"Mime."
"Let us drink wretched wine. Is better than putrid beer these mortals make."
He waved a tentacle at the innkeeper and bellowed an order. The mortal cringed in pain at Fafner's booming voice. The innkeeper pinched his nostrils closed with one hand and breathed through his mouth while he delivered the wine pitcher.
Fafner gripped the pitcher with the suckers of one tentacle and filled two glasses. He pushed one glass to Mime. "We drink to good friends.” He clicked his teeth, the zaftan way of grinning.
Over the next four glasses, the two exchanged information about their respective home planets. By then, Mime's speech had become hesitant and slurred.
"Why you come to Earth?” Fafner asked.
"I came with my brother, Alberich. He was exiled. Not that he wants company. He ignores me as if I'm too stupid to talk to him. But he is family."
"Why exile? What brother do?"
"He's a computer genius, and he designed some chips that allowed the masses to access and read government secrets."
"How long is exile?"
"As long as two-hundred-fifty cycles of this sun."
"Hmm. Long time. What does genius brother do now?"
"He spends all his time in his lab doing more chip designs."
"Genius brother has lab?” Fafner gasped. The planet's civilization had
been devastated at some point in the past. The scattered survivors eked out a living with subsistence farming in an economy based on barter. The lack of basic technology here made the existence of a lab very improbable.
"It is the nibelung way,” Mime said. “Exiles take their possessions with them when they leave. Alberich packed his entire lab and shipped it here."
"Labs require power. Power grids not working.”
"The lab uses battery packs. Fission, I think.”
"Where is lab?” Fafner’s energy levels spiked upward. He smelled a
criminal enterprise, just what he needed to keep his felonious skills from atrophying.
"Secret.” Mime held a finger in front of his lips. "Can't talk about it."
"Excuse ignorant Fafner.” To control his excitement, he wrapped one tentacle around a table leg and squeezed. After a few seconds, he said, "Will not speak of it again.” He clicked his glass against Mime's. "Drink to genius brother.” He drained his glass and held the pitcher aloft to signal the innkeeper for a third refill. Mime had trouble gulping down the sour wine.
With the glasses re-filled, Fafner said, "Drink to family. Is good to have."
After Mime managed to finish the glass, Fafner asked,"Where does brother work?"
"Garage.” Mime waved a hand in the direction of the river. "Other side."
Fafner proposed another toast and sat impatiently while Mime struggled to finish the wine.
After three more glasses, Mime put his head on the table and started snoring. Fafner chuckled, stood and slithered towards the door.
"Hey!” the innkeeper shouted. "You didn't pay."
"Friend wake up, he pay."
Fafner moved to the Rhine, slid down the riverbank and entered the mud-
Part 1: Das Rhinegold
Start from the beginning
