick up his own last pint before Gotrek had finished.

Gotrek stood there swaying slightly. He belched, hiccupped and sat down on his stool.

"The day you can out-drink me, Snorri Nosebiter, is the day Hell freezes over."

"That will be the day after the day you pay for a beer, Gotrek Gurnisson," Snorri said, sitting down beside his fellow Trollslayer.

"Well, so much for starters," he continued. "Let's get down to some serious drinking then. Looks like Snorri has some catching up to do."

 

"Is that proper World's Edge tabac you have there, Snorri?" Gotrek asked, looking hungrily at the stuff Snorri was tamping into his pipe. They had all settled down by the roaring fire in the best seats in the house.

"Aye, "tis old Mouldy Leaf. Snorri picked it up in the mountains afore coming here."

"Give some here!"

Snorri tossed the pouch over to Gotrek, who produced a pipe and started filling it. The Slayer glared over at the scholarly young dwarf with his one good eye.

"So, youth," Gotrek growled What is the mighty doom your Uncle Borek has promised me? And why is old Snorri here?"

Felix leaned forward interestedly. He wanted to know more about this himself. He was intrigued by the thought of a summons which could excite even the normally morose and taciturn Slayer.

Varek looked at Felix warningly. Gotrek shook his head and took a sip of beer. He leaned forward, lighted a spill of wood in the fire then lit his pipe. Once the pipe was burning well, he leaned back in his chair and spoke earnestly.

"Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of the man-ling. He is a Dwarf Friend and an Oathkeeper."

Snorri looked up at Felix. Surprise and something like respect showed in his dull, brutish eyes. Varek's smile showed sincere interest and he turned to Felix and bowed once more, almost falling out of his chair.

"I'm sure there is a tale there," he said. "I'd be most interested in hearing it."

"Don't try and change the subject," Gotrek said. "What is this doom your kinsman has promised me? His letter dragged me halfway across the Empire and I want to hear about it."

"I wasn't trying to change the subject, Herr Gurnisson. I simply wanted to get the information for my book."

"There will be time enough for that later. Now speak!"

Varek sighed, leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers over his ample stomach. "I can tell you little enough. My uncle has all the facts and will share them with you in his own time and fashion. What I can tell you is this is possibly the mightiest quest since the time of Sigmar Hammerbearer—and it concerns Karag Dum."

"The Lost Dwarfhold of the North!" Gotrek roared drunkenly, then suddenly fell silent. He looked around, as if fearing that spies might have overheard him.

"The very same!"

"Then your Uncle has found a way to get there! I thought he was mad when he claimed he would." Felix had never heard such an undercurrent of excitement in the dwarfs voice. It was contagious. Gotrek looked over at Felix.

It was Snorri who interrupted. "Call Snorri stupid if you like, but even Snorri knows Karag Dum was lost in the Chaos Wastes." He looked directly at Gotrek and shivered. "Remember the last time!"

"Be that as it may, my uncle has found a way of getting there."

A sudden trepidation filled Felix. Finding the location of the place was one thing. Having a method of getting there was another. It meant that this wasn't simply a fascinating academic exercise but a possible journey.