Chapter Fifteen

Capture and Punishment

The scene that met the four friends as the entered the lodging, was not at all what they expected, although in truth they didn't really know what to expect.   Instead of just finding the two thieving Waterfall Trolls they were looking for.  There was also another, older Waterfall Troll and intriguingly, an older Friendly Troll and all four looked surprised, to see three Friendly Trolls and a little girl enter the lodging.

Ralphy and Timbo, stood with the heads bowed, too ashamed to look at the newcomers and Dotty said "which one of you is Terry?", "I am" said Terry, "but how did you know I was here?" he asked.  "It's a very long story" said Dotty, "have a seat at the table and we will have some tea, while I explain and then you can tel my your story as well".

Terry asked Weed to go tell the girls that everything was all right, ask them to bring the The Friendly Troll Book of Secrets into the lodging and come in for some tea.

By the time the others came into the lodging for tea, Dotty had already made the introductions and explained how Ralphy and Timbo, had tried to find the secret of how to open The Friendly Troll Book of Secrets.  How they had tried to make a run for it when they found that Nobody was there but had surprisingly come back in.  Now that wasn't a very long story, however the reason for a Friendly Troll being in the lodging was but that would come later, after Terry told his story.

When Terry had finished, the next thing to do was decide what to do with Ralphy and Timbo, who were still stood very quietly looking at the ground.  "Should I use the trollevision to call the magistrate" said Dotty, "no I think we can sort this out between us".  Ralphy and Timbo both looked up from the ground for the first time. 

Trolls didn't have police but if a troll is caught doing wrong, the wrongdoer could either accept a TASBO (Troll Anti-Social Behavior Order), or be brought before the magistrate. The magistrate is a powerful magical troll, who could not be lied to and who was therefore very rarely needed.  As the magistrate had the power to banish wrongdoers to an underground world, for a time determined by the severity of the wrongdoer's wrongdoing.

Ralphy and Timbo agreed to accept a TASBO, rather than meet the magistrate.  Their TASBO was to be home in bed by eight o'clock every night for a year and try not to be bad and or stupid.  If they didn't stick to the TASBO a message would be sent to the magistrate.   They also had to apologize to everyone involved and they had to really mean it.

It was a bit sad to see two unfriendly, miserable and grumpy people groveling in apology but it was good to get it over with and have them leave. It felt better in the lodging as soon as they left.

Chapter sixteen